Blog Post 4: Adapting the Book

Some of the challenges that a filmmaker would have in adapting Dear John onto the big screen would be some of the war scenes. While we never actually see John fighting, he is stationed overseas in both Germany before 9/11 and Iraq after 9/11. I think this would be challenging because it’s a war scene, it would require many actors and extras, hours of learning actual fighting styles, and having the main actors go into the mindset of “I’m about to fight for my country,” which might be a difficult place for many actors to get to.

One scene that needs to be kept in the movie is when Savannah tells John that she thinks his father might have Asperger’s. It’s when john and Savannah have their first big fight, and that’s a pivotal moment for John because he starts  to realize why his father is silent and is follows the same schedule every day, the same schedule he’s had since John was born. At one point in the movie, Savannah, John, and his father take a trip to see Savannah’s parents. Mr. Tyree is somewhat uncomfortable with the change in his schedule, but agrees to go along. Once they are close to her family’s ranch, he panics and asks to be taken back home.

While this isn’t a scene, there is a specific detail that needs to be kept the same. John meets Savannah for the first time before 9/11. When September of 2001 comes along, John is about to be discharged in December of 2001. However, after the events of 9/11 take place, John re-ups for another two years of service. The filmmakers need to keep that the same because after 9/11, John and Savannah’s relationship takes a beating because he’s still in the army for another two years instead of getting out in three months.

Another scene that needs to be kept the same is when John and Savannah talk about meeting for the first time. She asks him why he jumped in to get her purse and if it was two years in the past, would he have gotten the bag for her. After thinking about it, John says he would have stood there and laughed, which shows how much he’s matured since entering the army.

One part that I would exclude is the months that pass after John and Savannah break up, because all it talks about is how he stayed in the military. For me, a flash forward with a voice over briefly explaining what happened since the breakup would suffice.

Another part I would exclude was when John sold his father’s coin collection after he died. While he did it for a noble cause (helping out Tim), the coins were a big part of his father’s life, and through Savannah, the coins started to bring John and his father back together. Since John sold them, it’s like he’s neglecting one of the only things that brought his father happiness.