REVIEW: ‘Dear John’ Understands Military Duty & Commitment

by Michael Broderick

This weekend, on the recommendation of a friend, my wife and I went to see “Dear John”.  I know, I know… I’m a little late to the game.  It seems this is the movie that briefly unseated the mighty “Avatar” (then in its 8th week) from the #1 slot a few weeks back.

Yeah, it’s a “chick flick” and I’m sure the film did most of its initial box office due to the popularity of its male lead, Channing Tatum.  The ladies love them some Channing Tatum.  He seems like a nice enough fellow; he’s a believable actor.  Aside from the fact that, watching him, I’m constantly reminded that I really need to work my core (we actors are a generally insecure and superficial lot), what’s not to like?  I first saw him in the excellent “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” and the guy impressed me.

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In “Dear John,” Tatum plays Staff Sergeant John Tyree, a Green Beret who meets and falls in love with Savannah Curtis (played by Amanda Seyfried), while home on leave.  

Savannah is a pretty and intelligent young woman with a solid set of values.  She doesn’t drink, smoke or sleep around and seems at ease in her own skin.  She is confident, compassionate and gives freely of her time and energy to her friends and the larger community.

John, while his family life has been challenging, has overcome a troubled past and has become an honorable, though sometimes volatile, man… a warrior.

I sat back and thought, “Wow.  What a nice couple of kids.”  Weird, huh?  I chuckled to myself when I realized that I’d gotten so used to snark, that I’d just been sucker punched by “nice.”  What the hell were these people trying to pull?

The story follows the couple through their early courtship and then multiple separations due to John’s military commitments.  Further complicating things are the attacks on the World Trade Center and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

There were many things I liked about this film and I’d like to lay them out for you in the hope that you’ll get out and see it before it disappears from theaters.


First and foremost, I was pleased by how SSG Tyree and the military in general were portrayed.  This film got it right.  John and his fellow soldiers demonstrated their professionalism, teamwork and commitment.  Further, as far as I could tell, the Special Forces were accurately portrayed as to their mission and how it is implemented (i.e. training of foreign troops, etc.).  I admit that, hailing from the Marine Corps, I’m not extremely well versed on the Army but everyone looked squared away.  Key military advisor, Gavin McCulley, did nice work.

Secondly, if I had a teenaged daughter, I’d certainly approve of her being exposed to characters like Savannah Curtis.  Savannah is keenly aware of the challenges facing those around her and does what she can to help.  She doesn’t complain about the unfairness of it all or about others’ inaction.  She takes action.  Savannah also succeeds where John has struggled in making a connection with his father, a quiet man who seems to have lived his life as an undiagnosed autistic.

That brings me to my final point.  Autism is another thread that runs through “Dear John.”  John’s father is played by the wonderful Richard Jenkins, who first caught my eye in the brutally funny “Flirting with Disaster.”  His portrayal of Mr. Tyree was of great interest to my wife and I.  As parents of an autistic child we often wonder what the future might hold for our son.   There is also a young boy in the story played by an autistic actor by the name of Braeden Reed.  He reminded us so much of our own son and we both were quite moved by his performance and by how naturally his autism was presented.  Kudos to Phil Blevins, Executive Director of CarolinaAutism.org, who was a consultant on the project.

I’m glad that someone tipped me off to “Dear John.”  Consider this my tip to you.  The folks who made this film understand the concepts of duty and commitment… not just to our country but also to each other. 

I hope you’ll check it out.


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Posted Mar 1st 2010 at 11:44 am in Featured Story, Film, Military, Reviews | 35 Comments