Let's get one thing out of the way: I didn't enjoy The Notebook one bit. I thought it was over-hyped and I had to force myself to watch the second half of the DVD the following day. I was expecting a masterpiece and instead I got nothing but unnecessary cheese.Now for those still reading, I will say that reviews are entirely subjective and easily tainted by your experiences. In my case, I watched The Notebook with The Lawyer, who became annoyed when he realized that he wasn't getting any from me that night - or any night in the near future - and then fell asleep. That was the last time we were together. So yeah, I didn't have high hopes for a second Nicholas Sparks adaptation.
But Dear John didn't come with any hype. In fact, I expected another clichéd romantic drama that had received bad reviews. I knew I wouldn't be blown away, that it wouldn't be as good as The Notebook supposedly was, but sometimes a girl just wants to watch a romantic film (with a hot actor) no matter how terrible it may be. In the movie, a soldier falls in love with a conservative college student while he's home on a two-week leave. They promise to write everything to each other in the hopes that time will quickly pass before they're together again, but in true movie style, things get really complicated, feelings are hurt and tears are shed - and I'm not just talking about the characters. I had to pass out tissues while holding back my own.
As much as I hate to admit it (for fear of losing my "street cred"), this bittersweet film moved me so much, I couldn't wait to leave the theater and give A. a huge hug. Dare I say it made me feel...cuddly. I was rooting for the couple to work it out and stick together. I wanted them to kiss and make up and all that happily ever after crap I didn't appreciate in The Notebook. And I enjoyed the feeling.
So basically, Dear John turned me into a total girl. Le sigh...
Dear John: 3.5/5 Toasties
