Books at the Box Office: Dear John

It makes me kind of nostalgic to think about the time when I was actually excited to pick up a new Nicholas Sparks novel. I don’t know where that interest went–and my nana still has it–but it’s just gone for me. I used to really enjoy his books though, and the adaptations, and I was always ready to cry. Oh shoo, I remember BAWLING during The Lucky One. Dear John was a book I liked,but I didn’t LOVE the movie–mostly because of casting. I don’t think Channing Tatum is that attractive (sue me, I know) but I recognize that it’s a good “bawl your eyes out movie” and therefore, let’s take a look.

From Amazon:

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life – until he meets Savannah, the girl of his dreams. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who has captured his heart.

But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. “Dear John,” the letter read, and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love – and face the hardest decision of his life.

 

You know, it’s a Nicholas Sparks book. It is what it is. Romance, a tough choice, old relationships born anew, all that jazz. It’s good enough–I’ve heard some of his more recent ones have dropped off in quality, but this one was during his roll of good ones that all got adapted to film. Nowadays, that’s not always a given.

Now, onto the movie:

How was this movie in 2010? How does time keep passing? I’m starting to freak myself out a little, TBH. Anyway, the movie stars Channing Tatum as John, Amanda Seyfried as Savannah, and also features a bunch of people I’ve never heard of and wouldn’t recognize. It’s mostly about them, as most Sparks’ stories are, and that’s fine. You’ll cry, you’ll root for me, someone will die–you know the drill. It’s a Nicholas Sparks movie–you know what you’re in for, and that’s what you’ll get.