Dear John
(M), Roadshow Entertainment
The world of the soldier has long been a theme for the silver screen butthe fields of France, Vietnam and South Korea have long since been replaced by the soils of Iraq and Afghanistan.
As the wars and clean-ups continue, many troops from around the world have
lived and died in this new battlefield.
Dear John is a contemporary look at the impact of war on a young couple - from both sides.
Dear John takes us inside the world of a Special Forces sergeant, John Tyree (Channing Tatum), and Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried) and we get a real taste of the isolation and heartbreak associated with families of soldiers.
John is a big, strapping lad who faces dangerous assignments in the world's hot spots with his unit.
There doesn't seem to be any time in his life for romance, until he meets Savannah accidentally.
During a special two weeks, a deep bond forms between the pair that has to survive 12 months apart when John has to go back to war.
They keep their bond strong with written words, with their regular letters becoming the lifeblood of their relationship.
But the path of this romance is not destined to run true and Savannah crushes John's spirit with the news she is marrying a family friend.
With little to live for, John re-enlists and the September 11 terrorist attack means he has a new focus in Afghanistan.
The only constant in John's life is his father (Richard Jenkins), who struggles to express his emotions but cares deeply for his son.
John's story doesn't end there as fate returns him to Savannah's world and to the truth of why she married someone else.
There is no doubt Seyfried is a star on the rise and Tatum certainly has an on-screen look and presence that is endearing to female audiences.
In this day and age, the dilemmas that are raised in Dear John are realistic results of the world in which we live.
Don't be expecting a sugar-sweet romance; this is more about giving you something to think about as you enjoy a young couple discovering what real love means.
