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Dear John: Not Enough to Write Home About

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:30:00 PST

Movies based on the work of writer Nicholas Sparks are very hit or miss. Though he consistently uses the same cliches in his tragic loves stories, the results aren't quite as consistent. On the one hand, the film versions can be romantic and endearing, like The Notebook, but other times, the formula produces a schlocky dud (sorry, Nights in Rodanthe).

The latest, Dear John, hangs somewhere in the balance. It's not a total miss but it's far from a home run - mainly due to the lack of chemistry between Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. The two play John and Savannah, a mismatched army man and affluent college girl who share a Summer romance and then keep in touch through letters while John's deployed overseas. It's the kind of movie you have to be a Nicholas Sparks fan to appreciate, but even his biggest supporters won't be satisfied. I'll tell you why when you

read more. It's not Tatum and Seyfried's fault John and Savannah's love story doesn't shake to your core; there may not be a lot of onscreen couples who can convince you that true love can be found in just two weeks. Thus, these are the shortcomings of Dear John: it's an unromantic love story with contrived twists that would be better suited in a Spanish telenovela. There are a few elements that save the movie from being truly awful. As John's father, Richard Jenkins steals many scenes with his careful, sensitive portrayal of an autistic man who can't connect with his son. Tatum rises to the occasion as well, showing impressive range in his heavier scenes with Jenkins. Though his love scenes with Seyfried never really take off, the father-son relationship is enough to convince me that Tatum wanted his role to show he can act. The other benefit the movie has is Lasse Hallström's direction. As in his previous films, like The Cider House Rules and What's Eating Gilbert Grape, there's an evocative, brooding atmosphere. It brings some weight to the screenplay, which would otherwise be overwhelmingly cheesy. But like most Nicholas Sparks films, there's tragedy: For Dear John, it's the movie's inability to romance its audience.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Hallstrom, Tatum and Sparks Team Up for Dear John

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 07:01:24 PDT

I can confidently say that Lasse Hallstrom has become one of my most well-respected directors over time. I loved Chocolat, What's Eating Gilbert Grape and last year's indie film The Hoax, and I have a lot of respect for The Cider House Rules and The Shipping News. So whenever there's news about a Hallstrom project, I sit up and pay attention.

Now Hallstrom is signed on to direct Channing Tatum in an adaptation of Nick Sparks' bestselling novel Dear John. According to Variety, the story follows "a soldier who, while home on leave, falls for a conservative college student." Tatum will play the soldier, though there's no word yet on who will play his leading lady.

I tend to think of Sparks' books as sentimental weepies and while I liked the movie version of The Notebook, frankly I barely got through A Walk to Remember. But who knows? Maybe Channing and whoever is cast as the "conservative college student" will become the next Ryan and Rachel!

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TV Tonight: New Amsterdam

BuzzSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:30:00 PST

I truly have no idea if New Amsterdam, which premieres tonight on Fox after American Idol, is going to be a huge hit or a huge flop. It has quite a few things working in its favor: an attractive star (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), an intriguing premise (detective will remain immortal until he finds true love), and a plum time slot for its premiere.

On the other hand, I found the first episode of the show to be utterly ridiculous. Again, that's not necessarily a bad thing; as I noted in my Pilot Watch last Summer, the show didn't work for me as a drama, but I thought it was an outstanding comedy. Or, upon further reflection, maybe I should have called it an outstanding soap opera. Every plot twist was so telegraphed, and every development so utterly unrealistic, that I couldn't help but be sucked in. Really, the guy's been living in New York for 400 years and nobody's realized that he still appears to be a strapping 40-something for all eternity?

The show has been compared to Pete Hamill's novel Forever, and while I haven't read the book, I can see some similarities between the two - most notably the degree to which you must suspend disbelief to make the story work. As a visual work, New Amsterdam is fairly impressive (noted film director Lasse Hallstrom, who directed the pilot and is one of the show's executive producers, probably has something to do with that). As a drama, it probably depends on how much you can take. Can you laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of a plot twist or premise and still enjoy a show? If so, New Amsterdam might be one for you; I admit I'll be watching for a while.

To watch a couple of clips from tonight's premiere - including one where Amsterdam nearly dies, but doesn't, because he's still yet to find love - just

Pilot Watch: "New Amsterdam"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 07:30:00 PDT

The networks have announced their fall schedules, but which of the series will actually be worth watching? Throughout the summer, as I watch the pilots, I'll be posting my first impressions. A lot can change before a show makes it to air, so these aren't comprehensive reviews, just quick thoughts on how the shows look now. Today's installment: Fox's "New Amsterdam."

What's it about? Short answer: John Amsterdam is a New York police detective who also happens to be immortal - or, at least, he will be immortal until he meets his one true love. If you want the long answer (and it certainly is long) here's the full description.

Who's in it? Nikolaj Coster Waldau, Stephen Henderson, Zuleikha Robinson

The good and the bad: I had to combine the categories here because, well, here's the thing: While I thought "New Amsterdam" wasn't a very good drama, it was pretty hysterical as a comedy. It's the kind of show that's meant to have a drinking game written for it, with instructions to drink every time Amsterdam mentions a suspiciously large unit of time (he's been sober for 15,000 days), every time he runs into an aging old girlfriend, or every time his image blurs with that of the Native American woman who put the immortality spell on him back in 1642. (Note that I don't necessarily recommend actually playing said drinking game, because you'd be plastered by the end of the pilot. Be safe out there.) Granted, the Lasse Hallstrom-directed pilot is pretty to look at, as is Waldau himself. But everything beyond that is ridiculous. How has nobody ever recognized him? What must his resume look like? How often must he change his name to stay under the radar - and why, oh why, would he pick Amsterdam?

Will I watch? I can't lie: I was pretty entertained, albeit probably not for the reasons Fox was hoping.

To watch a preview for the show and see a gallery of photos,

View 13 Photos ›

Photos courtesy of Fox