The Proposal is as polished and predictable a Hollywood romantic comedy as they come nowadays, but it does manage to fashion a handful of funny moments out of its wholly unoriginal concept before finally fizzling at the finish line.
Sandra Bullock plays the much-disliked editor at a major publishing house who, to prevent her Canadian self from being deported, fabricates the lie that she and her boss-loathing assistant (Ryan Reynolds) are getting married. Then off they head to Alaska to visit his wealthy family (and allow us to soak in the state’s beautiful scenery).
It’s basically a reverse-gender riff on 1990′s Green Card crossed with The Family Stone and directed with no particular flair by Anne Fletcher (27 Dresses) that does nothing you don’t expect it to and draws out too long its dull don’t-let-her-get-away conclusion.
I imagine Bullock’s workaholic witch is supposed to remind us of Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, but as written and acted the character is nowhere near as frightening or interesting and thaws far too quickly. Bullock’s better at the funny stuff anyway, like turning a Native American dance into a rap number or trying to one-up Reynolds in relating how they supposedly fell in love.
Though he was better in Definitely, Maybe, Reynolds nicely restrains his sarcastic tendencies here and is very funny, especially in his initial reaction to the news of the forthcoming nuptials. He’s also good with the more dramatic stuff, like comforting Bullock after she falls out of a boat and dealing with the disapproval of his dad (the eternally bland Craig T. Nelson).
As Reynolds’ grandma, 87-year-old Betty White steals just about every scene she’s in, be it searching for Bullock’s boobs in a particularly ugly wedding dress and calling it an “Easter egg hunt,” or the tender, tearjerker way she tricks Reynolds and Nelson into a cease fire. Her energy makes the usually reliable Mary Steenburgen, as Reynolds’ mom, seem wooden by comparison.
The scene in which Reynolds and Bullock collide while naked doesn’t amuse so much as titillate and try to show us that Bullock is up for anything and that Reynolds works out a lot. Another scene, involving the family dog, an eagle and Bullock talking on a cell phone, is just plain hilarious. Yet I laughed the most during the end credits as various characters testify on the leads’ behalf to an Immigrations officer.
Unfortunately, the connect-the-dots script ultimately negates any positive contributions the cast makes, and I was never convinced that Bullock and Reynolds belonged together. Rather, he should have taken up again with his cute and very likable ex-girlfriend (Malin Akerman). Such an ending might have made The Proposal a little more acceptable to me. – [DVD]
Comedy/Drama/Romance
Rated PG-13
DVD Release Date: 10/13/09