The Proposal (2009/I)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Anne Fletcher

Writer (WGA):

Pete Chiarelli (written by)

Release Date:

19 June 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Here comes the bribe...

Plot:

A pushy boss forces her young assistant to marry her in order to keep her Visa status in the U.S. and avoid deportation to Canada.

Plot Keywords:

Deportation | Fake Engagement | Ex Girlfriend | Canadian Expatriate | Partial Female Nudity

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Sandra Bullock	...	Margaret Tate
Ryan Reynolds	...	Andrew Paxton
Mary Steenburgen	...	Grace Paxton
Craig T. Nelson	...	Joe Paxton
Betty White	...	Grandma Annie
Denis O'Hare	...	Mr. Gilbertson
Malin Akerman	...	Gertrude
Oscar Nuñez	...	Ramone
Aasif Mandvi	...	Bob Spaulding
Michael Nouri	...	Chairman Bergen
Michael Mosley	...	Chuck
Dale Place	...	Jim McKittrick
Alicia Hunt	...	Coffee Barista
Alexis Garcia	...	Immigration Clerk (as Alexis R. Garcia)
Kortney Adams	...	Colden Books Receptionist

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, nudity and language.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #45211) | Ireland:12A | Netherlands:6 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:Btl | Singapore:PG | Finland:S | Australia:PG | Mexico:A | Argentina:Atp | UK:12A | Germany:o.Al. | Japan:G | Iceland:L | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Norway:A | Denmark:A | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | South Africa:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Brazil:14 | Turkey:7+

Filming Locations:

225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Nowhere does it list Alaska as an actual film location. The film was actually filmed in Boston and on Boston's North Shore. In one of the scenes, you can see the famous Rockport icon, "Motif No.1", the little red shack famous for being a subject of many famous painters' and photographers' work. Snow-capped mountains (or any mountains, for that matter) are nowhere to be found on the North Shore. Those were added in digitally.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Margaret and Andrew go to get a "fiancée" visa, they go to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) office in New York. However, on the plane flying to Sitka, Andrew refers to a list of questions that "INS" will ask. INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) no longer exists; USCIS is one of the three agencies that now have the functions the defunct INS had.

Quotes:

Andrew Paxton: [as Margaret slowly descends the ladder to the dock] Congratulations. I'm a hundred.

Movie Connections:

References Star Wars (1977)

Soundtrack:

Find My Way

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