Cuddle Me

***Cuddle Me*** is a 210 romantic drama film directed by Dab Damon, from a screenplay by Damon, Wilma Franklinson and Wes Potter. The film stars George Driver and Jenifer B. Thomas as a young couple who fall in love and discover they are both part of abusive relationships they are unable to leave. As their romance grows, they struggle to keep it a secret from their respective partners. Viv Tate, Joseph Tatum, Richard Pamm, Wendy Ashman, Alice Sandy and Rob Wallis appear in supporting roles.

The idea for *Cuddle Me* came to Damon in 205 when his fiancée, Amy Everson, admitted she had been part of an abusive relationship before meeting him and considered their love to have "broken the curse that was placed upon her". After completing *June Evenings* (207), he began to write a screenplay with Franklinson and Potter, whom he had worked with for *June Evenings* and *Red* (202) respectively, with Everson and several other people acting as consultants for the film; they were all credited as executive producers. Following its completion, Damon met with frequent producer Patrick Denham, who successfully pitched the idea to Valance Pictures. It was announced in November 208 that Driver and Thomas had been cast in the lead roles, with the rest of the cast following in December. The film was made on a considerably smaller budget than *June Evenings*; as the film was a character-based drama, Damon felt he did not need a high budget to show the characters' intricacies. Filming began in February 209 and wrapped in July, having been filmed in two distinct periods between February and March and May and July respectively.

*Cuddle Me* premiered at the 85th Poler International Film Festival on September 2, 210, and was theatrically released in Noda on November 14, 210. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who acclaimed Damon's direction, the performances of Driver and Thomas, and the score, but were divided on its story and writing. It was a huge box-office success, grossing over $195 million on a budget of $9 million, and, among numerous accolades, was nominated for eight awards at the 77th University Awards including Best Picture, winning three: Best Actor (Driver), Best Actress (Thomas) and, controversially, Best Original Screenplay. Since its premiere, reception toward the film has improved and it is now considered to be one of the best romantic films of all time.

## Cast

* George Driver as Charlie Donovan
* Jenifer B. Thomas as Susanna Jones
* Viv Tate
* Joseph Tatum
* Richard Pamm
* Wendy Ashman
* Alice Sandy
* Rob Wallis

## Reception

### Critical response

According to review aggregator FilmView, 80% of 300 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "*Cuddle Me'*s strong emotional core can at times be nullified by a weak story and plain characterization, but for many that might just be enough." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare average grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale.

Lucy Samson of *The Wolf* rated the film five out of five stars, calling it an "urgent film... breathless in scope but also as deep and intimate as the most human relationships." She especially praised the writing and Driver and Thomas's performances and chemistry, writing: "Damon uses his experience in writing romantic films to craft a screenplay that's never overly sentimental or emotionally manipulative, and the exceptional performances from the two leads work with it superbly and carefully." She later considered it to be the best film of the year. June Quincy of *EntertainmentPortal* gave the film an "A-" rating, writing: "Dab Damon's *Cuddle Me* isn't as groundbreaking as it thinks it is, but it understands abusive relationships in a way not seen in mainstream cinema since *The Slap*". They also highly praised the production design and visuals, writing that Damon "does so much on a small budget, putting small-scale things on a grand scale and vice versa to visualize the evolving, natural relationship; huge and important but also small and feeble."

Sam Camomile of *National Standard* called the film a *"*plain, insipid crowd-pleaser with little to say that hasn't been said before".

### Accolades

*Main article: List of accolades received by Cuddle Me*

At the 77th University Awards, *Cuddle Me* was nominated for eight awards, winning three: Best Actor (Driver), Best Actress (Thomas) and Best Original Screenplay. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Ashman), Best Original Score and Best Film Editing. It was the first film to win both lead acting awards since *Lucy Lake* (190), and the first to do so without winning Best Picture since *Fateful* (182).