A pushy boss (Sandra Bullock) forces her young assistant (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her in order to keep her Visa status in the U.S. and avoid deportation to Canada.
Director:Anne Fletcher
Writer:Pete Chiarelli (as Peter Chiarelli)
Stars:Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen
Storyline
For three years, Andrew Paxton has slaved as the assistant to Margaret Tate, hard-driving editor at a New York publisher. When Margaret, a Canadian, faces deportation for an expired visa, she hatches a scheme to marry Andrew - he agrees if she'll promise a promotion. A skeptical INS agent vows to test the couple about each other the next Monday. Andrew had plans to fly home that weekend for his grandma's 90th, so Margaret goes with him - to Sitka, Alaska - where mom, dad, and grams await. Family dynamics take over: tensions between dad and Andrew, an ex-girlfriend, Andrew's dislike of Margaret, and her past color the next few days, with the INS ready to charge Andrew with fraud.The Proposal
User Reviews
Refreshing and affirming
My jaw is still aching,
almost an hour and a half after the credits rolled. I don't recall when
I last laughed this consistently and heartfelt at a new production.
Yes, this is pretty formulaic stuff... if you've seen one mismatched
couple romantic comedy, you've seen them all. This never claimed to be
anything other than that. It definitely delivers what one expects from
the genre, without any of it being phoned in or taken any less
seriously. Not every film needs to revolutionize the craft, and shape
cinema for decades to come. If everything was excellent, it would become
the norm, and it would cease to be special. And I find it incredible
and immensely positive that a movie with this kind of
humor(observational, and largely derived from typical situations that
happen to everyone) can still be made, and be nicely received.
Humiliation and pain are not actually funny. They get a schadenfreude
reaction, "thank goodness that didn't happen to me", and thus we move
further apart, isolate ourselves all the more. This does the opposite,
letting us get closer to each other, share the little things that we've
forgotten are silly or "off" in our everyday lives. It does go a tad too
far on occasion, to get the audience going, but those instances are few
in number. The acting is great all-round, and the two leads have
chemistry, and play off each other well. There are countless memorable
sequences, jokes and gags in this. This contains "moments" between
Bullock and Reynolds, as well, and they genuinely work. You feel for
them. The characters are just about invariably well-written, interesting
and credible. In general, the script is well-done. The music is
pleasant and well-chosen. This ought to entertain nearly everyone, of
any age. There is a little strong and/or risqué language, and a couple
of usually mild sexual references, and this tends to be inoffensive. I
recommend this to all who think they may enjoy it. Chances are that
you're right. 8/10
