Be Still my beating heart.....

SPOILER ALERT!! Dear John Movie REVIEW
Late...but not TO LATE.

I have not read the book Dear John in quite a while, so when comparing the two I had forgotten a lot of the details in the book. I skimmed the book and was able to refresh my memory. I personally think the movie was better than the book.
The basic premise of the story is like all Nicholas Sparks novels. Man falls in love with woman, man/woman needs to overcome difficulty to be with the other and an overall sad ending (sometimes bittersweet, sometimes just plain sad).
This film was NO DIFFERENT. In Dear John, the main character falls in love with Savannah, a tender-hearted moral girl. They spend two amazing weeks together during John's military leave. At the end of the summer, Savannah must go back to school and John returns to his military assignment. The two promise to keep in touch and share everything with one another, but when September 11th occurs, John decides to re-enlist. Savannah makes the decision to break off the relationship and pursue one with a man who needs her more. When John's dad gets sick and passes away, John decides to visit Savannah. A heartbreaking interaction ensues leaving both individuals unsettled. Kudos to Richard Jenkins who played a fantastic role as John's Autistic father. He did a marvelous job. The endings are a little different. In the book, John and Savannah do not end up together. John commits a selfless act, helping Savannah's dying husband get treatment. The movie takes it one step farther (killing Savannah's husband) and suggests that the two end up together. However this is not a definite, it leaves the ending up to you ultimately.