Release Date in Taiwan: March 26, 2010
After attending the media film screening for DEAR JOHN yesterday someone asked, “Can anybody explain to me how in hell did this film defeat AVATAR in the box-office?” We all burst out laughing. A winning streak can be misleading and a deception in disguise.
DEAR JOHN only scores 5.5 out of 10 on IMDb based on 3,000 votes. I believe that is below the passing grade in terms of school grading system. Despite the less than satisfaction grade point average DEAR JOHN went straight to the number one spot on the box-office on its opening weekend and forced AVATAR to take a step back. DEAR JOHN remained as number one movie in the box-office for seven consecutive weeks! DEAR JOHN obviously is another example of showbiz paradox – just because the film critics don’t care for it, it doesn’t mean the general public isn’t applauding! In a nutshell the critics and the audience don’t see eye to eye in regard to DEAR JOHN.
DEAR JOHN is based on a novel written by Nicholas Sparks. He’s written 15 novels so far and sold 50 millions copies worldwide. In fact DEAR JOHN is his number fifth novel being adapted into a film. According to Sparks the winning formula of his best selling novels is simple – the main characters are always torn between true love, tragedy, illness, destiny, fate and unforeseen uncertainty. The storyline is never complicated and easy for the readers to follow. I’ve never read any novel by Nicholas Sparks but I’m now curious to get a copy just to see where the film went wrong somewhere along the way. Overall the performance was flat. I thought I was supposed to be crying my heart out. Oh yes I did weep once over a scene where John was reading his letter to his dad who was on his deathbed. That was a very emotional scene – touching and yet powerful.
Now I’m bewildered by the box-office success that DEAR JOHN endured for seven weeks. So, bear with me as I attempt to figure out the key elements in DEAR JOHN that won over the hearts of the audience.
1. Channing Tatum – oh boy doesn’t he look good enough to eat? He’s one dreamy white boy. I actually give him credits for his performance in DEAR JOHN where he portrays the protagonist John. He’s very convincing in his role as a soldier, a son who’s distant from his aging single dad and a man whose heart is used to be so closed up and when love knocks on his door he’s a changed man!
2. The War – for the last 20 years, from the Persian Gulf War in the 90s to post 9-11 terrorist attack more and more soldiers are being sent overseas to war and the combat between good and evil is never ending. Just last week a friend, who’s a foreign services officer, told me that he’s being sent to Iraq in a few months. So, I’m assuming that the war issue must have touched some sensitive nerves and resonated with a lot of people. That soldier could be your family, your spouse, your neighbor or your classmate. Perhaps you don’t know someone personally who’s being sent to war but it might be a friend’s sibling, a friend’s son or daughter or a friend’s friend. The war has gone on too long and taken a serious toll on a lot of people’s lives.
3. Long-Distance Relationship – John and Savannah would have lived happily ever after if John wasn’t a soldier, keeping them thousands miles away from each other. Some may have experienced long-distance relationships due to schooling or profession or whatever reason. And more often than not long-distance relationship hardly works out in the end. Some audience probably identify with the painful breakup depicted in the film, reminding them that sometimes love just ain’t enough. A married man once told me, “If you’re lucky you might find your true love in this lifetime but it doesn’t mean that you’ll get to marry that person. I married my wife because it was the right time and she was at the right place. As for the right person I keep her in my thoughts forever to the grave.”
Time and time again we see mega-blockbuster films scored poorly with the critics and yet make record breaking numbers in the box-office. On the other hand winning the Oscars does not guarantee great numbers in ticket sales. For instance THE HURT LOCKER won six Oscars earlier this month, including best motion picture of the year but it only brought in US$16.4 million (estimated domestic total; production budget was US$15 million)
Taste is a very personal thing, whether it’s about film, food, clothing or anything in life. It is an expression of who you are and what you’re all about. Don’t let the media or the critics to tell you what you should like or shouldn’t. As long as you know the reason you adore certain favorites of yours then so be it. So, go see DEAR JOHN if you like Channing Tatum or if you’re a fan of Nicholas Sparks’ novels. So what if you’re an old romantic and love to watch corny love flicks? That’s entirely your business! Be proud!
