by Adrienne Chen
One thing is for sure, Nicholas Sparks can write a love story that will make people cry. Adapted from his novel by the same name, "Dear John" is a tumultuous ride on an emotional roller coaster, but certainly a ride worth taking. Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried have definite chemistry that draws viewers into their story and leaves us racking our brains for solutions to their love quandaries. This is one of those movies where you find yourself wanting to shout relationship advice at the screen, like, "No! Good gosh man, don't walk away, tell her how you really feel!" But you, of course, restrain yourself knowing that this loud rant will only serve to mask over the dialogue of the actual characters whose lives you've become terribly interested in.
Aside from a few extremely emotional scenes, including one with Channing Tatum and Richard Jenkins, who plays John's father, this movie will not leave you quite as tearful as the other Sparks novel adaptation of "The Notebook". However, in this scene which Tatum says was one of his favorite parts to film, we see deeper side to this actor which has yet to peek through in his previous films. Bring tissues.
Tatum and Seyfried, who both say they share a close, fun relationship off-screen, portray a playful, flirtatious relationship in the film. While this movie may make you tear up at times, the characters' happiness in their relationship comes through in a way that will leave a smile on your face. Tatum describes a scene where he is tickling Seyfried on a bed as another favorite scene to film because it reminds him of his real life marriage.
While the movie is different from the book (especially in the end), the joy, pain, fear and surprise that come across in this film ring true to real-life romance and leave viewers captivated by a flood of emotion. In short, this is a movie for anyone who has ever loved. Just don't go see it with anyone in front of whom you are embarrassed to cry.
