The Daily Balance

To appease all of your curious minds, I wanted to take a moment to elaborate on why Dear John was simply terrible. I guess this was a hot topic! I received many emails asking to elaborate on the comment on made in my post, so here I am!

*SPOILER ALERT*

My complaint is not that the movie was sappy, cheesy or corny. I mean, that’s kind of Nicholas Spark’s M.O., no? It’s what I expected - what I was hoping for!

I’m all about crying my eyes out in the name of love! But I’m not OK with feeling like I need Prozac to recover. This wasn’t a love story. It was a misery story that dragged on far too long, not to a dramatic, passionate or lovely conclusion… but a lukewarm moment.

The film started out really well, and I’m not going to blame the actors. I think they were brilliant together and I adored watching them fall head over heels for each other. Now, I didn’t read the book, so I’m not sure if this was in it, but the movie went downhill for me as soon as Savannah broke up with John.

He was away for, what, a year? You mean to tell me true love can’t conquer a YEAR? And yes, yes I know that she thought she was doing the right thing by marrying the dude who was dying. I get that. But you can be there for someone WITHOUT MARRYING THEM. How am I supposed to beleive that John was the “love of her life” when he was so easy to walk away from? And I don’t care that she got all whiny and showed her true emotions at the end. I don’t care what the conditions were. This was a love story. This story, above any other, should have showed us that love conquers all — that is the point these sappy films! That is why we go see them! Why would I want to go watch two people fall in love, just to watch one of them break the other’s heart. I understand that can happen in real life, but not in a sappy MOVIE.

And the fact that he just completely accepted that is bull. The fact that he still loved her and forgave her makes me want to vomit. She totally turned her back on him when he needed her most (he almost died!). And all she did was stomp her feet, shed a few tears and all was forgiven. Where are those “John’s” of the world? Let’s find them and tell them they need to grow a pair.

And the ending! Don’t even get me started on the ending! Are they together? Are they not? I mean yes, they shared a “look” and the movie ended with a friendly hug.  But what does that mean? And yes, you read that right. A self-proclaimed LOVE STORY ended with a HUG. Can it get anymore tepid? Sure, I cried at the sad parts…sure I felt for John, who’s girlfriend had the loyalty of a hermit crab (for the slow ones: they are always switching their shells), but it wasn’t enough. By the way, the fact that this movie made me annoyed with Amanda Seyfried is another crime in of itself!

My main point: how can you love a movie without love? This movie tries to show that love cannot conquer all. What the movie failed to recognize is that love CAN conquer all and it DOES conquer all. But it has to exist in the first place and you have to have the right people to make it work.

Note: this film wasn’t “real” in it’s depressing nature. It wasn’t artistically dark like Closer (great movie!), so I don’t want anyone saying that the movie tried to take a “real” approach, cuz that’s bull. This movie was marketed as  GREAT LOVE STORY. It didn’t deliver. Bottom line.

The ONE redeeming quality was the relationship between John and his father — but I still don’t think that was enough to go see it. But I’ll keep it a surprise in case you want to.

Note: my friend Jenn also gave this film a thumbs-down…just to give you another perspective

If you do want to see an adorable movie, go see Valentine’s Day! It is a feel-good, cute movie – even the Mister liked it!

Did you see Dear John? Did you hate it? Love it? DISCUSS!

14 Responses to “Dear John, your movie sucked”

1. Heather (Heather's Dish) said:

   good to know the movie was that bad! i’m all for forgiveness, since it’s with true love that we are all forgiven, but it sounds like you’re totally right about it being a love story and not really showing a lot of the love we’re looking for in those types of movies

   Posted on February 18, 2010 at 5:09 pm | Reply
2. Tonyne @ Unlikely Success Story said:

   I totally agree with you…however, I’m sorry I missed the part where they fell in love. To me it was they met, he helped her build a house, she was evasive and weird until she wasn’t and then he’s married to cancer dude and he just gives up. I felt like it was rushed in all the wrong places and dragged out, in all the wrong places. I haven’t read the book either, but I’m hoping to because I wasted $8 at the theater…if the book is good, maybe I won’t feel so bad about that.

   Posted on February 18, 2010 at 5:09 pm | Reply
3. Positively Present said:

   Wow, I’m glad I read this! I really wanted to see the movie and I’m glad I didn’t waste my time. It sounds like something I might watch on DVD or OnDemand, but it definitely doesn’t sound like it was worth seeing in the theater!

   Posted on February 18, 2010 at 5:13 pm | Reply
4. Rachel said:

   I am glad I didn’t see the movie. However, I did read the book and I think the “love” part of the story definitely came through a lot more. I really enjoyed the book, but it sounds like the movie didn’t follow it closely enough!

   Posted on February 18, 2010 at 5:15 pm | Reply
5. Meg @ Be Fit Be Full said:

   I haven’t seen this movie yet but I all I’ve heard are bad reviews. I did read the book and heard the movie ended isn’t the same. I hate when they do that! Same with My Sister’s Keeper!

   Posted on February 18, 2010 at 5:49 pm | Reply
6. Kristilyn (My 29th Year) said:

   I haven’t seen the movie, but I thought it looked terrible in the previews. Therefore, I had no problems reading your spoilers! I loved The Notebook and I really don’t think anything can compare to that. I also think, from what I’ve seen, that the main characters in The Notebook had way more chemistry than the two in Dear John (though I personally love Rachel McAdams).

   Maybe I’ll see this movie when it’s available on DVD, but I definitely don’t think it’s worth the money to see in theaters!

   K

   Posted on February 18, 2010 at 6:20 pm | Reply
7. Ashley said:

   I haven’t seen the movie, but I read the book and I HATED the book. I too, couldn’t fathom the idea that she couldn’t wait a year for her “true love” and hated the character for being so weak. I’m dating someone in the military and yes, deployments are hard but like you said, if you love someone and it’s the right person you MAKE it work.

   Posted on February 18, 2010 at 7:26 pm | Reply
8. Deirdre said:

   I saw the movie and I read the book. While I didn’t think it was bad as you did, it definitely wasn’t stellar. The book does a way better job of making you like the characters better and understanding their actions and feelings Also, the book has a different ending which might make more sense. E-mail me if you want to know it!

   Posted on February 18, 2010 at 9:29 pm | Reply
9. The Brunette said:

   Haven’t seen it, because I honestly think Nicholas Sparks should have stopped after The Notebook, movie-wise. I’m not really one for sappy stories, but that one was perfect, and all of hi after that seem to screw up. I also HATE girls that treat their guys badly and then get them in the end. What kind of message does that send?!?!

   Posted on February 18, 2010 at 11:01 pm | Reply
10. Karissa @ CardioFoodie said:

    You have confirmed my thoughts. I read the book, I have read a ton of Sparks’ books because who doesn’t love a good love story. When I finished reading Dear John I believe my first thought was “Seriously?”. I was disappointed with the book, the ending, and that in a love story, love didn’t win out. I was considering going to see the movie in case it was better, but clearly it isn’t. Sad. I would like to see Channing without his shirt though.

    Posted on February 19, 2010 at 9:52 am | Reply
11. Jessica said:

    Thanks for your thoughts on the movie. I read the book quite a while ago and saw the movie a few weeks ago. I had kind of forgotten what happened in the book though. While I didnt think the movie was as awful and you did I do appreciate what you had to say about it. I agree with you…if its true love she could have waited a year. My husband and I were aprart for 3 years while he was in the Marines….a year is nothing!

    Posted on February 19, 2010 at 10:36 am | Reply
12. Voncile Dubeck said:

    Super-Duper site! I am loving it!! Will come back again – taking you feeds also, Thanks.

    Posted on March 7, 2010 at 5:44 am | Reply
13. Joel said:

    Great review! I’m a dude who can enjoy a good chick flick, this however was not a “good chick flick”! I think the reason most of the people who said they liked this boring piece of crap is because they don’t want to admit they lost 8 bucks at the theatre. Or maybe it’s the Idiocracy scenario and people nowadays will be entertained by whatever crap is thrown at them! THANK GOD THE FILM ENDED!!!

    Posted on April 15, 2010 at 3:03 am | Reply
14. 10 things I think…(right now) | The Daily Balance said:

    [...] 2.) The American is terrible. Simply awful - do not rent it. Same goes for Dear John. [...]

    Posted on July 18, 2011 at 2:45 pm | Reply