The Minority Report - "Dear John" (2010)

“No matter where you are in the world, the moon is never bigger than your thumb.”
Before you read any further, I want to say that this is my 1st Nicholas Sparks movie. I have heard much against his works (books), and much talk of “chick-flicks” or repetition. Considering this was my first viewing, it is a fresh start and, honestly, I didn’t dislike it like I thought I would. The movie was actually enjoyable. Even though the film was fraught with clichés and a foreseeable plotline (except for probably one major part), it is, above all, a nice movie that gives people the sad hopefulness that they were probably looking for when they decided to view it.

It centers on a man named John (Channing Tatum) that falls for a nice girl named Savannah (Amanda Seyfried) after he saves her purse from the dangers of slightly deep waters next to a pier. Their relationship then takes off for the huge expanse of 2 weeks, after which they openly admit that they have fallen for each other. John, though, is a military man, and must return for service. Leaving his lonely father, new acquaintances, and new love behind, he heads to the front lines in many army missions. Throughout the time he is away (12 months), he and Savannah agree that they will correspond via letters where they will detail everything about their lives to each other. Thus, their relationship takes off…and the law of entropy takes hold.

Overall, the movie is a nice break from the fast-paced and the comedy. The cinematography is somewhat stale: the main shots used are stills and lazy pans that make the movie move rather slowly. Apart from that, the clichés in the movie are undeniable (falling in love in 2 weeks, maintaining a relationship through letters, hunky guy with “girl next door,” etc.), and a couple scenes with Amanda Seyfried are acted at a sub-par level on her part. Beyond that, though, the movie was quite pleasant, and the feelings evoked by the main character (Channing Tatum) have the ring of honesty that one doesn’t see much in other movies. In the end, this movie is only worth seeing if you are in the mood for love, or if you have a significant other that you want to cuddle with and comfort. It basically boils down to every other “chick-flick,” but…I enjoyed it. This movie is like watching paint dry if the paint is attempting to make a long-distance relationship work.

By Kulguy