Review: DEAR JOHN

When it comes right down to the bare essentials, the nitty-gritty facts of what makes a movie work for an audience on the most basic level, it always boils down to emotions. Good horror movies scare us, good comedies make us laugh, some movies make us feel good, some make us sad – whatever the emotion is, if the audience truly experiences that emotion through the film, that film has succeeded.

Swedish director Lasse Hallstrom is not my favorite filmmaker, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy his movies. If the name doesn’t ring any bells, I am sure his career as a Hollywood director will. Hallstrom is known particularly for his often emotional, somewhat sentimentally-driven films, usually adapted from popular books, such as CIDER HOUSE RULES, CHOCOLAT, and WHAT’S EATING GILBERT GRAPE? Personally, I’ve found his best work to be AN UNFINISHED LIFE.

DEAR JOHN is Hallstrom’s newest film, based on the Nicholas Sparks novel and starring Channing Tatum (PUBLIC ENEMIES) as John Tyree, an Army Special Forces soldier home on leave in Charleston, South Carolina. During his vacation from active duty, John meets Savannah during a chance encounter on a pier on the beach.

The blonde, caring and free-spirited Savannah is played by Amanda Seyfried (JENNIFER’S BODY). Savannah is home from college for two weeks on spring break, during which she quickly falls in love with the mostly calm and soft-spoken soldier, but John has a history he’s reluctant to share with Savannah. As their magical two weeks together comes to an end, Savannah returns to college with a promise from John to return to her in 12 months once his commitment has been served.

For a film marketed to be a sappy romance, DEAR JOHN minimizes this element and much of that has played out once Savannah returns to college. Likewise, this is when the story picks up and actually delivers a surprising amount of heart. At its core, DEAR JOHN is not just a love story, but equally as much a story of a soldier who must juggle his priorities to his family, loved ones and his country.

The most surprising element of DEAR JOHN is in the story of John’s relationship with his father, played by Richard Jenkins (THE VISITOR). John tries to hide his embarrassment and disappointment in his father, who is clearly not “normal” by medical standards, but Savannah manages to help open his eyes. Jenkins does a fine job, coming off an Oscar nomination for THE VISITOR, but the role involves little dialogue, so his performance is mostly unspoken. Much like Samantha Morton’s wonderful unspoken performance in SWEET AND LOWDOWN, Richard Jenkins shows he is an actor by nature, able to convey the character’s essence even without words.

While John’s relationship with his father is the most surprising element of the film, truly the most successful and endearing testimony I can make for DEAR JOHN is the one likely least expected from the audience. DEAR JOHN is a compelling fictional account of the life of one soldier off the battlefield abroad, less capable at times to cope with the battles at home. John finds difficulty balancing his relationship with Savannah and the military, especially when he is presented with a national tragedy that forces him to choose between serving his country when most needed, or keeping his promise to Savannah.

Channing Tatum is a clear casting choice for John, who is built, cut and has that ideal, stereotypical look of the all-American jarhead. Despite his appearance, Tatum delivers a subdued, understated performance that dwells effectively on the internal war being waged within a soft-spoken soldier. Tatum has potential as a serious actor, given his ability to adjust his level of intensity, showing range in a relatively short list of films to date.

The cast of DEAR JOHN rounds out with Henry Thomas as Savannah’s friend Tim, D.J. Cotrona and Cullen Moss. The cinematography of Terry Stacey (AMERICAN SPLENDOR) deserves mentioning for its picturesque emotional storytelling, as does Deborah Lurie for her original music, integrated nicely into the film. Overall, DEAR JOHN ends up being more than expected, with a broader appeal than just a love story and the air of contemporary significance.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars