Nicholas Sparks has a pretty streaky record. For every sappy, saccharine movie based on one of his novels that falls flat, there’s a sappy, saccharine one that is somehow charming enough to get away with it. 2004’s younger-skewing The Notebook is the obvious example there, and it looks like they’ll be trying to strike lightning again with a similar formula in Dear John.

Part of the reason why The Notebook worked was because director Nick Cassavetes had the advantage of two talented performers in Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, plus not a modest share of on-screen (and off-screen) chemistry. It looks like Dear John may have at least some elements of that. Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried aren’t quite as acclaimed a pair of actors as Gosling or McAdams, but those two were relatively unproven when they made their Notebook turn as well.

Tatum is fast becoming a bona fide leading man, and has shown enough chops between his popcorn flicks to warrant the mantle. Plus he’s just so damn likable. And somewhere between Mean Girls and Mamma Mia!, Seyfried showed a penchant for outshining her supporting player designation, revealing herself to be an utterly charming and eclectic actress capable of headlining a movie. So maybe it’s the tear-jerky sucker in me or the Snow Patrol soundtrack, but the Dear John trailer has me strangely excited to see how their pairing turns out. There’s a requisite amount of cheesiness, of course, but it doesn’t hurt to have a solid supporting cast that includes Richard Jenkins and Scott Porter, and Lasse Hallström ain’t no slouch as director, either. I’m hopeful for this one.

Check out the trailer after the jump.

The story follows the an Army Special Forces soldier and the conservative college student he falls in love with while on leave. Upon his inevitable deployment, they must brave the oppressive distance and uncertainty that faces their epistolary romance. You can check out the poster here.

Dear John arrives in theaters on February 5, 2010.

Tags: Amanda Seyfried, Channing Tatum, Dear John, Lasse Hallstrom, Nicholas Sparks, Richard Jenkins, Scott Porter, Trailer