Dear John

The latest of bestselling novelist Nicholas Sparks'(The Notebook, A Walk to Remember) romantic weepies to be adapted for the big screen, Dear John begins in 2001 with serious, soft-spoken John Tyree (Channing Tatum) falling in love with bubbly Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried) on a sun-dappled South Carolina beach. John is a Special Forces soldier on leave, visiting his taciturn father (Richard Jenkins), while Savannah is a college student home on spring break, helping a neighbor rebuild a hurricane-ravaged house. After their whirlwind two-week idyll, John returns to Germany and Savannah goes back to school, but they're committed, promising to write for the remaining year of his service. But then 9/11 happens, John re-enlists, and—for the next seven years—they're separated by his increasingly perilous deployments. Devoted Sparks aficionados will note that director Lasse Hallström and screenwriter Jamie Linden take artistic liberties with the lovers' ultimate fate, which differs from the book's ending (reportedly, the conclusion was reworked after disappointing feedback from a test-screening). But the primary problem here is that the hunky Tatum totally lacks charisma, although the lovely Seyfried does her best to feign carnal chemistry. Sudsy and syrupy, Dear John crosses the admittedly often thin line between sentimental and schmaltzy. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include “The Story of Braeden Reed” featurette on the autistic young actor (25 min.), the production featurettes “Transforming Charleston” (16 min.) and “Military in Movies: Dear John's Military Advisors” (11 min.), “Mr. Tyree, The Mule, and Benny Dietz” on coin collecting (5 min.), “A Conversation with Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried and Lasse Hallstrom” with the costars and the director (6 min.), deleted scenes (10 min.), an alternate ending (4 min.), outtakes (3 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are the “movieIQ” trivia track and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a fine extras package for an unexceptional film.] (S. Granger)