Dear John is a film set in Wilmington, North Carolina and various military bases in Iraq from 2000 to 2006. It is originally adapted from the three part Nicholas Sparks novel Dear John. Following the life of 29 year old John Tyree, Sparks uses his typical style to tell of a love story between Tyree and a girl named Savannah Curtis. At the time they meet, John is home on leave from the army and Savannah is volunteering with a group from college. They swiftly fall in love, promising to write each other until John finishes up his term in less than a year. But when the attacks of Sept. 11 occur and his unit reenlists, time and distance begins to strain the relationship of the young lovers. Starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried and directed by Lasse Hallström, Dear John takes the best moments from the popular novel and delivers them in a believable way to the big screen.

Now being a college-aged female (and female being the key word), I of course have already seen The Notebook (Sparks’ other popular movie adaption), read the book, and my mother bought me Dear John for Christmas so I could read it before the movie came out. From viewing The Notebook, many people who are not Nicholas Sparks readers still are able to understand his take on the typical romance novel: and everyone should know that Dear John is said to be his most heartbreaking.

While I was not thoroughly pleased with the film, as many readers usually are not with film adaptations due to the many changes it was quite enjoyable. Ladies, ask your boyfriends before you take them: it is a chick-flick and a heart-wrencher.