Proposal, The

Synopsis
THE PROPOSAL could have been a strictly script-by-numbers affair, but hilarious performances by Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds improve this romantic comedy. Publishing powerhouse Margaret Tate (Bullock, TWO WEEKS NOTICE) is used to getting her way. She bullies her ambitious assistant, Andrew Paxton (Reynolds, DEFINITELY, MAYBE), earning the ire of all the underlings at Colden Books in New York City. But Margaret, a native Canadian, finds her career in jeopardy when she is denied a visa and learns she will be sent northward. She forces Andrew to become her fiancé, but she’ll have to take a trip home to Alaska with him to prove to U.S. Immigration that their impending union is genuine.

What ensues is a combination of GREEN CARD, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, and GREEN ACRES, with the hell-in-heels boss trying to fake a romance with her assistant as she struggles to survive as a city girl in the country. However, THE PROPOSAL proves to be more than the sum of its parts; Bullock has been one of Julia Roberts’s successors to the America’s-sweetheart crown since she starred in SPEED, but this comedy has her challenging her image with hilarious ease. Reynolds--who could be just window-dressing with his good looks and easy charm--is an excellent foil who is just as adept with sarcasm as he is with a smile. The two stars are supported by an impressive cast, including Betty White as Andrew’s scheming 90-year-old grandmother, Craig T. Nelson as his disappointed father, and THE OFFICE’s Oscar Nunez as an ubiquitous resident of his hometown. THE PROPOSAL may offer few surprises in the way of plot, but the on-screen talent keeps the film feeling fresh.

Reviews
3 stars out of 5 -- "THE PROPOSAL is rooted in the most classical of conventions and still finds ways to be surprisingly enchanting. Most credit should go to the criminally underappreciated Sandra Bullock and the reliably disarming Ryan Reynolds." (Box Office)

"[A]n engaging, well-crafted lark that proves 'high concept' isn't necessarily a tired tactic....Bullock also is talented enough to play convincingly against her genial image here as the proverbial boss from hell..." (Hollywood Reporter)

3 stars out of 4 -- "[Bullock] is likable here because she doesn't overdo it....THE PROPOSAL is much enhanced by all of the supporting performances." (Chicago Sun-Times)

"Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds prove a likable duo....Reynolds has the appropriate good looks, easygoing charm and comic timing to be a natural in this setting..." (USA Today)

"Bullock's deft physical comedy, one of her most endearing qualities, is given a full run. And Reynolds' ability to deliver a line, or a look, with withering, surgical precision is there at every turn." (Los Angeles Times)

3 stars out of 5 -- "First-time screenwriter Peter Chiarelli's dialogue has a wry Big Apple zing....A pedigree cast, fun premise and punchy dialogue make Bullock's return to romantic comedy look a great catch..." (Total Film)

"[S]aved by fizzy screwball chemistry between the hunky, snarky Reynolds and Bullock, who hasn't been this appealing since, well, SPEED." -- Grade: B (Entertainment Weekly)