I haven't read the book or seen the movie version of "Dear John," but was interested to read today that three weeks before release they did frantic re-shoots to change the ending. (Warning: spoiler--kind of--ahead).
Apparently in the book, the star-crossed lovers don't end up together but the Sony studio executives were concerned that this would be too dark for the target audience. Director Lasse Halstrom was skeptical but went ahead with the reshoots. Testing and market research on that version convinced him that an ending in which there is the likelihood that the lovers will end up together was much more popular.
Considering that the movie had a $31 million opening (finally knocking "Avatar" off the top spot) they were right--at least in commercial terms.
Now watch for my new production of "Romeo and Juliet" where, instead of poison, the two of them drink a Red Bull and walk off into the sunset together.
