The Proposal movie 2009

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White
Director: Anne Fletcher
Genres: Romantic Comedy, Comedy

A book editor is forced to marry her male assistant in order to stay in the country. When they travel to Alaska to meet his family, the new couple has to fake their way through a surprise wedding thrown by his parents.


The ProposalCritic Reviews:
The appeal of a romantic comedy lies mostly in the chemistry between the starring lovebirds.

In that regard, The Proposal has what it takes. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds prove a likable duo.

A veteran of the genre, Bullock shows she still can be an endearing America's sweetheart, even if she's no longer quite the girl next door.

Reynolds has the appropriate good looks, easygoing charm and comic timing to be a natural in this setting.

When the story trains its focus on their interactions, things proceed swimmingly. But the film trips up in the second half, when the humor becomes too broad and the scenarios become outlandish.

Bullock plays the steely Margaret, a witchy and heartless book editor with nary a shred of people skills. Reynolds plays Andrew, her hardworking assistant. She overworks and abuses him, and still he tirelessly plugs away. We later learn it's not out of loyalty: He's determined to learn the business and has an overriding love for books.

When a bureaucratic matter results in her impending deportation from the USA to her native Canada, Margaret suddenly announces that she and Andrew are getting married, which will allow her to remain in the country. Privately, she threatens to fire him and destroy his future professional opportunities if he refuses. No dummy, he extracts a promotion in the deal.

They go off to Andrew's family home in Alaska, bound for his grandmother's (Betty White) birthday. The movie generally deteriorates, getting bogged down in predictability and silliness.

While Bullock and Reynolds are mired in animosity, the laughs keep coming. Once they spend time together in a scenic remote locale, get to know each other and develop an affection, it becomes a familiar fish-out-of-water story that is only sporadically funny.

As Bullock shows she's still adept at zany physical humor, the film also showcases a nutty jack-of-all-trades, played by Oscar Nunez (The Office).

Though it falls short of winning our hearts completely, The Proposal is a serviceable and intermittently funny romance made enjoyable by the sparks between Bullock and Reynolds.