Dear John ( 2010 film ) - wikipedia Dear John ( 2010 film ) Dear John Theatrical release poster Directed by Lasse Hallström Produced by Marty Bowen Wyck Godfrey Ryan Kavanaugh Screenplay by Jamie Linden Based on Dear John by Nicholas Sparks Starring Channing Tatum Amanda Seyfried Henry Thomas Richard Jenkins Music by Deborah Lurie Cinematography Terry Stacey Edited by Kristina Boden Production company Relativity Media Temple Hill Entertainment Distributed by Screen Gems Release date February 5, 2010 ( 2010 - 02 - 05 ) Running time 107 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $25 million Box office $114.9 million Dear John is a 2010 American romantic drama - war film starring Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum. It was made by Screen Gems and was released theatrically in North America on February 5, 2010. The film was directed by Lasse Hallström, and it is an adaptation of Nicholas Sparks ' 2006 novel of the same name. It follows the life of a soldier ( Channing Tatum ) after he falls in love with a young woman ( Amanda Seyfried ). They decide to exchange letters to each other after he is deployed to the war. The movie was filmed in 2009 in Charleston, South Carolina. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Soundtrack 4 Music 5 Reception 5.1 Box office 5.2 Critical reception 6 Accolades 7 Home media 8 References 9 External links Plot While serving in the United States Army Special Forces in 2003, Staff Sergeant John Tyree is lying on the ground in Afghanistan, after being shot multiple times with his comrades around him. In a voice - over, he recalls a childhood trip to the US Mint and compares himself to a coin in the United States Military before stating that the last thing he thought of before he blacked out was `` you. '' In 2001, John is on leave in Charleston, South Carolina. He meets Savannah Curtis, a college student building homes with a group of co-eds for Habitat for Humanity while on spring break, when he fetches her purse from the ocean. She invites him to a bonfire party where he meets her neighbor, Tim Wheddon, and his son, Alan. Over the course of two weeks, they go on several dates and fall in love. Savannah also meets John 's father, who is obsessed with his coin collection. Savannah mentions to John that his father - like Tim 's son, Alan - may have a form of high - functioning autism known as Asperger 's Syndrome. This upsets John, who storms off. Savannah 's friend Randy, who also has a crush on her, makes a comment that provokes John to fight, and he accidentally punches Tim, breaking his nose. Savannah sees the commotion, and stops speaking to John. John later apologizes to Tim, who offers to give Savannah a message. She drives to John 's house to spend one last day together. John and Savannah continue their relationship through letters, and John visits her in her hometown to meet her family while on a future leave. As their time apart start as weeks and turn into months and years, Savannah begins to spend more time with Tim, and decides that she wants to work with autistic children ; she plans to build a farm and horse stables where they can enjoy the outdoors and animals. John and Savannah makes plans to start a life together after John is discharged from the army in December 2001 - but September 11 happens, and John chooses to re-enlist. Over the next two years, the romance continues through their letters, and one turns out to be a literal `` Dear John '' letter, in which Savannah breaks up with John, saying that, while she still loves him, she has developed feelings for someone else - she does not reveal that the `` other man '' is Tim. In a fit of anger, John burns all of Savannah 's letters. John is later wounded and encouraged to return home, but he re-enlists for a second time. Four years pass, and John is informed that his father has had a stroke - instead of being deployed with the rest of his unit, John is being sent home to be with his dad. When John arrives at the hospital, he learns that his father is alive, but in grave condition. In addition to reading his father articles from coin collectors ' newsletter ( which Mr. Tyree has collected, along with his beloved coins, for decades ), John writes a letter to his father, which he reads to him at the hospital ; John 's voice - over at the beginning of the film was from this letter, in which he told his father that the first thing to cross his mind after he was shot was coins, and the last thing to cross his mind before he lost consciousness was his dad. Soon afterward, his father dies. After his father 's funeral, John visits Savannah and learns that she has married Tim, abandoning her dream of a riding camp for autistic kids because of Tim 's fight against lymphoma. They enjoy a quiet evening together, eating dinner and are tempted to pick up where they left off years earlier, but do not go through with their feelings, and John leaves. The next day, John goes with Savannah to visit Tim in the hospital, and Tim tells John that Savannah still loves John ; she loves him ( Tim ), too, but not in the same way she loves John - and Tim can see that. John sells all of his father 's coin collection ( except the valuable mule coin that he found with his father years ago ) in order to raise money to help with Tim 's cancer treatment. John returns to the military, carrying the mule coin with him as a charm / talisman. He receives a letter from Savannah telling him that Tim died after two months of treatment. John, now a civilian, eventually returns home ; while riding his bike in town one day, he sees Savannah at a coffee shop, and they hug. Cast Channing Tatum as John Tyree Amanda Seyfried as Savannah Lynn Curtis Henry Thomas as Tim Wheddon Richard Jenkins as Mr. Tyree Luke Benward as Alan Braeden Reed as Young Alan Scott Porter as Randy D.J. Cotrona as Noodles Cullen Moss as Rooster Gavin McCulley as Starks Soundtrack Joshua Radin and Schuyler Fisk -- `` Paperweight '' The Swell Season -- `` The Moon '' 311 -- `` Amber '' The Donkeys -- `` Excelsior Lady '' Wailing Souls -- `` Things & Time '' Amanda Seyfried and Marshall Altman -- `` Little House '' Fink -- `` This Is the Thing '' Rosi Golan - `` Think of Me '' Rachael Yamagata and Dan Wilson -- `` You Take My Troubles Away '' Deborah Lurie -- Dear John Theme Snow Patrol ft. Martha Wainwright -- `` Set the Fire to the Third Bar '' ( Bonus Track ) Other songs from the movie not on the CD soundtrack Ryan Adams -- `` Answering Bell '' Amanda Seyfried -- `` Little House '' ( Acoustic ) Ozomatli -- `` Saturday Night '' Brian Tichy -- `` Dead in Your Tracks '' Gaye Tolan Hatfield and Jeffrey S. Meegan -- `` Let Her Gift Be Me '' Brad Hatfield -- `` Ballroom Ballad '' Music The score to Dear John was composed by Deborah Lurie, who recorded her score with the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the Warner Brothers Eastwood Scoring Stage. A soundtrack album containing songs was released on February 2, 2010 from Relativity Media Group, and a score album was released digitally the same day. Reception Box Office Dear John has grossed $80,014,842 in North America and $34,962,262 in other territories for a worldwide total of $114,977,104. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $30,468,614, finishing first at the box office, knocking off Avatar after seven weekends in first place and making it the best debut for a film based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. The film was the second highest debut for a film opening Super Bowl weekend, just shy of Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus : Best of Both Worlds Concert in 2008. Critical reception The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics, with some praising the casting, but many dismissing its characters and writing as generic. Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score from film critics ' reviews, reports a rating of 43 % based on 34 reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a `` rotten '' 29 % with an average score of 4.4 / 10. Accolades Year Award Work Result MTV Movie Awards Best Male Performance Channing Tatum Nominated Best Female Performance Amanda Seyfried Nominated Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie : Drama Dear John Nominated Choice Movie Actor : Drama Channing Tatum Nominated Choice Movie Actress : Drama Amanda Seyfried Nominated Choice Movie : Chemistry Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum Nominated 2011 People 's Choice Awards Favorite Drama Movie Dear John Nominated ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top Box Office Films Deborah Lurie Won CinEuphoria Awards Top Ten of the Year -- Audience Award Lasse Hallström Won Top Ten of the Year -- International Competition Won Best Actor -- International Competition Channing Tatum Won Home Media Dear John was released on DVD and Blu - ray on May 25, 2010. Film portal References ^ Jump up to : `` Dear John ( 2009 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010 - 05 - 19. Jump up ^ Goldwasser, Dan ( 2010 - 01 - 25 ). `` Deborah Lurie scores Dear John ''. ScoringSessions.com. Retrieved 2010 - 01 - 25. Jump up ^ Brandon Gray ( 2010 - 02 - 08 ). `` Weekend Report : ' Dear John ' Delivers, ' Avatar ' Flies High Again ''. Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010 - 02 - 09. Jump up ^ `` SUPER BOWL OPENINGS ''. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010 - 02 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Dear John ( 2010 ) : Reviews ''. Metacritic. CNET Networks. Retrieved February 7, 2010. External links Official website Dear John on IMDb Dear John at AllMovie Dear John at Rotten Tomatoes Dear John at Metacritic Dear John at Box Office Mojo Films directed by Lasse Hallström A Guy and a Gal ( 1975 ) ABBA : The Movie ( 1977 ) Father to Be ( 1979 ) Tuppen ( 1981 ) Happy We ( 1983 ) My Life as a Dog ( 1985 ) The Children of Noisy Village ( 1986 ) More About the Children of Noisy Village ( 1987 ) Once Around ( 1991 ) What 's Eating Gilbert Grape ( 1993 ) Something to Talk About ( 1995 ) The Cider House Rules ( 1999 ) Chocolat ( 2000 ) The Shipping News ( 2001 ) An Unfinished Life ( 2005 ) Casanova ( 2005 ) The Hoax ( 2007 ) Hachi : A Dog 's Tale ( 2009 ) Dear John ( 2010 ) Salmon Fishing in the Yemen ( 2011 ) The Hypnotist ( 2012 ) Safe Haven ( 2013 ) The Hundred - Foot Journey ( 2014 ) A Dog 's Purpose ( 2017 ) The Nutcracker and the Four Realms ( 2018 ) Nicholas Sparks Novels The Notebook ( 1996 ) Message in a Bottle ( 1998 ) A Walk to Remember ( 1999 ) The Rescue ( 2000 ) A Bend in the Road ( 2001 ) Nights in Rodanthe ( 2002 ) The Guardian ( 2003 ) The Wedding ( 2003 ) True Believer ( 2005 ) At First Sight ( 2006 ) Dear John ( 2006 ) The Choice ( 2007 ) The Lucky One ( 2008 ) The Last Song ( 2009 ) Safe Haven ( 2010 ) The Best of Me ( 2011 ) The Longest Ride ( 2013 ) See Me ( 2015 ) Two by Two ( 2016 ) Non-fiction Wokini : A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self - Understanding ( 1990 ) Three Weeks with My Brother ( 2004 ) Film adaptations Message in a Bottle ( 1999 ) A Walk to Remember ( 2002 ) The Notebook ( 2004 ) Nights in Rodanthe ( 2008 ) Dear John ( 2010 ) The Last Song ( 2010 ) The Lucky One ( 2012 ) Safe Haven ( 2013 ) The Best of Me ( 2014 ) The Longest Ride ( 2015 ) The Choice ( 2016 ) Autism - related films Documentary Autism Every Day Autism Is a World Autism : The Musical Best Kept Secret Children of the Stars Dad 's in Heaven with Nixon The Horse Boy How to Dance in Ohio Life, Animated Normal People Scare Me Recovered : Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back Refrigerator Mothers Too Sane for This World The Wall or psychoanalysis put to the test for autism Docudrama and biopic After Thomas Cries from the Heart Marathon Miracle Run Son - Rise : A Miracle of Love Temple Grandin Wretches & Jabberers Educational The Transporters Fictional Adam Backstreet Dreams Barfi ! Ben X The Black Balloon Bless the Child The Boy Who Could Fly Breaking and Entering Burning Bright Carne Change of Habit A Child Is Waiting Chocolate Cube Dark Floors David 's Mother Dear John Dr. Pomerantz Elling Eeshwar Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Family Pictures Fly Away God 's Ears Haridas Henry & Verlin House of Cards I Am Sam Imagination Joyful Noise Killer Diller Koi... Mil Gaya Mabul Mario Mary and Max Mercury Rising Midwinter Night 's Dream Molly Mozart and the Whale My Name Is Khan Nell Nightworld : Lost Souls Ocean Heaven The Other Sister Quantum Apocalypse Raam Rain Man Relative Fear Run Wild, Run Free Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Season of Miracles Swati Mutyam Swathi Muthu Silent Fall Simple Simon Snow Cake The Accountant The Story of Luke Touch Under the Piano When the Bough Breaks White Frog Zig Zag Autism resources Autism outline spectrum Awareness Autism friendly Autism Sunday Communication Shutdown World Autism Awareness Day Culture Autistic art Autism spectrum disorders in the media Fictional characters Films about autism Circle of Friends Neurodiversity Medical model of autism Sociological and cultural aspects of autism Therapies Psychotropic medication ( antipsychotics ) Aripiprazole Risperidone Applied behavior analysis ( ABA ) Cognitive behavior therapy social skills training Discrete trial training ( Lovaas ) Early start denver model Pivotal response treatment Schoolwide positive behavior support Developmental Floortime ( The PLAY Project ) Controversial Auditory integration training Aversive therapy / Electric shocks ( Judge Rotenberg Educational Center ) Chelation of mercury Ethical challenges to autism treatment Facilitated communication Gluten - free casein - free diet Hug machine Hyperbaric oxygen therapy Holding therapy Relationship development intervention Secretin Sensory integration therapy Son - Rise Vitamin B12 Related Occupational therapy Picture Exchange Communication System ( PECS ) Social Stories Speech therapy SSRI antidepressants Structured teaching ( TEACCH ) Centers Research United States Association for Science in Autism Treatment Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative Autism Research Institute Autism Science Foundation National Alliance for Autism Research Yale Child Study Center United Kingdom Autism Research Centre ( UK ) other / see also Conditions and research areas Researchers Therapy United States Center for Autism and Related Disorders ( CARD ) MIND Institute Schools ESPA College ( UK ) Exceptional Minds ( USA ) Pathlight School ( Singapore ) Sunfield Children 's Home ( UK ) TreeHouse School ( UK ) Western Autistic School ( Australia ) List of schools Organizations Americas United States Autism National Committee Autism Network International Autism Science Foundation Autistic Self Advocacy Network Autism Society of America Autism Speaks Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Generation Rescue Interactive Autism Network LENA Foundation Talk About Curing Autism other Centro Ann Sullivan ( Peru ) Filipino - Canadian Autism Parent Support Group ( Canada ) Asia Action for Autism ( India ) Autism Resource Centre ( Singapore ) GetVidya ( India ) Caribbean Autistic Society ( Trinidad and Tobago ) Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation ( Jamaica ) Europe UK Autism Anglia The Autism Directory Autism Awareness Campaign UK Autism Cymru Autism Plus Autistica National Autistic Society Sacar other Specialisterne ( Denmark ) Aspies For Freedom Alliance Autiste Oceania Luke Priddis Foundation ( Australia ) International Autism rights movement Wrong Planet Literature Non-fiction The Accidental Teacher : Life Lessons from My Silent Son Aspergirls : Empowering Females with Asperger 's Syndrome Animals in Translation In a Different Key Life Animated Neurotribes Autism 's False Prophets Freaks, Geeks, and Asperger Syndrome : A User Guide to Adolescence Like Colour to the Blind Look Me in the Eye Mother Warriors Nobody Nowhere Overcoming Autism Somebody Somewhere Son - Rise : The Miracle Continues Strange Son Switched On Unstrange Minds Extreme Love : Autism Fiction The Mu Rhythm Bluff The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Time Dear John House Rules Mockingbird Saving Max Speed of Dark The Winter Journey With the Light For younger people Everybody Is Different : A Book for Young People Who Have Brothers or Sisters With Autism Ian 's Walk : A Story about Autism Marcelo in the Real World Rage : A Love Story Rules Journals Autism Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Molecular Autism Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dear_John_(2010_film)&oldid=835188239 '' Categories : 2010 films English - language films American films 2010s drama films American war drama films American romantic drama films Films about autism Films based on works by Nicholas Sparks Films based on romance novels Films based on the September 11 attacks Films directed by Lasse Hallström Films set in Charleston, South Carolina Films shot in South Carolina Films set in the 2000s Relativity Media films Screen Gems films War in Afghanistan ( 2001 -- present ) films United States Army Special Forces in films Temple Hill Entertainment films Hidden categories : All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2010 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית Basa Jawa Magyar Македонски Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska ไทย Українська 中文 21 more Edit links This page was last edited on 7 April 2018, at 03 : 01. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who dies at the end of dear john
Answer: Tim