The Proposal (2009)
Ryan Reynolds played Will Hayes in the Definitely, Maybe and Andrew in today's post The Proposal.
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Synopsis
The Proposal is a comedy, starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White, and Mary Steenburgen. On the verge of losing her high-powered job and being deported back to Canada, Margaret (Sandra Bullock) announces her engagement to her unsuspecting assistant Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds). The couple heads to Alaska, where they must convince Andrews interesting family and a very skeptical and determined immigration agent that they are truly in love and to be married.
My Thoughts
Before I even watch this movie (for probably the tenth time), I can tell you that it is hilarious. If you're in the mood for sarcasm and hilarity, this is probably a good choice. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds play off each other better than most movie couples out there. And no one can watch a movie starring Betty White without mentioning her own form of genius. She's a favorite, and for good reason.
Always befriend the barristas at Starbucks...It might just save your life someday. Thank you, Ryan Reynolds, for that life lesson.
I love the fear of the boss alarms in movies. "She's coming!!" popping up all over the office, just cracks me up. Workers gotta stick together beneath the thumb of the big bad boss lady...Sandra Bullock can be so intimidating if she wants to be. But she and Ryan Reynolds make one amazing team. Sarcasm humor overload begins.
Things get a little awkward very quickly, when Margaret has to get married or get deported. She announces that she and her secretary, Andrew, are getting married (unbeknownst to Andrew), and then they are assigned a very determined immigration agent who will dig into their pasts and follow them around and ask them ridiculous questions to prove that they are a legitimate couple getting married. But Margaret's demands finally set Andrew off and his inner master of sarcasm and wit is released.
Betty White's entrance is wonderful. She's hilarious and makes the cutest Grandma 'Gammy' ever.
And the disappointed, suspicious, judgmental father that everyone seems to have in the movies is played by Craig T. Nelson. I don't see what is wrong with choosing to be a book editor. It seems like a pretty great profession to me...
And the awkward character, Ramone, played by Oscar Nunez, is just everywhere in this show. He's a caterer, exotic dancer, store manager, wedding presider...It's like he's the only other guy on the island.
There's the hometown drama when Andrew takes 'Maggie' to his house to announce their engagement to his family. They've planned a surprise welcome home party so everyone can meet her and see Andrew, which is just the perfect time to make the announcement...In front of everyone he knows...
Watching Margaret's little exchange with Kevin, the dog, is kind of hilarious. A little unbelievable, but I suppose if the hawk is big enough and the puppy is small enough, it sort of makes sense...Apparently, they put quite a bit of trust in Sandra Bullocks ability to catch him.
Then the current fiance/ex-hometown girlfriend conversation...There's always a hometown ex. And an awkward naked scene with the required shirtless Ryan Reynolds, so the girls will watch the movie...As Margaret and Andrew start to decide they might actually like each other, things start to liven up even more, with a small impromptu Rob Base and DJ Easy Rock performance (by Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds).
And oh my goodness...The scene with Sandra Bullock and Betty White in the woods. The main reason I rewatch this movie as often as I do. Those two dancing around a fire in the woods singing "Get Low" is just a wonderful movie moment.
And nothing like those touching family moments to kick start your conscience and make you realize you're being a horrible person and basically ruining someone's life...Of course, by the time you realize it, you're wrong...but you know, Betty White to the rescue!
"Marry me, because I'd like to date you." Haha...That's a pretty great proposal. And just so you know, the end credit scenes (or some of them, at least) are worth sticking around for. :-)
Random Facts
Sandra Bullock plays a Canadian who wants to marry her assistant (Ryan Reynolds) in order to keep her Visa status in the U.S. and avoid deportation to Canada. In real life, Reynolds is the Canadian and Bullock is American.
225 Franklin St., Boston was the real location of the Colden Books office. The entire main office, including Margaret's and Bob's offices, were completely rebuilt and replicated at Disney Studios in Burbank, CA for pickups and re-shoots in January 2009.
Nowhere does it list Alaska as an actual film location. The film was actually filmed in Boston and on Boston's North Shore. In one of the scenes, you can see the famous Rockport icon, "Motif No.1", the little red shack famous for being a subject of many famous painters' and photographers' work. Snow-capped mountain (or any mountains, for that matter) are nowhere to be found on the North Shore. Those were added in digitally.
Julia Roberts was the first choice to play Margaret, but reportedly refused to take a pay cut, so Sandra Bullock took over the role. (Thank goodness, in my opinion. I mean, Julia Roberts is a great actress, but I think Sandra Bullock worked much better with Ryan Reynolds than Ms. Roberts would have...just my thought.)
Betty White almost turned down her role in the film because filming would require her to spend ten weeks away from her golden retriever. (Aww...I'm sure she got the best dog-sitter out there.)
The puppy named Kevin is played by four American Eskimo puppies named Flurry, Sitka (where Andrew's family is supposed to live in Alaska), Nanu, and Winter.
Pro wrestler Barry Ace was cast, but was never called to start working.
The family boat used to transport Margaret and Andrew from the airport is a Wasque 26, built in Marblehead, MA, just a few miles from where the movie was filmed.
