But that's hardly a major flaw in what is otherwise a perfectly workmanlike romantic tale. The
lovebirds meet in a small town on the Gulf of Mexico - he's back in
town to visit his Autistic father, she's on spring break - and before
you know it he's muscled out the dweeby guy she was hanging around with
and it's a perfect holiday romance. They both don't want it to end, and he's only got another year to go in the Army, so why not stick together?
Then
before you know it he's stuck in a War Without End, and despite all the
letter-writing back and forth (there are a lot of time-passing montages
going on here) it becomes an open question as to whether she'll be
waiting for him when - and if - he ever comes home. As
romances go this avoids most of the obvious traps when it comes to
drawing things out, giving the impression of two good kids who love
each other but keep being torn apart by an uncaring world. A
sharper film might have made more of the fact that it's the War On
Terror that's killing their love, or even the shoddy medical treatment
the autistic Dad gets at one stage. But that's not what this film's about; the only battle it really cares about is the one for the human heart. If that makes you go "awww", then this is the film for you; if not, The Hurt Locker should be on the DVD somewhere too. DVD Special Features
Jam packed, which is strange for a Romance Drama - but hey, stranger things have happened.
Included
here is a conversation with Channing Tatum, as well as Amanda Seyfried
and Lasse Hallstrom, Transforming Charleston featurettes, a Military in
Movie Featurette, plus the The Story of Braeden Reed Featurette - as
well as an interesting Alternate Ending
Conclusion:
Movie 65% Extras: 65%
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