Review of Dear John

John Tyree (Channing Tatum) is on leave from the U.S.Army's special forces. It is the summer of 2001 and he has returned to his father (Richard Jenkins) and home on the Carolina coast. On the beach one day, a group of young adults are horsing around and a purse falls in the ocean. It belongs to beautiful Savannah (Amanda Seyfried) and she is upset over its loss. Without hesitation, John dives into the water, finds it, and returns it to her. She is happy, although one of her companions, a male with an interest in Savannah, is less than content. Nevertheless, from that moment, the two begin a tentative relationship. John tells Savannah that he will be out of the army in about a year and asks that she wait for him. Although they only share a few kisses, the young couple are in love. However, they part, vowing to write to each other often. Complicating things is the fact that John's dad is autistic, relating poorly to the community, and so is the son of Savannah's attractive neighbor, Tim (Henry Thomas). Savannah communicates well with each of them but John does not. Then, 9/11 occurs and John feels he must re-enlist, knowing his unit needs him. On a very brief leave, Savannah and John spend a few precious hours together. But, then John is gone. What does their future hold? This is, surprisingly, a most lovely film and worthy of praise. A story that could have been melodramatic and trite is, instead, genuinely moving. The cast is quite nice, with Tatum and Seyfried making a fine couple, while Jenkins and Thomas deliver especially notable turns. The scenery, costuming, production values, and Nicholas Sparks' tale are good as well. Most importantly, Hallstrom "mixes things up" and uses some very interesting camera shots and scene arrangements to deliver a film of great style. Dear viewer, don't think this is another teen flick with little to offer for the general public. On the contrary, most fans of romantic drama will find it enthralling.