When one thinks Nicolas Sparks, more often than not the buzzwords that pop up are ‘romance,’ ‘cancer’ and ‘tragedy.’ Movies like “A Walk To Remember,” “Nights In Rodanthe” and, perhaps most famously, “The Notebook,” are all film adaptations of our generation’s favorite romance author. While teenage girls looking for a sob story come out in droves for all of these movies, hopefully this review will steer them away from the newest creation, “Dear John.” Starring Channing Tatum, of “Step Up” and “G.I. Joe” fame, and Amanda Seyfried (“Mamma Mia!,” “Mean Girls), this movie tells the story of a modern-day Romeo and Juliet torn apart by school, the military and terrorism.

During a two-week spring break, wide-eyed co-ed Savannah falls hard for Special Forces member John. Of course, they fall in love. “Two weeks…that’s all it took,” Savannah writes later in the movie. Their whirlwind vacation reveals not one, but two autistic characters (one of which is John’s father, unbeknownst to John) and an undying commitment to each other. They say goodbye, with John returning to duty post-9/11 and Savannah to school. They promise to write each other every single day for the year they are apart.

If the movie sounds dull until this point, the rest is exponentially more boring. The story is not nearly enough to sustain two hours of on-screen interest, and both Tatum and Seyfried are absolutely cringe-worthy to watch. Of course, in true Nicholas Sparks fashion, the war, separation and mental illness aren’t enough. Cancer, death and heartbreak all sprinkle the latter half of the movie, making the outcome seem almost laughable, despite the attempt to be a tear-jerker.

After seeing their film, Intermission had the chance to sit down with both Channing Tatum (his body is literally the only reason to see this movie) and Amanda Seyfried to talk about their project. Here are some of the highlights of the interview:

Intermission(i): How did you relate to the character of Savannah? Did you meet with any wives or girlfriends of military men to try and empathize with the role?

Amanda Seyfriend(AS): No, I didn’t, but I have been in a long distance relationship for a while. It’s not easy, it’s very severe. I could understand because for John, his duty and his career take priority. In my life, sometimes my career takes priority. I could identify with how much she misses John.

i: Did you read the novel when you signed on for the film?

AS: I didn’t, actually. I wanted to stick with the script, because the novel dives so deep into the characters, and they are so different. I wanted to sort of create it for myself. I feel like Savannah is much more relatable in the screenplay. I still haven’t read the book, and I don’t feel like I need to.

i: How has making this film changed your personal and professional life?

AS: I am definitely a romantic person. I love spending time in nature, traveling and seeing the world. I absolutely love my family. Filming in North Carolina was a huge blessing; it allowed the capacity for me to be inspired. Channing and I would play around when filming – it taught us to just accept our emotions. He is the ultimate co-star. Working with him showed me that you can’t take yourself too seriously.

i: Did you have any favorite scenes from the movie?

Channing Tatum(CT): I really enjoyed filming the hospital scene, after my dad has a stroke and I’m returning from Afghanistan. It was such a personal scene, and filming with Richard [who plays his father] just ripped my heart out. In contrast, I love the scene where I’m tickling Amanda on the bed. It was so natural, and really embodied our relationship.

i: You play a lot of characters in the military (“StopLoss,” “G.I. Joe”). What attracts you to these characters?

CT: “G.I. Joe” isn’t really military. That is just a guy with a machine gun. “StopLoss” was a lot more like this one. To prepare, I spent a week in boot camp where I was just surrounded by soldiers. Just because I play a soldier though, I’ll never ever know what it is like. You can read as much as you want, watch as much as you want – you just aren’t going to know. Soldiers are just normal people under extraordinary circumstances. It’s heartbreaking that people can’t understand what they are going through. In “Dear John,” these two kids fall in love, which just happens, and the fact that John is in the military makes things so much harder. These things actually happen.