Today’s quick review: Dear John. While on leave at home in Charleston, John Tyree (Channing Tatum), a soft-spoken soldier, meets Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried), a kind-hearted college student. Over the course of two weeks together, John and Savannah fall deeply in love, promising to wait for each other during the remaining year of John’s enlistment. But as the distance begins to wear on them, their relationship threatens to fall apart.
Dear John is a romantic drama about a couple kept apart by the man’s military service. Channing Tatum stars as John Tyree, whose love for Savannah is put to the test by long months away from her on active duty. Amanda Seyfried co-stars as Savannah, a sweet young woman who sees the best in John. Dear John is a heartfelt movie about a love and separation. Detailed characters and a steady presentation style make it a solid entry into the romance genre.
Dear John is a romance through and through. The story deals almost exclusively with the relationships between its characters, beginning with John and Savannah but extending to John and his father (Richard Jenkins) as well. The characters are idealized in some ways, but the movie spends enough time with them to make them feel real. Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried complement each other in a natural way that doesn’t rely on banter or gimmicks.
Dear John does better with individual scenes than with its story as a whole. Heartfelt performances, a soft soundtrack, and subtle choices in how to convey John and Savannah’s relationship all lead to an effective romance on a scene-to-scene basis. But the story will strike some viewers as odd. The movie relies on soft drama to keep John and Savannah apart, and the pacing of their relationship will seem odd to anyone not used to the genre.
Dear John is a solid pick for those in the mood for something tender and romantic. The movie is not as inspired as the greats of the genre, and the way its plot is structured keeps it from having the same emotional impact as some of its peers. But the skill behind its acting and presentation is enough to make it a worthwhile watch for fans of the genre. Those who dislike sentiment for its own sake will want to steer clear.
6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a capable romance that’s missing the story choices needed to take it farther.