"Dear John"

"Dear John" is about a US soldier, John, and a college student, Savannah.  The story begins in spring of 2001.  They meet in Charleston, South Carolina when John is on leave and within two weeks, they have fallen in love.  When John has to go back, they decide to write each other as much as they possibly can and tell each other everything.  But like Savannah says in the movie, "a lot can happen in 12 months," and things change.  I can't say anymore without giving it away, so you'll have to watch it yourself to find out the rest of the plot!

In some ways, "Dear John" wasn't what I expected.  The first half matched my expectations and I enjoyed the first half a lot.  But in the second half, things get somewhat complicated and confusing.   The ending also wasn't very satisfying - it was similar to the way "The Vow" ended.  You could infer that it's a happy ending, but I prefer for it to come to a better conclusion.  On the bright side, the acting was really good - I love both Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried.  They're really good at portraying real, genuine characters.  "Dear John" is a pretty sad movie, so don't watch it if you want something really uplifting.  But it is very thought-provoking...so basically, you just have to be in the right mood to watch it.

One of my favorite things about this movie was that watching it renewed my gratitude for those who serve our country.  It follows John on several of his missions and it shows the emotions that those brave people go through.  At times, it was heart-wrenching.  I'm so thankful for people who are willing to give their time and sometimes their lives for this country. 

We watched "Dear John" on Clearplay, since it's PG-13.  Clearplay did a pretty good job of editing the bad stuff out.  There weren't any problems with language.  There was a little blood because John fights in the war, but it wasn't too bad.  Clearplay did a good job of cutting out the inappropriate scene, as well.  I always get a little nervous when I can tell it's about to happen, but Clearplay always pulls through. :)

The Last Word:  Sad & thought-provoking romance with some unexpected turns