The much anticipated chick flick of the New Year, Dear John has been referred to as “the Notebook of two thousand-ten”. With all of the right prerequisites for the perfect chick flick, Dear John is bound to be a box-office hit.

Opening this Friday, the movie already has a large following. In Facebook groups such as “Dear John”, “Im dying to see Dear John <3″, “Everytime I see the ‘Dear John’ commercial my heart melts <3″, and numerous others, fans express their excitement to see the film.

But what is it that makes Dear John such an enticing movie to see? The romance, which was originally written by Nicholas Sparks, author of the Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, and a Walk to Remember, is about two people, John and Savannah (Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried), who fall in love one summer and are faced with long term separation caused by Tatum’s character, John’s duty in the military.

Many people who have loved one that have fought in wars can relate to this story. Whether it be parents, grandparents, or fiancés, the pain of seeing someone you love go is always strong.

Americans coined the phrase “Dear John Letter” in the 1940’s during World War 2. This was due to the fact that many American soldiers were gone fighting in the war at the time, leaving their loved ones alone at home. What came to be known as a “Dear John Letter” usually started off with the words, “dear John”, or “dear (Sam, Henry, Robert, etc.)”. They continued on to say that they had found someone else, and the distance was just too much for them to handle. One can only wait and see (unless they have already read the novel) what will happen as the story unfolds.

The midnight premier is expected to be packed with girls of all ages, and possible a few guys in the mix. “I will be there”, said sophomore Connor Maloney, “and if it looks like I’m crying…it’s because of my allergies.”

“Channing Tatum can jump off a cliff”, said sophomore Matt Livingston. When it comes to guys, mixed feelings about the movie are evident. Perhaps this envious attitude is due to the apparent good looks and features of the star, who receives a considerable amount of attention from ladies all over the world.

With just two days to go, the countdown begins.