Dear John is a typical adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel. It's sappy, manipulative, it has every single element of every single Nicholas Sparks adaptation that came before: a chance meeting of two lovers to be, a love scene in crappy weather conditions, a family member with a disability and of course, the obligatory... Well, you get the idea. And yet despite myself, I kinda liked this movie.
The story follows John (Channing Tatum ) and Savannah (Amanda Seyfried)who meet in the summer of 2001 and start a romance. Savannah is a college student and John is soldier in the American Special Forces. During their summer fling they spend time surfing, building a house, eating dinner with John's slightly autistic father (Richard Jenkins) and hanging out with the next door neighbor (Henry Thomas) and his son who is also... autistic (I know, I know). Alas, the romance only lasts for two weeks. Savannah has to go back to school and John has to go away on a mission. They promise to write to each other all the time and pretty much the rest of the movie we follow their letters (not e-mails, LETTERS) going back and forth...
The movie was directed by Lasse Hallstrom, a guy who specializes in sugarcoating stories that perhaps have a realistic Americana basis but always play out in a way that doesn't upset the audience too much. He did it in The cider house rules, An unfinished life and he does it here. Dear John is a movie that's on a clear mission. To make teenage girls cry and and everyone else not think too much for 107 minutes. It knows exactly what it is and what's it going for. And somehow, I can't fault it for that. Because what it does, it does well.
But the main reason why this movie worked for me are Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. They're both charming here, make an appealing screen couple and make the whole movie better than it has any right to be...
I've had mixed feelings about Nicholas Sparks adaptations in the past. I liked The notebook and A walk to remember a lot but hated Message in a bottle and Nights in Rodanthe. Dear John falls somewhere in between.. Yes it's predictable and sappy as hell and it'll probably only surprise young teens who see about one movie a year. But thanks to Tatum and Seyfried, it has a central couple we actually want to root for. Also, I can see how young girls can make Dear John their favorite movie.
At the end of the day, Dear John is pure cheese on a stick. But every once in a while, you know what I'm in the mood for? Cheese on a stick.
The story follows John (Channing Tatum ) and Savannah (Amanda Seyfried)who meet in the summer of 2001 and start a romance. Savannah is a college student and John is soldier in the American Special Forces. During their summer fling they spend time surfing, building a house, eating dinner with John's slightly autistic father (Richard Jenkins) and hanging out with the next door neighbor (Henry Thomas) and his son who is also... autistic (I know, I know). Alas, the romance only lasts for two weeks. Savannah has to go back to school and John has to go away on a mission. They promise to write to each other all the time and pretty much the rest of the movie we follow their letters (not e-mails, LETTERS) going back and forth...
The movie was directed by Lasse Hallstrom, a guy who specializes in sugarcoating stories that perhaps have a realistic Americana basis but always play out in a way that doesn't upset the audience too much. He did it in The cider house rules, An unfinished life and he does it here. Dear John is a movie that's on a clear mission. To make teenage girls cry and and everyone else not think too much for 107 minutes. It knows exactly what it is and what's it going for. And somehow, I can't fault it for that. Because what it does, it does well.
But the main reason why this movie worked for me are Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. They're both charming here, make an appealing screen couple and make the whole movie better than it has any right to be...
I've had mixed feelings about Nicholas Sparks adaptations in the past. I liked The notebook and A walk to remember a lot but hated Message in a bottle and Nights in Rodanthe. Dear John falls somewhere in between.. Yes it's predictable and sappy as hell and it'll probably only surprise young teens who see about one movie a year. But thanks to Tatum and Seyfried, it has a central couple we actually want to root for. Also, I can see how young girls can make Dear John their favorite movie.
At the end of the day, Dear John is pure cheese on a stick. But every once in a while, you know what I'm in the mood for? Cheese on a stick.
A guilty pleasure is still a pleasure.
OdgovoriIzbriši:D
I thought Josh Harnett sucks but Channing Tatum must be his sucky twin-actor, 10 times worse an actor.
OdgovoriIzbrišiI admit though, haven't seen more than 30mins of the movie so I won't review it or comment on your thoughts. But the two actors forced me to go to sleep, especially the highschool girl with the wisdom of the world.
I get your point, once in a while I too want some "cheese". But I'm afraid I won't offer this cheese my slice of bread.
Well, I finally saw the movie, and to be honest...it's really nothing special. I don't know whether it is because of the love - couple (not so much chemistry), or the story at all (it's not focused on their love the whole time, but John this and John that. They should've concentrate more on their thoughts after the brake-up). It didn't even make me cry, and you know me :P
OdgovoriIzbrišiI like the end of the movie, simple and concrete :) ...even though I waited for the next scene to come, even after the screen went blank, haha
Haha, loved the review. I saw the movie and say it's okay, but really, there is no comparison to The Notebook and A Walk to Remember.
OdgovoriIzbriši