The Proposal is a 2009 rom-com classic that stars the signature pairing of Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. The film follows Bullock’s character, Margaret Tate, a pushy no-nonsense Editor-in-Chief. Tate is dutifully accompanied at all times by her loyal personnel assistant Andrew Paxton, played by Ryan Reynolds. In the spirit of February and its flagship, I thought it would be an appropriately festive time to visit this staple of the rom-com genre.
To start, The Proposal excels when it comes to the comedic aspects of the film. The inciting incident of Margaret and Andrew having to pretend to act as if they are a newly engaged couple creates for some excellent dialogue, certainly strengthened by the banter and chemistry Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock have with each other. Another highlight is the various hi-jinks Margaret herself gets into at the Paxton family home in Alaska. This includes the tribal chant she performs with Paxtons’ sassy and elderly grandmother, played by Betty White. While this movie is more concentrated on comedy than morality, there is a small scene with Paxton and his father that effectively highlighted the pressure one’s parents can place on their children and the impact that pressure can have on a child as they go further into their adulthood and careers.
The small criticism I have for this film is that it does stumble a bit closer to the “com” than the “rom.”The movie is very funny, but the relationship between Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock is, at times, a bit hard to wrap your head around and accept as plausible. While I can retain some suspension of disbelief, the romance is a little hard to believe, especially considering that the events of the movie take place over the course of three days. Their strong and witty banter does make up for this small shortcoming however, so I can mostly overlook it.
Overall I quite enjoyed watching The Proposal. I had never seen it before, and while I doubt it will be a yearly watch for me, I still enjoyed and appreciated it for its all-star cast, clever banter, and an unrealistic but still quite heartfelt romance.
