Gerald Wright's Movie Coverage
THE PROPOSAL
Directed by:Anne Fletcher
Running time: 1 hour 44 minutes
Release date: June 19, 2009
Genre: Comedy and Romance
Distributor: Touchstone Pictures/Buena Vista Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Historically, comedy has been rumored to be a man's game and there's little room for women. Some guys love it when a woman isn't too proper to laugh at a crude joke. Many men look at female comedians as their replicas. Those guys who have half a brain know that this fact is not true. In fact, the female gender is really in full charge of the gags. Over the years, Sandra Annette Bullock has worked in every genre imaginable. She came to fame in the 1990s with Speed and since established herself as a leading actress with 2005's Miss Congeniality. This film exposed her comedic side. In the "romcom" The Proposal, the combination of a good male and female comedian come together to make the right blend of love, lust and humor.
Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is a high powered editor-in-chief of Colden Book Publishing Company in New York City. She works her assistant Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds) hard everyday. Her personality is less than desirable and everyone she comes in contact with is left with distaste for her. As it turns out "what goes around-comes around" because Canadian born Margaret gets a summons from the Department Immigration and Naturalization concerning her expired visa. These summons threaten her ability to live and work in the U.S. The quick thinking Margaret tells the government investigator she is engaged to marry her assistant Andrew. Andrew agrees to her scheme only to get the position of editor within the company in return. The government needs proof of their honesty and sincerity of their upcoming marriage. This is when the film becomes a non-stop series of hilarious cinematic magic.
Margaret and Andrew are invited to Alaska for the 90th birthday of Andrew's Grandma Annie aka Gammy (Betty White). She must sell a government investigator that their marriage is legitimate, and decides a weekend away with Andrew would be convincing. Urban minded Margaret is like a fish out of water in this rural Alaskan environment. This is where she finds out that Andrew comes from an extremely wealthy family headed by his father Joe (Craig T.Nelson) and mom Grace (Mary Steenburgen).
The Proposal delighted me as it expanded its range of comic tactics from absurdity to mockery, to sarcasm to irony. The overt charisma and hilariously fine acting by Betty White along with the sauciness of Sandra Bullock makes this a fun film. Chemistry between the love interests in a romantic comedy is primary. The Sandra Bullock/Ryan Reynolds duo is a marvel to watch. They are reminiscent of idealized romantic leads from classics such as It Happened One Night (1934) with Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable, and When Harry Met Sally (1989) with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. I think that Sandra Bullock, who is not always linked as being a "hottie", pulled off one of her best comedic sex appeal roles in her naked (with covered spots) shower scene with Ryan Reynolds. Not only was this scene sexy and humorous, but this unique mixture of sexual and comedic chemistry was also managed with realism that I found refreshing.
The movie's director Anne Fletcher and writer Pete Chiarelli found found the idealized romantic leads who have ample talent, intellect and great appearances. With consistent humor throughout (often laugh out loud) and plenty of magical romantic moments, The Proposal epitomizes the perfect date or chick flick.
FILM RATING (A)
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