A Dear John Letter

"A Dear John letter" 從第二次世界大戰起, 成了分手信的代名詞, 意念來自美國慣用俚語。http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_John_letter

1965年有一首大熱的歌曲 - A Dear John letter, 由 Skeeter Davis 主唱，Bobby Bare 獨白 : -

2010 年有一出在美國票房排行榜冠軍的電影 : -

Dear John (最後一封情書)  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0989757/

話說未看電影前, 某天在客廳的某一角, 看到這本中譯小說, 抱著有响處就唔好嘥嘅心態, 就即刻拎上手細讀, 因此, 我對於男主角的童年及成長過程, 有了基本概念, 才去看電影

John的母親在他還很小的時候就離開了他, 打一份安安穩穩政府工(在郵局裡工作)的父親, 工餘時間就是埋首於他收集的古錢幣上, 像有自閉症似的活在自己的世界裡, 隔離自己遠離人群, 不和任何人打交道, weekdays 的晚餐會吃同一款東西, 每個週末是焗意粉, 父子倆甚少交談, 整個晚上, 這個家都是寂靜的, 直到有一天, 父子吵大鑊, John 一怒之下從軍去

在小說中, 關於父與子的相處及心理狀態, 描述得很詳盡細緻, 很吸引我一口氣看了這一段, 可惜礙於我的看書習慣 (The madman 瘋子, 下半 part), 剛看到男女主角相遇, 相愛, 相分時, 已沒有看下去

看畢這書的台灣朋友們, 覺得書好看得多, 電影很不濟, 以下是他們的評語 :-

~ 看完電影對於很多地方感到很訝異和不能理解, 小說好像不是這樣寫的吧 !?

~ 編劇對於人物也被亂改一通，電影最失敗的一點就是, 兩個人的背景沒有交代, 要讓觀眾看一個故事, 男女主角來歷不清...這要怎麼讓人入戲勒 !? 甚至該怎麼讓人感動我都不知道勒, 因為凡事都有原因的, 不能就是憑空冒出兩個人然後說...他是男主角是個軍人 / 她是女主角是個學生, 就這麼的演下來吧...... = ="

~ 我為什麼我會覺得電影不好看? 是因為整部電影已到了無病呻吟的地步了

~ 因此我推薦這個故事的小說 " Dear John ", 但不推薦電影, 電影毀了原本應該有的味道

~ 作者Nicholas Sparks的小說其實很多地方可以慢慢品味! 他的風格就是這樣, 我很喜歡他寫的人物對話，很輕鬆自然，有的時候很好笑 XD

書評: http://addons.books.com.tw/G/ADbanner/2007/12/071231dearjohn/index.htm

這部片我要分開多次才把它捱完, 個人觀感是, 電影較專注於男女感情事上, 從它揀選型男美女 (but not my cup of tea, my taste 係比較另類, 連這個 SELLING POINT 都吸引唔到我, 所以係'捱'住咁去) 作男女主角更加証明這只是一部“綽頭片”, 老梗劇情, 粵語片式的大團圓結局

看過台灣網友的評語, 原來小說和電影是很不一樣的, 我會的起心肝, 第一:找出書本, 第二:空出腦袋, 第三:將未完成的, 全部完完整整的吞下去, 當然要一路咬住薯片送口咁喇

更想提提 Nicholas Sparks 的另一本小說 The Notebook, 在 2004 年時拍成電影, 很感人而且故事很完整, 可能是比較忠於原著的關係, 這出電影我非常喜歡, 看了很多次, 有一次在亞視英文台播出時, 又多看了一次

大發現, 聽咗 Skeeter Davis 個版本十幾廿年, 原來這兩位才是原唱者 :- 

(Photos: Jean with late Skeeter Davis & Jean with her late husband, Hawkshaw Hawkins and their baby.)

A DEAR JOHN LETTER (1953)

~ Jean Shepard & Ferlin Husky

Dear John, oh how I hate to write
Dear John, I must let you know tonight
That my love for you has died away like grass upon the lawn
And tonight I wed another, Dear John

I was overseas in battle when the postman came to me
And he handed me a letter, I was as happy as I could be
For the fighting was all over and the battle had been won
Then I opened up the letter and it started "Dear John..."

Will you please send back my picture, my husband wants it now
When I tell you who I'm wedding, you won't care dear, anyhow
Now the ceremony has started and I'll wed your brother, Don
Will you wish us happiness forever, Dear John

原來仲有下集架 :-

FORGIVE ME, JOHN (1953)

~ Jean Shepard & Ferlin Husky

Forgive me, John but I don't love your brother
I realize now that you're the only one
Write and tell me dear, that you'll still have me
If I undo the awful wrong I've done

I'll try to answer your letter the best that I know how
The way I feel about you, honey, really doesn't matter now
As you know, the boys will be coming home soon
To be with their wives and their Maw and Paw
I'd like to come home, I'd like to see you
As a wife, but not as a sister-in-law

You're asking me to do something I can't do
It's hard to explain, but can't you see
My brother loves you, I reckon as much as I do
And he married you, and I could never do him like he done me
But I wish you happiness forever
May you make him a true and loving wife
There's nothing for me to come home for now
So I'll re-enlist and live my lonely soldier's life

大半世紀(=大半世人)過去, 兩位老人家還可以排排坐, 再一次合唱當年的歌曲, 感動!

Jean Shepard & Ferlin Husky - Dear John "LIVE" (這個要全手動過去 youtube 睇) :-

關於去咗當兵, 女友嫁咗畀自己兄弟嘅電影仲有 1956年 Elvis Presley 呢一出 Love Me Tender, 也是 Elvis Presley 出演的第一出電影