The Proposal is a romantic comedy released on June 2009 and directed by Anne Fletcher. Sandra Bullock plays Margaret Tate, a Canadian ice queen book editor who is hated by many of her co-workers because of her domineering behavior. Ryan Reynolds plays Andrew Paxton, her loyal assistant. Margaret is approached by her bosses and they informed her that her visa was expired and she needed to go back to Canada or else she will be deported. Suddenly, she had an idea that she could marry her assistant in order to stay in the country and keep her job. Her assistant played along when they were talking to the bosses, but when they were alone he was hesitant. Margaret tried to convince him that his three years of hard work would be worth nothing because he would surely be fired if she were deported. So the couple went to the Immigration Office and the Immigration Officer Mr. Gilbertson (Denis O’Hare) felt positive that they were committing a fraud because Bob (Aasif Mandvi), the bitter employee that Margaret fired previously, called the immigration to tip them off. Mr. Gilbertson informed Margaret and Andrew that they will be undergoing a process which can verify if they are really together or not. They will be asked questions separately and their family and friends will be interviewed as well. If their answers are not compatible, Margaret will be deported to Canada and Andrew will pay a fine of $200,000 and he will also be convicted of felony.
Upon knowing the gravity of the situation, Andrew demands to Margaret that he should be made editor after their marriage and his book should also be published. Margaret initially refused then finally agreed to Andrew’s conditions when he walks away. The couple make a trip to Alaska to meet Andrew’s family, where Margaret was well-received by Andrew’s mother Grace Paxton (Mary Steenburgen) and his Grandma Annie (Betty White). Upon arriving in Sitka, Alaska, Margaret notices that most businesses in the town were named Paxton. She teased Andrew that she did not know that he was an “Alaskan Kennedy.” They met Andrew’s father Joe Paxton (Craig T. Nelson) and immediately noticed the strained relationship between Andrew and his father, who was skeptical about his son suddenly becoming engaged to his bitchy boss.
The movie was a classic romantic comedy, typical of Sandra Bullock’s usual roles. However, there were really some funny moments like Sandra Bullock’s “Get Low” dance number with Betty White and the scene when she was trying on her wedding dress and Betty White was trying to find Margaret’s breasts. The waiter/stripper/shopkeeper/minister Ramon (Oscar Nunez) was also hilarious. For me, the most touching part was when Margaret experienced becoming part of a family again, as she lost her parents when she was a teenager, thereby contributing to her cold demeanor-she is used to being alone, and being part of a family again felt wonderful. The movie is definitely worth watching, especially if you’re looking for a feel-good film that will also supply a lot of laughs.