Parents' Guide to

Dear John

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Teens will swoon for far-fetched, syrupy romance.

Movie PG-13 2010 108 minutes
Dear John Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 13 parent reviews

wonder dove
wonder dove Adult
January 7, 2013
age 12+

Nice for teens and families, 12 and up!

Nice movie! One of the better teen romance movies without too much of the iffy content. This wasn't my favorite but it's definitely a cute chick flick with a good, fairly clean storyline. Characters are very likable. The story is a bit sad but realistic, which is one element I liked about it. John (Channing Tatum) and his love interest Savannah (Amanda Seyfried) had very good chemistry on-screen! Sexual content is pretty mild with some kissing and a brief sex scene that shows some skin but nothing sensitive. Violence includes a couple war-like scenes, a quick fight scene and a shooting. Language has a few sh*ts, h*ll, @ss. Overall, pretty clean and perfect for 12 and up I think!

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
Matt B.
Matt B. Adult
February 17, 2019
age 14+

Great movie for teens

This is a great movie but it has a sensual scene that's a little mature.
See all 13 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on Nicholas Sparks' best-selling novel, DEAR JOHN follows college student Savannah (Amanda Seyfried), who meets special ops soldier John (Channing Tatum) while visiting her family's Charleston beach house for spring break. After they "meet cute" (he jumps into the ocean to rescue her purse), they quickly become inseparable and fall in love after just two weeks. When John is redeployed for his final year of service, the two write dozens of letters to each other. But in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, John breaks the news to Savannah that his entire unit is voluntarily extending their enlistment -- thereby postponing his reunion with her for another two years. But as time marches forward, John notices that Savannah's letters have slowed. ...

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (13):
Kids say (52):

Tatum and Seyfried manage to conjure a comfortable chemistry, but their characters are simply too good to seem real. Seyfried's Savannah is selfless to a fault, and her willingness to help others even at the expense of her own happiness is over the top. Anyone familiar with Sparks' novels (or the many movies based on them) knows that there are always several obstacles to keep his star-crossed lovers apart, and Dear John is no exception; but the "twist" here is so far-fetched that it borders on infuriating.

Still, those looking for a weepy love story may forgive that Dear John stops making sense halfway through. Director Lasse Hallstrom knows how to manipulate audiences into crying for his characters, and there's plenty of Kleenex-worthy material toward the movie's end. One subplot that's genuinely affecting is John's relationship with his autistic father (Richard Jenkins); one of the movie's most touching scenes is when John reads his hospitalized father a letter. While Dear John ranks nowhere near the scorching romance that Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams created in The Notebook, it's slightly better than several other bland films based on Sparks' books.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Savannah and John's romance. Does it seem believable? How does it compare to real-life teen relationships?

  • Do Savannah's choices resonate with you? What do you think about her decision to put her love for John second to her sense of obligation to others?

Movie Details

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