The Proposal – Sandra Bullock

The Proposal
Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds
Directed by Anne Fletcher
Disney and its many lawyers 2009
108 minutes

Sandra Bullock is aces when it comes to romantic comedies. In The Proposal she does a lot less physical comedy than she did in Miss Congeniality but still gives a strong performance as Margaret Tate, a high-powered NY book editor and office dragon lady. I went to The Proposal a bit reluctantly as I have seen Green Card and believed this was yet another Hollywood photocopy but this is a very pleasant, fun to watch romantic comedy.

A much less annoying than usual Ryan Reynolds plays Tate’s assistant and whipping boy Andrew Paxton. Tate learns she must leave the country because her visa is up and she messed on on the “not leave the country” part of her citizenship application. She decides to get a green card by marrying her assistant instead of having to go to Toronto. Being Canadian, trust me when I say anything is better than Toronto (Leafs suck!).

This comedy works because the characters, though a bit stereotypical at first, are very interesting and the comic chemistry between Reynolds and Bullock is very good (but not magic). The characters evolve and grow in The Proposal and the supporting cast, which includes the great Betty White (Golden Girls, Mary Tyler Moore Show) as    grandmother really comes through here.

This movie has a few interesting twists that really work and a few comic scenes that are out of the ordinary and not recycled from the standard Hollywood Cracker Jack comedy box.

Being a romantic comedy, The Proposal does have its share of chick flick moments but not cloyingly so. It is also on the mushy side, of course, but again not enough to spoil what is a good movie.

I am not convinced The Proposal is worth paying full price at the theater unless you want a good date movie. It will definitely make for a good first choice when it comes out on DVD.

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