The Proposal- Reynolds Needs More Personality
Written: Jun 22 '09
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: Betty White, some funny moments
Cons: Way predictable, some laughs fall flat
The Bottom Line: The Proposal is an average film with some seriously funny moments.
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| lyoness913's Full Review: The Proposal |
Hubby and I went to see The Proposal this past weekend on Father's Day. We both really like Ryan Reynolds and we certainly enjoyed his performance in Definitely, Maybe. Because I am from Canada and I am having all kinds of immigration issues, and the lead character in this movie (Sandra Bullock) is also a Canadian with immigration problems, we thought it would be even more funny since we could directly relate to the movie. As I watched the film and listened to people around me laughing hysterically, I sort of wondered 'What's so funny?' The Proposal did make me chuckle a few times, but I didn't think it was nearly as funny as the recent The Hangover. Maybe I am setting my expectations a little bit too high.
Margaret (Bullock) and Andrew (Reynolds) work at a publishing company in New York City. Margaret is the boss, and everyone at work fears her. She is the 'Dragon Lady,' and Andrew happens to be her assistant. He kisses her butt so much that he even drinks the same coffee as she does so that if one coffee spills (which it does in the first scene), he has a back up. When Margaret is asked to see the Big Shots (her bosses) upstairs, she is told that INS is going to revoke her work visa and send her back to Toronto because she broke an immigration travel sanction. Margaret then bullies Andrew into telling INS that she is his fiancee and they are getting married, thereby allowing her to stay in the country. Andrew is shocked and speechless. However, he agrees with her ridiculous plan as long as he gets a promotion to Editor in return for the phony nuptials. To further complicate everything, the INS representative is very suspicious of their relationship and sets out to make sure that he proves they are 'faking it.'
In order to convince everyone that their engagement is 'real,' they go to see Andrew's parents who live in a small town in Alaska. Betty White is Andrew's 'Gammy' and she is truly awesome. She is classy, funny, and really sharp in The Proposal. Mary Steenburgen is Andrew's mother and Craig T. Nelson is his father, and it just happens that Andrew's family are the 'Kennedy's' of Alaska. (That's Margaret's quote.) They own most of the businesses in their home town and they live in a beautiful mansion. Andrew and Margaret must spend the weekend trying to convince Andrew's family that they are truly in love. Of course, things get hairy when the family wants the couple to marry in Alaska for Gammy's 90th birthday present.
There are several ongoing jokes in The Proposal and some of them are fairly funny, but a lot of them fall flat. One scene includes Betty White calling out spirits and dancing and Sandra Bullock stumbles across her 'ceremony' in the woods. When 'Margaret' is forced to join by Gammy, she gets down to a rap song and it's fairly hilarious! However, other scenes are not so funny and the movie itself is extremely predictable.
I will say that the scenery in The Proposal is absolutely breath taking and flawless. The Alaskan town reminded me of Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I am not sure if they filmed the movie in Alaska, but the mountains and the lakes and the buildings were beautiful. My hubby and I were very impressed!
I wasn't really disappointed in The Proposal. it was better than I thought it would be. Bullock plays the part of an uptight career-nut very well. However, Reynolds' character is kind of lame and weak and I wish he would have shown a bit more personality. I was surprised because he's usually fairly funny. I wish he had a few 'Just Friends' moments, but his character is more serious and brooding in this film.
I guess I would watch this film again if it shows up on cable. If you're planning on seeing this film, don't pay full price. Betty White is a kill, and she makes this film worth your while!
3 stars
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Date Movie
Viewing Method: Sneak Preview at My Local Theater
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Ending
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Epinions.com ID:
lyoness913
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Location: Overland Park, KS
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