'Dear John' focuses on interpersonal relationships when duty comes into play - and I'm not just talking about duty toward your country (a cleverly woven parallel), but duty to parents, children and those who need help. And I'm talking like 'whoa duuuuude I never saw THAT coming' surprise. In fact at least 3 plot twists took me by total surprise. This is a very sentimental flick, much like the other Hallström movies I mentioned, but it doesn't get sappy or predictable. Oh, and the movie begins with John getting blasted by gunfire, meaning the story unfolds in a huge flashback leaving us wondering the whole time if John dies or not. And on top if it all, 9/11 hits and this forces John to make a decision whether to stay with his platoon and most likely get his butt blown off, or retire once his initial tour is over.

Meanwhile Savannah has a few secrets of her own (and I gotta admit I totally didn't see it coming). So John is forced to be the responsible one, but the whole war/love thing throws him out of whack.

John's father is autistic and his mother abandoned them years ago. Sounds boring? Well wait, there are complications. As you might guess, the story explores the ultimate long distance relationship as John completes his 1 year tour as a soldier while Savannah waits at home. Until, of couse, he meets 'Savannah' (Amanda Seyfried) over his 2 week furlough before going back to war. This means, unlike your stereotypical chick flick whose leading man is a hollow beefcakey stud with as much personality as the scenery, here we get a complex beefcakey stud whom the chicks can swoon over whilst the bros say 'duuuuude he's cool.' In this case the protagonist is 'John' (Channing Tatum) who plays an Army Special Forces character who can kill you with a toothpick but has total control over his emotions. Lasse Hallström, the Swedish director who gave us Chocolat (2001), Gilbert Grape (1993) and Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009) is at it again - making chick flicks for guys.

Dear john book