The Proposal

This is one of those movies that falls apart right in the beginning. It is a cute little movie that has about five minutes of oringinality. Sandra Bullock is Margaret Tate who plays an editor of a powerful publishing company. She is paid well, holds alot of clout, and is compensated well. The problem she cared little for US immigration policy by not completing some simple paper work. It is not as if this involved another job or making some extra money, she chose not to complete some paper work in time. The deadline has passed.

Why her employer is notified about this and not her is beyond me. Perhaps she is just tossing away the paper work. But that does not make a lot of sense. No one with her situation would jeopardize it by shirking on some necessary paperwork.

This cockamamy plan she quickly concocts involves Ryan Reynolds who is Andrew Paxton-her executive assistant. She is called into the President's office who has apparently called in the company's legal representative. This is in New York. Their hands are tied and the INS has ordered her to leave or be deported. She is Canadien and her Visa has expired. She would have to remain in Canada for a year which would wreck her career with the American company. She is devastated but her ego is so massive and overwhelming, she blackmales Ryan into marrying her. She calls him into the President's office and informs them that they are about to get married. How a superior can marry a helping hand and not violate any company policy is another story.

Andrew should have rejected her right in the beginning. Her being deported is her problem. They would have put a lazy incompetent in her position and the company would have taken a hit. The President would realize his errors and would have had to make a move. Andrew would have benefited since he then could possibly become an editor and perhaps get his own book published. This movie is complete fiction but it is pleasant. The Eddie Murphy movie called Imagine That is superior to this one. I am not sure when Bullock will be in another good movie. She was in Crash but it has been a long time since A Time To Kill.

This movie does have a strong point made by Maggie that INS is more worried about terrorists than her. She brings talent and drive to America, deporting her is asinine. I hope INS does not spend too much time on her case. In fact, at the end, the INS detective who Andrew and Maggie met in the beginning flies to Alaska to give them a second chance to admit their sham. What a waste of tax payer money. And he gets cocky about it as well. His priorities are misconstrued. She does not hold state secrets nor is a threat to anyone-atleast not physically.

Mary Steenburgen is Grace Paxton who is Andrew's mother. Craig T. Nelson is Joe Paxton, the father. Mary is still pretty and she is nice in the film. Craig has the difficult part since he is plays a hard headed father who seems to have been disagreeing with his son for many years now. He is tough on his son which is realistic. This movie is not a total loss.

Betty White is Andrew's Grandma Annie. I have always liked her. But she loses it at the end and has a heart attack because of it. She was screaming at Joe for always fighting with Andrew. Andrew's relationship with his father is familiar but worse than most. Annie survives but Maggie escapes back to New York.

Most of the movie occurs in Alaska. Joe and Grace are quite successful. They own almost all of the businesses in town. Joe wants Andrew to return and continue the family businesses. Not sure why he turns this down, he could possibly spread the small empire. Andrew has a cute local girl who he could pursue as well. But Andrew does not want to remain in the small town, up in the middle of no where. Tough call.

Maggie has been Andrew's supervisor for 3 years. She has ran him ragged, she does not have a life of her own. Her character is comprable to Meryl Streep's disgusting character in The Devil Wears Prada. Hard to believe that character was based on a true homo sapien. After they inform the company leadership of their intention and surpass INS for the time being, the weekend is on the verge of commencing. Andrew's family is having a party and Maggie takes advantage of this. So they fly to Alaska. Maggie is a city girl but her wardrobe is just ridiculous. She over packs. The funny thing about this is that Andrew knows she needs him more than he needs her so he picks on her and forces her to carry her own luggage. The movie would have been unbearable if it was the other way around.

There is some funny parts in Alaska. Maggie and Andrew agree to get married in Alaska, in the barn. No joke. Certainly not Maggie's dream. They are about to get married by one of the family employees. Not even a priest. The movie is sort of strange her. Another odd part is when Annie is dancing around the fire in a pagan worship of nature in the middle of the forest. Hollywood is often anti church but this is just striking. The guy marrying them is also the guy who strips for the females in an all woman's club. Whatever.

The musical score is nonexistent. I did laugh in several scenes but nothing was spectacular. The tiger scene in Hangover was hilarious for example.

I allocate this movie one star.*