The cost of war in Dear John is not horrors and death, but simple human contact. Dear John concentrates on the relationships. The love affair between John Tyree (Channing Tatum) and Savannah (Amanda Seyfried), the friendship between Savannah and her neighbour and her neighbour's autistic child, and the strained relationship between John and his troubled, possibly mildly autistic father (Richard Jenkins).

Although there are sequences that could be shaved down a bit in the opening minutes, Dear John holds the interest with its simply-told story of human life. This is not a shoot-em-up war film, thank goodness; it does not waste time with propaganda, flag-waving, or cheap moments of loud angst. Rather it tells the tale of a small group of people whose lives were affected by separations, and the choices that they made.

Thoughtful and touching.

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by Ali Kayn Due for Australian release 2010 For credits and official site details, see below Search Festivale for more work by the film-makers below. See also:

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Just the facts: Title: Dear John (2010) Written by: Jamie Linden (screenplay) Nicholas Sparks (novel) Directed by: Lasse Hallström Running time: 105 mins Rating: The Players: Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Henry Thomas, Richard Jenkins Official website: www.dearjohn-movie.com IMDb entry For session times of current films, use the cinema listings on the Movie links page. For scheduled release dates, see the coming attractions section. For more information about this movie, check out the internet movie database. For the latest additions to Festivale, check out the change history section.