Dear John

Starring: Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Richard Jenkins, Henry Thomas
Directed by: Lasse Hallstrom
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Romance
2010

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: During a summer break, Army officer John (Channing Tatum) meets and falls in love with student Savannah (Amanda Seyfried). However, with him returning to active duty and her returning to school, is their love strong enough to survive being separated?

Review:

Tim: I must be out of my mind. I should have hated this movie. It looked like a sappy love story, featured the dull Channing Tatum and the overrated Amanda Seyfried. There's no way I would like this movie. And yet, that's why I watch. You never know when a movie will surprise you. This is a bit shocking for me to say, but I really, really enjoyed Dear John.

What I liked about this film is that it tells a very timely and interesting story. It comes from writer Nicholas Sparks, and, whether you like him or not, he's achieved a great deal of success recently. I loved how this film portrayed the ups and downs of a long distance relationship. This was especially powerful considering the world events that occur in the background of the story. I thought the movie did a terrific job of portraying the service of our military men and women, without overly glorifying the events. September 11th happens during the course of the film, and it was handled with dignity and respect, not as a gimmick. I really appreciated that. Relationships with men and women serving in war can't be easy, and I greatly appreciated this film portraying that in a realistic light.

I am not sure I will ever really like Channing Tatum. He seems like a stupid meathead to me. However, I am also very open to actors and actresses changing my mind. If Tatum wants to be a serious, respected actor, he needs to choose more roles like this. I am not suggesting that he is great in this film. His acting was pretty laughable for the first thirty minutes of the film. However, he does have a few amazing moments. I thought he did a terrific job in the hospital scene near the end. Tatum can definitely change my mind about him. It will take a long time, but this film was a good step in that direction.

I was slightly less impressed with Amanda Seyfried. I think she is an overrated actress. I have never been impressed with her, and I wasn't here. She did a servicable job, works well enough with Tatum, and didn't do anything to detract from the movie. However, she added very little at all. She was mostly unmemorable. I would have liked to have seen more from her.

Richard Jenkins, on the other hand, I was not prepared for. Jenkins is an underrated actor, and he shows that here. Jenkins was easily my favorite part of the whole film. He gives a quiet, understated performance that absolutely broke my heart. He created some real emotion in the film, and did so in a powerful way with his supporting performance. He works very well with Tatum. Their relationship was the most beautiful and powerful of the entire film. Jenkins might get third billing, but he is the main reason why I found myself getting caught up in this film. He was brilliant here.

I probably shouldn't have liked this film as much as I did. I admit that the movie strays into the melodramatic, especially near the end of the film. The movie's weakest points are the beginning, and especially the end. The real emotion just runs out, and the film feels a bit forced. However, I still think the movie paints a realistic picture of life and loss, against the backdrop of real life events. Dear John was a surprisingly powerful movie. It is one that was unexpected, but managed to impact me on an emotional and an entertainment level.


Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Notebook, Mamma Mia!, The Visitor, Jennifer's Body, Stop-Loss