Register  |   Log In  |  
Sign up to our weekly newsletter    
Search   
Empire Magazine and iPad
Follow Me on Pinterest
Empire
Trending On Empire
Two free posters with Empire magazine
Subscribe: Get Dead Island: Riptide
Empire's Soundtrack Celebration
90 Years Of Warner Bros.
Your chance to win a Blu-ray every day!
Cannes Film Festival 2013
News, photos and more from the Croisette
Reviews
STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED
Unmissable 5 Stars
Excellent 4 Stars
Good 3 Stars
Poor 2 Stars
Tragic 1 Star

FILM DETAILS
Certificate
12A
Cast
Lasse Hallström
Channing Tatum
Amanda Seyfried
Richard Jenkins.
Directors
Screenwriters
Running Time
108 minutes

LATEST FILM REVIEWS
Iceman, The
3 Star Empire Rating
Behind The Candelabra
4 Star Empire Rating
Before Midnight
4 Star Empire Rating
Everybody Has A Plan
3 Star Empire Rating
Easy Money
3 Star Empire Rating



5 STAR REVIEWS
My Neighbour Totoro
5 Star Empire Rating
Gatekeepers , The
5 Star Empire Rating
Stoker
5 Star Empire Rating
In The House
5 Star Empire Rating
Lincoln
5 Star Empire Rating

Dear John
A date movie with added war


Plot
Army Sergeant John Tyree (Tatum) is home on leave when a chance encounter with Savannah Curtis (Seyfried) sparks a love affair that's soon put to the test.

Review
Dear John
A slice of pure melodrama from author Nicholas Sparks gets a polish by Lasse Hallström, as Special Forces soldier John (Channing Tatum) falls in love with Savanna (Amanda Seyfried) while on leave — but faces hard choices when he returns to his unit. Tatum delivers a decent turn as a former brawler, saved by military discipline and bowled over by a girl; Seyfried has a harder time in a role conceived to drive the plot rather than convince as a human being.

While war, 9/11 and fatal illnesses conspire against them, the pair struggle to hold on to their relationship. The result might still draw a sneaky tear, but while this pair hold a torch for each other, they can’t hold a candle to the best weepies.


Verdict
A touching melodrama illuminated by a solid turn from Tatum.


Reviewed by Helen O'Hara

Write Your Review
To write your review please login or register.

Your Reviews

Average user rating for Dear John
Empire Star Rating

Average. ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by reminn at 11:48, 03 November 2010 | Report This Post


a solid romantic film

*contains spoilers* !!! just watched this today with my girlfriend who insisted on hiring it from the rental store (the usual ratio - she chooses a film, I choose the other film) it was actually a much better film than any of the reviews I read of in the newspapers the 2 leads work well together, and John's Dad and the neighbour's autistic kid add more depth to the mix the ending was clever in that the assumptions I had from the trailer and the start (that John had died in Iraq and i... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by hampstead bandit at 17:00, 17 September 2010 | Report This Post


boring and predictable

little originality..... very wooden acting from Channing Tatum in this film. who'd've thought it was meant to be following in the footsteps of 'the notebook' - a much better film in many respects. read the book, but this film, the ending in particular.... was easy to forget and fairly yawn-worthy. ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by WhiteRabbit23 at 14:54, 02 July 2010 | Report This Post


lokking forward to it! ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by Bente at 08:26, 06 May 2010 | Report This Post


RE: To The Children that want to puke out there guts

hallstrom has a knack of showing that you CAN polish a turd. he illicits wonderful, natural performances from our two leads and delivers a fine, quietly affecting film, with more than enough depth to allow the 9/11 scenes. (remember me team, watch this and hang your heads in shame, this is how you render a 12a movie featuring that atrocity without being crass) johns dad, a high functioning autistic almost steals the piece. but tatum and seyfried (who has the most delicious lips ive seen on the ... More

Posted by empire No. 1 at 22:47, 20 April 2010 | Report This Post


RE: To The Children that want to puke out there guts

To be fair a lot of people might asume its going to be a bit rubbish, because of the sterio tyipcal hollywood slush fest its being promoted as, the kind which actually isn't about true love untoll. I think having the two promising young leads it does might presude a casual filmgoer to part with her or his bit more, but the trouble is that it's the look and certain soundbites of the film being rammed down people's throut. Take a film like f Summer from last year, because that had two fresh le... More

Posted by ElephantBoy at 16:43, 20 April 2010 | Report This Post


RE: To The Children that want to puke out there guts

L: Bighousewill Im not Homphobic it just annoys me when people assume a film is bad because its a love story or about an astonishingly loyal dog called hachi and they post comments saying how distgusted they are when actually if they really liked a film they would know that its the film thats important. Sorry I regret saying about being gay Im the least likely person to be homophobic. So sorry for the daft post. 'm not gonna get into any sort of argument about Dear John or my sexuali... More

Posted by Edward Nygma at 16:50, 19 April 2010 | Report This Post


RE: To The Children that want to puke out there guts

Im not Homphobic it just annoys me when people assume a film is bad because its a love story or about an astonishingly loyal dog called hachi and they post comments saying how distgusted they are when actually if they really liked a film they would know that its the film thats important. Sorry I regret saying about being gay Im the least likely person to be homophobic. So sorry for the daft post. ... More

Posted by Bighousewill at 15:03, 17 April 2010 | Report This Post


RE: To The Children that want to puke out there guts

L: Bighousewill You know you want to see it just go and enjoy it no one cares if youre gay or straight but when you say you want to puke your guts out you sound like a gay who is in denial and over compensating. Dont leave comments if you havnt seen this. I know I could be called a hypocrite because but ive only left a comment once on one film I wanted to see but instead I watched Kick Ass again and that film was remember me. sp; You might not be called a hypocrite - but your use of an... More

Posted by elab49 at 09:24, 16 April 2010 | Report This Post


RE: To The Children that want to puke out there guts

L: Bighousewill You know you want to see it just go and enjoy it no one cares if youre gay or straight but when you say you want to puke your guts out you sound like a gay who is in denial and over compensating. Dont leave comments if you havnt seen this. I know I could be called a hypocrite because but ive only left a comment once on one film I wanted to see but instead I watched Kick Ass again and that film was remember me. sp; Or maybe they just don't like this type of movie rather ... More

Posted by sharkboy at 09:23, 16 April 2010 | Report This Post


RE: To The Children that want to puke out there guts

Well I really like Seyfried, but I suspect this might be her Leap Year ... More

Posted by ElephantBoy at 01:08, 16 April 2010 | Report This Post


To The Children that want to puke out there guts

You know you want to see it just go and enjoy it no one cares if youre gay or straight but when you say you want to puke your guts out you sound like a gay who is in denial and over compensating. Dont leave comments if you havnt seen this. I know I could be called a hypocrite because but ive only left a comment once on one film I wanted to see but instead I watched Kick Ass again and that film was remember me. ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by Bighousewill at 21:14, 15 April 2010 | Report This Post


A Touching Melodrama

This is a nice story about love that is put to the test because of John Tyrees (Channing Tatum) commitments to his job as a special forces green berry and 9/11 happens. There were 13 year olds crying in this film but I thought this isnt nearly as sad as Hachi a dogs tale thats a hardcore weepy. This movie wouldve been better if it were a bit more epic but I dont know what the book was like. I this film was a sensation in America because of the military aspect. But this is a good story and Tatum ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by Bighousewill at 20:54, 15 April 2010 | Report This Post


I love the trailer, it tells/shows you absolutely everything that happens in the film.. which is good because now i don't have to see it ... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by chris wootton at 15:03, 15 April 2010 | Report This Post


RE: Love Channing Tatum but dont love this movie!

Im sorry but this film looks like it will make me puke my guts out, cut them into tiny pieces, defecate on them, pee on them, then eat everything and repeat the process.   The cinema screen actually smelled like cheese when the trailer was shown! ... More

Posted by Edward Nygma at 13:15, 12 April 2010 | Report This Post


Love Channing Tatum but dont love this movie!

This was a solid three star movie! It has too many flaws for it to be anything higher and it's probably due to good performance from Channing Tatum that it is even a three star movie! The script is weak and there are so many letter montages that the film does feel a bit slow and long. I didn't like the way the film was advertised because it really isn't a typical love story like the noteboook and you really aren't prepared for the type of love story it is. Channing was amazing though. Y... More

Empire User Rating

Posted by MariannaBelle at 19:07, 11 April 2010 | Report This Post



CURRENT HIGHLIGHTS
Empire's Great Gatsby Video Interviews
Leonardo DiCaprio! Carey Mulligan! Tobey Maguire! Baz Luhrmann!

Cannes Film Festival Videblogisode #3
Featuring Justin Timberlake, Marion Cotillard, Clive Owen and Carey Mulligan!

The Biggest Doctor Who Jaw-Droppers
The Time Lord's biggest surprises over 50 years of TV

Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch: A Beginner's Guide To The Avengers 2 Newcomers
Your primer on the brother and sister joining the A-team

Clint Mansell On Making Requiem For A Dream
'Darren had to edit at night because he could get access to the studio for free then.'

Arrested Development Video Interviews
Say hello to Jeffrey Tambor, David Cross, Tony Hale, Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat

Empire's Favourite Music Moments
From The Pixies to Burt Bacharach via Audioslave

Subscribe For Only £20
Get Dead Island: Riptide and six issues of Empire for only £20! Subscribe now
Steven Spielberg iPad App
Hollywood's most beloved director in this unique iPad special. Download now
Empire iPad Edition
The world's biggest movie magazine available on iPad Download now
Home  |  News  |  Blogs  |  Reviews  |  Future Films  |  Features  |  Interviews  |  Images  |  Competitions  |  Forum  |  iPad  |  Podcast  |  Magazine Contact Us  |  Empire FAQ  |  Subscribe To Empire  |  Register
© Bauer Consumer Media  |  Terms And Conditions  |  Our Data Promise To You  |  Bauer Entertainment Network
Bauer Consumer Media. Company number 1176085 (England). Registered Office: 21 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2DY