Customer Reviews

Dear John [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I saw the movie in theaters the weekend after it opened. I was extremely excited, it was something I had been waiting on for weeks. Some of my friends had told me they did not like it or it was not what they expected, even hearing that I was disappointed. About 30 minutes into the movie I started crying and it continued the remainder of the movie. Dear John, touched my heart in a way no movie has in a long time, I felt connected with the characters. I recommended this movie to all my friends and I recommend it to you too! It was everything I expected and more! :)

OK, it was date night. What can I say? I had the kids, and along with my girlfriend, we were looking for a movie we could compromise on. "Dear John" fit the bill. I didn't have huge expectations but I admittedly did enjoy "The Notebook". It is sadly one of my favorite romantic comedies of all time. Yes, I enjoy romantic comedies. Get the jokes in now for all of you who are coming across this blog for the first time. I also have three daughters, so with them and my girlfriend living in the house, I am forced to see some romance once in a while or I would be watching nothing at all.

"Dear John" is (as you might infer) a movie about a young man in the military who finds his way home for a couple of weeks, falls in love and then gets dumped via the US postal service. He is a surfer dude, with a rock hard body and a quiet reserved demeanor. Channing Tatum plays the lead role and while I don't know too much about him, his acting was less than stellar. While all the women in the audience were watching with their mouths wide open and a little drool forming or their lips, he didn't do much more than grunt his way through his lines. I think he might want to stick to modeling. His acting was nothing more than a few guttural slurs that were almost indecipherable.

While he drags the movie down, Amanda Seyfried and Richard Jenkins did their best to elevate it to a lofty level. The army brat (Channing), who apparently had a violent past, finds love in Amanda's character and with Richard Jenkins doing an amazingly fantastic job as Channing's father; the three spend two weeks getting to know each other. Richard Jenkins is at his very best playing the father who suffers in silence from autism. One catches on quickly with the constant references to meatloaf every Saturday and Lasagna every Sunday, without fail.

As you might expect, John (Channing Tatum) heads back to his day job and Savannah (Amanda) heads back to school stretching their romance to thousands of miles. It starts out well with letters exchanging hands but eventually it gets too difficult for Savannah to handle. After the planes did their damage in New York City John decided to re-enlist for another stint and what was supposed to be a 12 month separation begins to stretch into years. There is a reason the movie is called "Dear John".

The movie is filled with several sad scenes, struggles with handling the autism aspect and injects "true love' into the mix. While it wasn't a bad movie it definitely was lacking something. In my opinion it would be extremely difficult having much of a connection with a man (Channing Tatum) who can't manage much more than looking good with his shirt off. Whoever was in charge of the cast should be slapped on the wrist. I change of actor in the lead male role would have done wonders with the chemistry.

Still, if you want a date movie this would be a fine one to pick. All of the women would overlook bad acting for a cut six pack and you do get to see plenty of Channing topless. Richard Jenkins deserves an Oscar nomination in my opinion for carrying so much of the emotional load of this movie as a supporting character. I did not realize he was so gifted, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing him in this character.

Overall, not bad but could have been much better. It will have you crying, if you are a woman, or possibly and feminine male as I continue to be called from time to time. I didn't cry for the record so get off my back.

I've read all of Nicholas Sparks' books. Dear John was one of my favorites so when it came to the big screen I naturally wanted to see it. I was NOT disappointed. NO MOVIE will ever match the dynamics of the book. When you go into a movie with that knowledge, you can enjoy what the movie has to offer.

While this is no "The Notebook", Dear John is definitely worth seeing. I can't wait to buy it on DVD and I generally don't buy a lot of movies on DVD. Back to "The Notebook"....I'm not sure if any movie will ever be able to match the delight, heartbreak, and hope it offered but that's ok with me!

Watch Dear John...I don't think it will disappoint.

Being a big fan of the ultra talented Amanda Seyfried, It pains me to admit that I was disappointed with DEAR JOHN. I wasn't disappointed with the acting, but more-so the lack of direction and lack of story.

Ultimately, DEAR JOHN, was littered with montage after montage after montage. I have never seen so many montages used to get points across in my life. Thanks to these 'how to tell a story quickly' montages, we never feel the emotions behind it all. We get a montage to show how they fell in love. We get a montage to show how they seperated. We get a montage that shows how they kept in contact while John (Channing Tatum) is in the military. We get a montage that shows how 9/11 effected their lives and so on and so on. There are many more MONTAGES to follow... including the finale.

Montages are used to get across a lot of information at a time or to get across that someone is doing a lot of the same thing over and over. First of all, there wasn't an overabundance of story here that 14-20 montages were necessary. Yet, with all the montages there should have been a bonus feature montage of the montage to get across how the director used the montages to tell his entire story.

Dear John could have been so, so much better had we truly spent some quality time with the characters dealing with their time apart, had the director had faith in his actors to get across the information with their emotions and acting abilities. Yet, he didn't, and the result was an extended high dollar Hallmark Cards commercial with 'A' list actors.

"Dear John" is a romantic drama that incorporates 9/11 as a crucial plot point. John Tyree (Channing Tatum) is a soldier on leave in South Carolina, visiting his reclusive father (Richard Jenkins). At the beach, he meets attractive young Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried) and despite their diverse backgrounds, they click. When his leave is about to end, they vow to write to each other until his tour of duty is complete and they can reunite, but when the planes fly into the World Trade Center on 9/11, he signs for a permanent tour of duty.

The best thing about "Dear John" is Tatum, who convinces as a romantic lead with an edge -- his character has anger management issues that create a lot of melodrama along the way. Ms. Seyfried, by contrast, is bland. Aside from her good looks, it's difficult to see what Tatum's John Tyree sees in her.

This "chick flick" is for those viewers who enjoyed "The Notebook." It's a romantic story that takes unexpected turns and seems geared to turn on the tear ducts every few minutes. Special features include an alternate ending, outtakes, deleted and alternate scenes, and a conversation with stars Tatum and Seyfried and director Lasse Hallstrom.

Dear John,

I don't know how to tip-toe around this, so I'm going to come right out and say it: I'm a selfish whore.

Waiting around for you has been pure hell. So frustrating! OMG. You think YOU have it tough over there (wherever you are), living here in my parents' multimillion dollar plantation estate is agony you can't imagine. I mean, which of the eight rooms do I sleep in?! Ugh. And that's not even going into the summer house with a beach-front view. It's so depressing.

Anyway, remember Tim? Yeah, well, he needs me or something because he got sick and his son Alan is autistic. Sure, my parents could have donated tons of money, and I have more time than I know what to do with, but that's just not enough for Tim and his son. So, we're getting married, and that's why I haven't written in weeks. My bad. Talk about something that makes no sense at all! I'm morally bankrupt, so I clearly can't empathize with how this decision will hurt you, but it's cool, because you still have your dad, who's kind of like Alan. Wow. I never thought of it that way. You and Tim both care for an autistic person in some way, yet I'm choosing a family friend instead of my boyfriend. Weird coincidence, huh? But my decision is made; true, moon-crossed love comes in a distant second. Simply giving Tim my time, my family's financial support, our access to top-notch physicians (given my widely spaced eyes, we clearly have had a difficult time finding a superb optometrist), and all the other benefits of being wealthy is not sufficient. They need me more than I love you. After all, how else do you explain a single father with an autistic kid moving in amongst the aristocracy like my family? As if! They NEED me.

Anywho, remember when I told you not to tell me what I don't know? Well, bullets flying around must be scary, and that whole 9/11 thing must really affect you as a Special Forces soldier, but you made the wrong decision. Besides, arranging an entire wedding - not to mention dodging all the bridesmaid wannabes - is real behind the lines, Medal of Honor stuff! I can relate. My BFF Jill has been blowing up my cell with all sorts of gown pictures and flower arrangements. LOL

I should probably be more emotional about this all, but it's beyond my range (you know how I wane and lose steam when dealing with complicated and mature subjects). Even if I wanted to, I couldn't act convincingly sad, or anything like that. I thought the same of you, especially during that confusing moment with me before you went back to play Army, when you wore your heart on your sleeve (and your rank upside down) but it wasn't apparent what emotion it was. Next time you are really emotional, you should tell your face. Besides, it's clear that nobody with a heart could actually take my side in all this, since essentially what I'm doing is breaking your heart and devouring your soul through aggravatingly slow, mushy letters that are shallow as a thimble. It's almost like this was written by a writer who has perfected a saccharin storyline with implausible details.


But I'm sure you'd show deeper emotional range if something happened to your father. Speaking of your dad, could he be any weirder? I mean, I'm cool with "fun" autism, where it's all riding horses and entertaining kids in helmets, but your dad's different. I'm caring, but even I have my limits. It's almost as if he's acting; and, if so, he's a great actor...like Richard Jenkins. You? Not so much. Also, I hate lasagna FYI.

Oh, BTW, remember that Mule you and your father told me about? Well, Tim has a mule of his own. ;)

See you soon,
Savannah

"Dear John" is a poignant movie, especially for a veteran or the family of those who serve in our armed forces. This film presents the picture of a budding romance between a soldier and his civilian sweetheart. The movie portrays the life of a deployed soldier, and the pressures that occur as the demands of the military clash with the world on the home front.

The story begins as John Tyree, played by Channing Tatum, meets Savannah, played by Amanda Seyfried. John and Savannah fall in love, and reluctantly part as John returns for his last year of commitment to the military. Unfortunately the 9-11 attacks happen and John extends to support his country in war. The continuing separation places great strain on John and Savannah's relationship.

This movie teaches lessons in communication. John and Savannah have difficulty communicating their deep feelings and intentions. They know they love each other, but struggle with revealing their feelings and uncovering the barriers to understanding each other. This leads to making assumptions concerning the other persons intentions and feelings. The bad communication affects their relationship.

As a military veteran I found the scenes of John on active duty very realistic. John is a "special forces" soldier assigned to a special forces team. The attitudes and actions of John and his comrades is impressive in its accuracy and aura.

"Dear John" relates a great story and tells it well. I highly recommend this film.

I know people usually say the book is better than the movie, and I really don't want to admit that it is completely true with Dear John. I loved the book so much and loved that I was able to feel their passion, heartache, and desire. When I went to watch the movie, I had a hard time feeling those emotions from the characters. I really like Channing and Amanda and I don't know if it really was just my love for the book and high expectations or if the "it" factor just wasn't there. I was also disappointed how they changed some characters, and perhaps that was enough of a distraction to truly appreciate the film.

Perhaps when the movie comes out on DVD, I will watch it again (and not read the book before hand) and see if my perception changes. I really am rooting for this movie though, because it is such a great story and I feel that Channing and Amanda suit the characters of John and Savannah really well.

I absolutely "LOVED" this movie, I have read the book and the movie of course changed the story to Tim now being an older man in his thirty's with Alan portrayed as his younger son. In the novel, Tim is only a few years older and Alan is his younger brother. After reading the book and then watching the movie, you are a little taken back at first by those changes. The movie ending is much better than the book, in the book John moves on and stays alone. I would definitely say this movie is a must see, read the book to fill in everything they left out of this wonderful story. Nicholas Sparks is an Amazing story teller, grab a box of tissue's, it's a tear-jerker!

It's difficult to portray a love story with sensitivity and realism, and capture the sense of magic and the pain of loss without being trite or melodramatic. Dear John manages to accomplish this, with some excellent writing and excellent performances. While the storyline might have been a little predictable, its purpose was not to provide stunning surprises (although there were some pleasantly unexpected characterizations and moments) but to explore the birth and evolution of a love affair against the real intrusions of life and family. The real strength of this film lies in its bittersweet resonance with everyone who has a heart: who can't help but smile at the powerful chemistry of these two in the bloom of first love? Who hasn't felt the agony of loss, waiting day after day for a letter that offers your only lifeline to a world of magic and light, one so different from the daily grind of duty and responsibility? But ultimately duty and responsibility provide a sense of meaning for each individual, and this is the chink that undermines their foundation. Two people in love are still two individuals, as Savannah shockingly discovers in a pivotal scene when she finds out John has made an important decision without her, which will profoundly affect their life and love. John seems a bit clueless, unable to understand that his decision and how it was presented could have such an effect on Savannah, but we'll all been there, too. Isn't that what love is finally all about? Two individuals finding a way to co-exist in a way that has meaning for them both? Overall, a tender, bittersweet and universal story of love.

Meredith Kennedy, author of The Red Jacket