Spring Break
'The Proposal' overcomes romantic stereotype
By: Megan Clark
Issue date: 6/23/09 Section: Features
In place of the typically predictable plot line of a male boss falling for his secretary, 'The Proposal' offers the reverse scenario with a twist.
Sandra Bullock ("Miss Congeniality") plays Margaret Tate, the hated boss of a popular publishing company in New York. Her executive assistant Andrew Paxton, played by Ryan Reynolds ("X-Men Origins: Wolverine"), is trying to climb up the success ladder and score a slot as an editor and author. In these efforts, he has always bent over backwards to accommodate the demanding Margaret. When Margaret is about to be deported because she is a Canadian citizen and her visa is about to expire, she blackmails Andrew into agreeing to marry her by promising that he will get the promotions that he desires. In her feeble attempts to convince Immigration Services that her impending marriage is not a hoax, she ventures with Andrew to visit his family in Alaska and gets more than she bargained for. To uphold that image, Andrew and Margaret have to pretend to the entire town that they are truly engaged and in love.
Unlike the stereotypical romantic comedy, the movie entertains both sexes, and men leave the theatre just as entertained as women. The comedy of Bullock and Reynolds is almost too good to be true. The scenes chosen for the trailer only begin to illustrate the amount of times that the entire theatre burst into laughter.
The biggest cast shocker of the entire movie can be found in Betty White ("The Golden Girls"). Most remembered for playing characters that lack common sense, she gives a commendable performance as Andrew's heritage-embracing grandmother. Her attempts to bond with Margaret or ask the spirits for Margaret's fertility can't even be summed up by the word hilarious. Each casting choice of "The Proposal" without a doubt brings something different to the table. Whether it's the whimsical humor found in Bullock or the sex appeal of Reynolds, you can't throw a dart and miss talent in this movie.
I know this movie isn't the top of everyone's must see list, but I recommend you put it there somewhere. Whether you need a sweet romance to remind you of love this summer, or just a roll on the floor comedy, "The Proposal" delivers all this and more.
Sandra Bullock ("Miss Congeniality") plays Margaret Tate, the hated boss of a popular publishing company in New York. Her executive assistant Andrew Paxton, played by Ryan Reynolds ("X-Men Origins: Wolverine"), is trying to climb up the success ladder and score a slot as an editor and author. In these efforts, he has always bent over backwards to accommodate the demanding Margaret. When Margaret is about to be deported because she is a Canadian citizen and her visa is about to expire, she blackmails Andrew into agreeing to marry her by promising that he will get the promotions that he desires. In her feeble attempts to convince Immigration Services that her impending marriage is not a hoax, she ventures with Andrew to visit his family in Alaska and gets more than she bargained for. To uphold that image, Andrew and Margaret have to pretend to the entire town that they are truly engaged and in love.
Unlike the stereotypical romantic comedy, the movie entertains both sexes, and men leave the theatre just as entertained as women. The comedy of Bullock and Reynolds is almost too good to be true. The scenes chosen for the trailer only begin to illustrate the amount of times that the entire theatre burst into laughter.
The biggest cast shocker of the entire movie can be found in Betty White ("The Golden Girls"). Most remembered for playing characters that lack common sense, she gives a commendable performance as Andrew's heritage-embracing grandmother. Her attempts to bond with Margaret or ask the spirits for Margaret's fertility can't even be summed up by the word hilarious. Each casting choice of "The Proposal" without a doubt brings something different to the table. Whether it's the whimsical humor found in Bullock or the sex appeal of Reynolds, you can't throw a dart and miss talent in this movie.
I know this movie isn't the top of everyone's must see list, but I recommend you put it there somewhere. Whether you need a sweet romance to remind you of love this summer, or just a roll on the floor comedy, "The Proposal" delivers all this and more.
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