Dear John (2010)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Red L

  
  I'm a sucker for stories involving distressed love. So I enjoyed the movie, but I do agree that the movie is a big cliche - and it seems a good part of the movie is John or Savannah reading letters before the inevitable Dear John letter. I was impressed by Richard Jenkin's… More
  I'm a sucker for stories involving distressed love. So I enjoyed the movie, but I do agree that the movie is a big cliche - and it seems a good part of the movie is John or Savannah reading letters before the inevitable Dear John letter. I was impressed by Richard Jenkin's portrayal of John's father. He's a great actor.

• Coxxie M

  
  i was mildly entertained by the Notebook 2: the 3-Ring Binder.

• Brad W

  
  Oh how this sucked.... Plot was just for teen girls who want a good chick flick. Performances sucked, I mean come on Channing? Overall it was a bad movie, mostly because they try so hard to make the THE NOTEBOOK 2.

• Bethany M

  
  One of the best romantic films ever made! Also one of my all time favourite films. Although, the ending is really dissapointing.

• Cynthia S

  
  Ooooooh nice movie!! This was a sweet love story with U-turns in the lives of the main characters that conclude in a very nice ending. Sadness abounds, but true love wins out in the end. No violence, foul language or trash in this one---just a charming love story

• Sanjaya &

  
  Surprisingly good! I wasn't expected this movie would be a really good movie, but once again Nicholas Spark proves us that he's a genius novelist because he wrote a great story like this one... Another thumbs up for scriptwriter Jamie Linden and director Lasse Hallstrom for… More
  Surprisingly good! I wasn't expected this movie would be a really good movie, but once again Nicholas Spark proves us that he's a genius novelist because he wrote a great story like this one... Another thumbs up for scriptwriter Jamie Linden and director Lasse Hallstrom for bringing this movie to be a really good movie that wasn't boring to be watched, because when I first hear that the story of this movie was the relationship between John and Savannah based on the letter they wrote, I had doubt that the story would be very boring, but they prove I was wrong... The chemistry between Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried were great! And they two could be an A class Hollywood actor in the future... Overall, I enjoyed watching this movie and it was a really good one!

• Cassie H

  
  A very good movie. I liked it a lot. Amanda & Channing were very good in it :) One of my favorite Nicholas Sparks films :) I just love it! :)

• Dean M

  
  Channing Tatum delivers a decent turn as a former brawler, saved by military discipline and bowled over by a girl; Amanda Seyfried has a harder time in a role conceived to drive the plot rather than convince as a human being. As war, 9/11 and fatal illness conspire against them, the… More
  Channing Tatum delivers a decent turn as a former brawler, saved by military discipline and bowled over by a girl; Amanda Seyfried has a harder time in a role conceived to drive the plot rather than convince as a human being. As war, 9/11 and fatal illness conspire against them, the pair struggle to hold on to their relationship. The result might still draw a sneaky tear but, while the pair hold a torch for each other, they can't hold a candle to the best weepies.

• Nadira I

  
  Another great storyline that comes from Nicholas Sparks' book, unfortunately it is not that deep but both actors are showing great chemistry. Some scenes are telling us that they could do much better than this. The ending is ruined because they do not follow the book; which is… More
  Another great storyline that comes from Nicholas Sparks' book, unfortunately it is not that deep but both actors are showing great chemistry. Some scenes are telling us that they could do much better than this. The ending is ruined because they do not follow the book; which is the important part of the story.

• Rachel F

  
  I'm a sucker for romantic movies like this one. It's not all that deep, but it's a sweet movie and the ending has been "improved" from the original book ending. Channing Tatum makes it even easier to like this movie.

• Jason O

  
  This film seems to be trying to be "The Notebook," which it's certainly not, but I rather enjoyed it a lot still. That's just low what she did to him.

• KJ P

  
  Dear John suffers from it's many cliches throughout, however, taking that away from the film would make it great! That is not the case, so you are froced to land somewhere in the middle, and I am giving it a little more credit that that, because the performances were very… More
  Dear John suffers from it's many cliches throughout, however, taking that away from the film would make it great! That is not the case, so you are froced to land somewhere in the middle, and I am giving it a little more credit that that, because the performances were very believable and heartwarming that I didn't really want it to end. It finished perfectly, and that's all you can really wish for. I didn't expect to like this film, but on the contrary, it was delightfully good!

• Veronique K

  
  actually i'm surprised that i actually like "dear john"...and what surprises me even more is its being tagged as "CHICK FLICK"...yes, it is romantic melodrama aimed for the female audience, definitely not something to feast your testicular hormones..but this… More
  actually i'm surprised that i actually like "dear john"...and what surprises me even more is its being tagged as "CHICK FLICK"...yes, it is romantic melodrama aimed for the female audience, definitely not something to feast your testicular hormones..but this story developes completely in a male-centered perspective despite it's a "dear john" letter from a female character on the surface. but the woman, in this case, remains as an enigma with the idealistic profile of how the dream girl should be: she doesn't drink, she doesn't smoke, and she has a wide compassionate heart for charity and patience for those in need, young, clean-cut, pretty and well-bred by upper-middle class family, just like a fascinating flat character in perfect male romance. on the contrary, the story is about john and the love of his life. we learn all the things about john, his withdrawn character, his childhood, and relationship with his autistic father as well as his emotional journey of this profound romance of a life-time. nothing more about the woman except her desirability as a romantic interest. how come that would be tagged as chick flick? come on, that's a man's picture! one flixster pal told me that there's no more romantic picture made for men like the times of clark gable, but here's one. and it's definitely retro! to some point, i almost feel channing tatum is the new gary cooper for some innocent boyish gallantry he bears, patriotic, passionate, dignified and sincere in a inland american way, not too obviously smugly cute like those metrosexual subservient man-boys you see frequently in chick flicks. i must say "dear john" makes great advantage of 911 event, which brings back an air of retro-war-romance like "farewell to the arms"(gary cooper was in the original movie adaption in 1930s), that sort of old romantic story you heard around wwi or wwii, woman waiting for the letter from her beau in the army. (wars make the greatest romances, don't you agree?) sometimes it's hard to believe that in a digitalized time like today that people could still communicate their feelings through written words on papers instead of the efficient emails..(i refer to the movie's case)..and also, the protagonists only spend two weeks together then the woman is sent back to college, the man to the army..18 hours more to be together when the man is on leave because of the 911 tragedy, then one great tender laid between these two during that brief time. in most of the time, the romance proceeds in the longings and yearnings for each other...that makes you wonder perhaps thinking of being in love sometimes is more romantic than actually being in love and living together day by day. just like the great british romance "one brief encounter" in which the protagonists spent all the time meditating that one thursday during the whole week to cower in each other' arms. (maybe the best thing of romance is the fantastic possibility of life which is like a gleam of hope and great wonderment shining upon your drab mediocre life..and the confusion about it captivates you far more than your ordinary relationship with opposite sex) the best part of the movie is probably the subplot of the man's interactions with his autistic father who's obsessed with coins. and what the coins symbolize the disintegration and union between the father and son. and the most beautiful speech the man makes is the words he composes when he's shot in the battlefield..that pile of words about his thinking of himself like one of the flawed coins eliminated by american government, no longer perfect, made obsolete, about to be discarded, then the last thing he thinks of before everything blacks out is..HER. my minor complaint would probably be the female character which appears like a vague shadow for some function of romantic interest in spite of the good actings delivered from amanda seyfried, but the woman is just too plainly good, far from bitch: she cares for the autistic kids who need special education, spends her family fortune on a summer camp for those "special" kids and eventually she marries a dying man and she's willing to take over the dying man's kid to raise.,,most of all, she hasn't suffered from any kind of whims for sluttish sexual encounters or moments of physical weekness while her beau is in the army..what an angelic saint made for your beautiful dreams. so i say, i'm surprised to know it's tagged as chick flick because it's totally centered on a male vision of ideal romance. get the point? besides, the part of the woman marrying the sick man for some altruistic reason is a bit long-winded and the efforts she takes to nurture the sick man and his child are a bit un-realistic. maybe the story would be more romantic if it just ends at the point when the man envisions her as the last thing coming into his mind when he loses his conscious, but shits happen, the most beautiful romance always ends with a tragic regret so you would carry it to your mind forever and contemplate in a rainy day: how happy i could be if shits didn't happen and now i'm in her arms to smooch and embrace. that "if" could console you even in the worst moment of your life, for most people are even deprived of that lovely "if", that fantastic possibility of life, all through our lives except the few blessed ones. unfortunately, "dear john" doesn't end like that.

• Richard C

  
  C+

• Chris G

  
  When going into a movie like Dear John you are guaranteed two things. The first being that someone is going to die. It's a fact. Nicholas Sparks has killed more men than cancer. The second is cheese. Cheesy dialogue, cheesy acting, and a story so full of cheese you will behold… More
  When going into a movie like Dear John you are guaranteed two things. The first being that someone is going to die. It's a fact. Nicholas Sparks has killed more men than cancer. The second is cheese. Cheesy dialogue, cheesy acting, and a story so full of cheese you will behold its power like those commercials tell us we need to do. The thing you have to remember is that cheese sells. The plot is this: John (Channing Tatum) meets Savannah (Amanda Seyfriend) and they fall in love. John's in the military, he goes off vowing to make her an honest woman. 9/11 occurs and John re-enlists. Savannah has to deal. Dad is Rain Man. Yes, this film exploits a ton of situations just to get you going. Yet it still fails. Someone needed to write John and tell him this movie should be considered DOA. It felt like three plots mashed together into one blob that doesn't really make much sense unless you read the book. Believe me, if the book runs as poorly as the film does then there's is something to being illiterate.

• Pedro H

  
  Is Duty enough reason to live a lie ? "Dear Reader" Dear John believe it or not has something to offer, the movie is "cute", it has however something that makes it good. Lasse always follows a patern, his movies are all the same, characaters and location… More
  Is Duty enough reason to live a lie ? "Dear Reader" Dear John believe it or not has something to offer, the movie is "cute", it has however something that makes it good. Lasse always follows a patern, his movies are all the same, characaters and location are all that change, but for some reason he is able to get his audience and fans always on the go. And i cant go against that Believe it or not the acting is actually good, Tatum his self is at the best, and Seyfried is doing it even better. Over all Dear John is cute, quite romantic and sad just like any other, but i dont think i have anything to complain about the movie, infact the sound track is amazing! John Tyree: Two weeks together, that's all it took, two weeks for me to fall for you

• Sophie B

  
  The narrative seems really attractive and at first the film plays really well. There's definitely chemistry between Tatum and Seyfried however I just found myself getting bored. It was fairly predictive and really sad when his father died. The music was very helpful in creating… More
  The narrative seems really attractive and at first the film plays really well. There's definitely chemistry between Tatum and Seyfried however I just found myself getting bored. It was fairly predictive and really sad when his father died. The music was very helpful in creating this emotion. Overall Savannah was a really dislikeable character and played with Johns emotions. A good film but not one I'd watch again.

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Richard Jenkins, Henry Thomas DIRECTED BY: Lasse Hallstrom A soldier home on leave falls for a conservative college girl. Instead of returning home to her, he reenlists after the attacks on September 11th, 2001. Time and distance begin to take a… More
  Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Richard Jenkins, Henry Thomas DIRECTED BY: Lasse Hallstrom A soldier home on leave falls for a conservative college girl. Instead of returning home to her, he reenlists after the attacks on September 11th, 2001. Time and distance begin to take a toll on the young lovers. To be honest I was expecting better. Not that it was a bad film, it just wasn't great. There were some really good scenes that where touching, like the hospital scene. Don't wanna go into full detail for those who haven't seen it. But I thought Tatum definitely made you feel for his character in that moment. Thought he did good in this movie compared to some in his past. Amanda was good as well. Haven't seen many of her films. But I thought her and Tatum had good chemistry. *SPOILER* The letter he gets ending the relationship and from there on just wasn't that great. It was kinda slow and boring.*END OF SPOILER* But what there is in this movie is just spots of goodness and all the rest is just blah. Most of the goodness comes from the scenes with John and his father. Those scenes were the most touching and entertaining. Richard Jenkins was great in this movie. That is why I give it three stars. It was enjoyable most of the time and worth a look at for those who like these actors or loved the book. I am pretty certain that (me not being one who has read the book) the book is probably so much better then the film and explained more of what was going on. For example: Why she needed to marry Elliot just because he was sick? Definitely not Notebook greatness. But I will recommend it since it's only my opinion. You may like this film..

• Cassandra M

  
  I was really looking forward to watching this movie - although, my expectations were not very high - but it turned out to be worse than I expected. I knew Channing Tatum was not the greatest actor - although, he is gorgeous - so I wasn't expecting very good acting. It was decent… More
  I was really looking forward to watching this movie - although, my expectations were not very high - but it turned out to be worse than I expected. I knew Channing Tatum was not the greatest actor - although, he is gorgeous - so I wasn't expecting very good acting. It was decent but I just didn't feel the chemistry between the two actors. The "twist" which I won't mention was where I thought the movie went completely downhill. It was very poorly executed and if you've seen the movie, you'll probably agree. Throughout, the movie was very slow- moving and not very exciting but there were a couple emotional parts! So far, the only people I've asked that did like the movie, seem to be the younger ones (12-15). This movie is definitely NOT comparable to "The Notebook" like some people have been saying. It was nothing special, so I wouldn't watch it again, but I'd say it's good for a chick flick night. Another one of those movies like that looked SO much better on the commercials.

• Manu G

  
  I expected so much from this film and after finishing it I couldn't quite understand what on earth was the director thinking finishing a movie like this. It felt like a Nicholas Sparks kinda movie but sometimes it didn't. On a plus side the movie moves you and you can feel… More
  I expected so much from this film and after finishing it I couldn't quite understand what on earth was the director thinking finishing a movie like this. It felt like a Nicholas Sparks kinda movie but sometimes it didn't. On a plus side the movie moves you and you can feel thru some good acting from the main characters that there love was really deep and real and that's always great on a love story. I would have like to see more of the ending, I wish they would have elaborate it more, it really left me wanting for more and I still can't decide if that's a good thing. Here's a summary of what this movie is about : While John is on leave in his hometown, he finds Savannah, a college student visiting the town. Although love was unexpected, it doesn't mean they didn't find it. With the knowledge of John having to leave for the army, their love still lives, until his re-signs on due to the 9/11 attack. Troubles invade and their love put on hold. One cannot bear it anymore; can the other?

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