Review: Dear John

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Dear John

Dear John is a romantic drama directed by Oscar nominee Lasse Hallstrom (Cider House Rules, My Life as a Dog) and based on the bestseller by Nicholas Sparks, best known for The Notebook. Screenwriter Jamie Linden (We Are Marshall) collaborated with Hallstrom to adapt Sparks' story of a quiet young soldier who falls for an idealistic college girl.

The story begins during spring break in 2000, when Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried) meets John Tyree (Channing Tatum) while staying at her parents' beach house. John is home on leave from Army duty with Special Ops to visit his coin-collecting obsessed father (Richard Jenkins). It's love at first sight for Savannah and John, who spend two weeks together before the lovers are parted as he returns to duty. They continue their romance through letters exchanged as she makes her way through college and he fulfills his tour of duty in Africa and the Middle East. Just as John prepares to return home 9/11 occurs, and he chooses to join his outfit in extending his enlistment. His choice of duty over love adversely impacts their relationship, and Savannah makes decisions that change the course of both their lives.

Dear John lacks the chemistry between its main characters that was so prominent in the more memorable screen adaptation The Notebook. The melodrama of The Notebook succeeded with the chemistry between young lovers portrayed by Ryan Gosling and Rachel MacAdams and the love between their older counterparts excellently played by James Garner and Gena Rowlands. As attractive as they are, there's no fire -- or sparks, for that matter -- between Dear John leads Tatum and Seyfried.

Dear John also fails to create real depth to the characters. The only character interaction I found of any substance was between John and his father, and is the focal point of one of the more interesting plot twists. Richard Jenkins gave the best performance of the cast, and some of his scenes were the only time I was moved to tears. Henry Thomas as the neighbor with an autistic son handles his role very well and delivers the most sincere lines in this narrative, but he's not onscreen enough to carry this film.

The few unexpected paths in Dear John are interesting but not explored enough to make the journey worthwhile. From an autistic child to characters stricken by a stroke or cancer, there's just too much awkward sentimentality for viewers to feel emotionally invested in this film. During the screening I attended, many of the female viewers in the audience laughed at inappropriate moments that makes me think that the director and screenwriter may have missed the target audence. For a film coming out in time for Valentine's Day, it's a major lost opportunity.