Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is a stone cold, ball busting, senior editor in the big city. Her assistant is aspiring writer/editor Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds). When a goof in her itinerary lands her in hot water, she fakes an engagement to Andrew in order to avoid deportation to her native Canada. Naturally Andrew isn’t thrilled but he plays along since his career is on the line, inviting her to meet his family for a weekend they won’t soon forget.
The dueling couple sets off for Alaska to meet Andrew’s family. He has parents, but the most entertaining family member is Grandma Annie (Betty White). She’s very forward and energetic, putting Margaret into some uncomfortable situations that provide some of the more endearing moments.
The first thing, very first thing, that sticks out about this comedy are the numerous musical cues. Situation awkward? There’s a jingle for that! It’s a very outdated tactic to artificially induced comedy, and in The Proposal you’ll hear ongoing cutesy chimes. I view this as the rom com equivalency to the sitcom’s laugh tracks. Are you seeing a lot of new shows with laugh tracks? Try spotting the shows with laugh tracks that stick around for a whole season sometime. Those that badger the audience with canned laughter find a tough time getting repeat viewers. These cues at the multiplex have a similar effect on me.
Apparently the discovery that Andrew’s family is loaded factors into the notion that this isn’t such a bad deal for Margaret. This plot point is then quickly abandoned, nullifying motives. We understand that the comedy is about Sandra as the lead, but it’s ultimately portrayed as a one-way street that she accepts Andrew. Last I checked, the spouse needs to give consent as well.
The above may seem harsh, but it’s expected from this breed of movie. Typically the artistry in this genre is in trying to get the leads to display chemistry, and this is something that works for the Bullock-Reynolds union. Neither are standup comics, but they have funny bones.
The Proposal manages to do a lot that has been done before, but it’s hard to hate because the leads put heart into it. It knows its place as a non-offensive rom com. It also features realistic character development. On the other hand, it’s not particularly funny nor is it inventive. **
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