The Proposal
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The Proposal
To avoid being deported back to Canada, a hard-driving New York book editor (Sandra Bullock) coerces her brow-beaten executive assistant (Ryan Reynolds) into getting engaged, but the hostility underlying their charade of love mellows during a visit to his parents' (Mary Steenburgen and Craig T. Nelson) Alaska home for his grandmother's (Betty White) 90th birthday. Brief interludes of questionable humor and a largely predictable plot aside, director Anne Fletcher's effervescent romantic comedy is mostly a valentine to family affection and against-the-odds ardor. Implied premarital sexual activity, fleeting nudity, some sexual humor, a couple of crude and a dozen crass words, at least two uses of profanity. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2009
The Proposal (Full Review)
The romantic comedy "The Proposal" (Touchstone) overcomes a predictable plot and some questionable humor on the strength of adept performances, positive underlying values and a hefty dose of charm.
From the very first scene you know exactly where things are headed for hard-driving New York book editor Margaret (Sandra Bullock) and her browbeaten executive assistant, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds). But the familiar journey makes a diverting pastime nonetheless.
The icily efficient, emotionally repressed Margaret, we learn early on, is a Canada native who has flouted U.S. immigration law and is in danger of deportation. To avoid this career-destroying outcome, she spontaneously strikes on the idea of marrying Andrew, despite the fact that he happens to loathe her, while she considers him contemptible.
With his professional future in her hands, Margaret coerces Andrew into going along with her scheme, and they set off for his parents' home in Sitka, Alaska, where the family is gathering to celebrate Andrew's grandmother Annie's (a marvelous Betty White) 90th birthday. Cordial mom Grace (Mary Steenburgen) welcomes the "happy" news, while dad Joe (Craig T. Nelson) -- who has a longstanding quarrel with Andrew -- is suspicious.
As Margaret bonds with the clan, and more gradually with Andrew, there are interludes of wayward sexual humor, like the performance of the less-than-buff local male stripper, Ramone (Oscar Nunez) -- which involves no nudity, but some highly suggestive dance moves -- and a scene where Margaret and Andrew accidentally bump into each other while both are naked. (They're only seen very briefly and from the side).
Though Grace takes it for granted that the engaged couple will share the same bed, Andrew sleeps on the floor throughout, even after the sparks begin to fly. But a sequence that runs with the closing credits suggests that this chastity eventually breaks down.
Mostly, though, director Anne Fletcher's effervescent offering is a valentine to family affection and against-the-odds ardor.
The film contains implied premarital sexual activity, fleeting nudity, some sexual humor, a couple of crude and a dozen crass words, at least two uses of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic
merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating,
the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief
synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- A-IV**
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.
** Discontinued classification. All archived movies that were originally in the A-IV category are now classified as L.