Words that men fear most from the ladies in their lives; "But honey, it's based on a book by Nicholas Sparks." All joking aside, I'm always down for a heartfelt love story and as fate would have it, The Notebook (based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks) was pretty darn good. Taking it a step further, I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed Dear John. There's a lot to be said for a a lack of expectation, and this probably factored into my overall enjoyment of this flawed but sincere movie. In Dear John, Channing Tatum plays a soldier who falls for a woman (played by Amanda Seyfried) while on leave. A whirlwind romance quickly follows, but the relationship is put to the test when Tatum is called back to serve his country. While apart, Tatum and Seyfried keep the love alive through the power of passionate letters. But how long will their long distance relationship survive? You'll have to see the movie to find out.

Tatum is the sex symbol of the moment but truth be told, he is more than a pretty face. This is one of his stronger performances, but ultimately, he's upstaged by the true stars of this effectively weepy melodrama. With her sweet on screen presence, and gorgeous saucer shaped eyes, Amanda Seyfried is quickly emerging as the quintessential girl next door type. In Dear John, she brings more power and complexity to her role than was probably written, and the movie is all the more emotional because of it. Also turning in a powerhouse performance is Richard Jenkins who brings a quiet dignity and graceful spirit to the role of Tatum's father. Dear John was directed by Lasse Hallstrom, a film maker whose no stranger to bringing celebrated novels to the screen (he directed Cider House Rules). He brings a soft, subtle touch to Dear John, and while the final act of the picture offers up a reveal that's a tad underdeveloped, I still bought into the majority of the movie. I bought into it because I cared about these characters. Dear John isn't perfect, but its sincere and heartfelt and that was enough for me.