Tough guy-with-a-soft-side John (Channing Tatum) and pretty-girl-with-a-good-heart Savannah (Amanda Seyfried) enjoy a whirlwind two-week affair with awful timing: She’s going back to college, and he’s heading back into military service. If that’s not fodder for a nakedly emotional story of star-crossed love, I don’t know what is.
If you love nothing but action movies, dramas based on Nicholas Sparks books (“The Notebook,” “Nights in Rodanthe”) probably aren’t for you. This one, at least, comes from not-always-corny director Lasse Hallström (“The Cider House Rules”) and stars two legitimate up-and-comers. Bonus: Character actor Richard Jenkins (“The Visitor”) as John’s dad.
Of course it’s sappy and broad, but “Dear John” isn’t bogged down with an overbearing score or numerous shots of people crying and then crying some more. It’s just a good love story featuring stars who have great chemistry. That goes a long way in this sort of thing, which will hit you harder if you’re currently or have ever spent time away from a significant other. One lesson for future long-distance romance movies: Never point out that you’re both looking at the same moon unless you want to be compared to “An American Tail.”
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Nicholas Sparks, Dear Jphn, The Notebook, Channing Tatum |
