Day #17 - Dear John

John and Savannah fall in love one spring whilst he is on break from the special forces. They promise to stay together and keep in touch through letters. When 9/11 happens and John re-enlists, this puts a strain on the relationship. However, it is impossible to keep these two apart and John and Savannah drift towards each other over and over again.

Dear John is a classic Nicholas Sparks story. These make me cry without fail every single time, which is why they are some of my favourite films. They tug at your heartstrings and make you feel so deeply for the misery that the characters are repeatedly put through.

One thing I always loved about these films is that the story is always simple and straightforward. No matter how sad everything becomes you know it will end peacefully. And there is never a complicated conflict - we are simply shown a relationship that has ups and downs and doesn't go smoothly. Yes, some are more dramatic than others, but it's always the same formula.

Dear John is no different. This particular Sparks story is told through the eyes of John (Channing Tatum). The audience experiences his various tours in the army and his difficult home life with him. We see him go through love, loss and grief. And we see him find hope again. We see him reconnect with his father and we see what is a very stern and serious man find joy by loving someone. It's such a beautiful story, showing that the things that matter will always find their way back to you.

If you are planning on watching this, make sure you've got lots of tissues at the ready (and maybe a bottle of water to re-hydrate afterwards!).