I am man enough to own up to the facts that I like romantic movies and I like to cry in films and I did both in "Dear John", but, and it is a big BUT, the fact that this film did not end three minutes before it did completely ruined the film. The ending feels almost tacked on as if in previews the audience said that didn't like the ending and so it was changed. This is one of the worst endings I have ever seen in a film and completely destroyed what came before. I love "Happy Ever After" endings but not to the extent the writer, Jamie Linden, and the director Lasse Hallstrom, went.

The stars of the movie are Channing Tatum and  Amanda Seyfried, more about them in a minute, but it is Richard Jenkins as Channing's father, who may be autistic (Have movies just discovered autism?) and as a single father raised Tatum because, though it isn't said, it seems that is why the mother/wife left them. Jenkins comes through with a performance that is effective, moving and very believable obviously adding a lot to the role that is not in the script. There is also a young autustic boy so you know there will be tears.

Channing Tatum seems to be the hunk of the moment and lives up to the title. During the latter part of the film he reminded me of a young Richard Gere from American Gigolo, An Officer and a Gentleman and Looking for Mr. Goodbar but Tatum doesn't have the intelligence in his face that Gere has/had. I assume if you like your hunks on the dumb side this is the guy for you.

I've watched Amanda Seyfried in all the episodes of "Big Love", seen her in "Mamma Mia" and, I think, in a few other pictures but I can never remember her name. She is one of the many bland blondes in Hollywood and this movie hasn't changed my mind.

As there is no chemistry between Tatum and Seyfried it was the acting of Richard Jenkins that brought forth the tears in the scenes he has with Tatum and it is the script, plus the original novel by Nicholas Sparks, that wells up the feelings in the story of Tatum and Seyfried. There were a few twists and turns that I really didn't expect and am not able to mention them without giving away too much. I will say that you should leave when the car scene ends (or cut off the DVD if that is how you see it at that point)--you will know what I am talking about.

Should you leave after the scene mentioned above this will be a 4 star movie but if you stay til the bitter end it only rates one star!