The Proposal (2009)

A pushy boss (Sandra Bullock) forces her young assistant (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her in order to keep her Visa status in the U.S. and avoid deportation to Canada.

Director:

Anne Fletcher

Writer:

Pete Chiarelli (as Peter Chiarelli)

Stars:

Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 7 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sandra Bullock	...	Margaret Tate
Ryan Reynolds	...	Andrew Paxton
Mary Steenburgen	...	Grace Paxton
Craig T. Nelson	...	Joe Paxton
Betty White	...	Grandma Annie
Denis O'Hare	...	Mr. Gilbertson
Malin Akerman	...	Gertrude
Oscar Nuñez	...	Ramone
Aasif Mandvi	...	Bob Spaulding
Michael Nouri	...	Chairman Bergen
Michael Mosley	...	Chuck
Dale Place	...	Jim McKittrick
Alicia Hunt	...	Coffee Barista
Alexis Garcia	...	Immigration Clerk (as Alexis R. Garcia)
Kortney Adams	...	Colden Books Receptionist

Storyline

For three years, Andrew Paxton has slaved as the assistant to Margaret Tate, hard-driving editor at a New York publisher. When Margaret, a Canadian, faces deportation for an expired visa, she hatches a scheme to marry Andrew - he agrees if she'll promise a promotion. A skeptical INS agent vows to test the couple about each other the next Monday. Andrew had plans to fly home that weekend for his grandma's 90th, so Margaret goes with him - to Sitka, Alaska - where mom, dad, and grams await. Family dynamics take over: tensions between dad and Andrew, an ex-girlfriend, Andrew's dislike of Margaret, and her past color the next few days, with the INS ready to charge Andrew with fraud.

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Plot Keywords:

father son relationship | alaska | deportation | sitka alaska | interview | 

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Taglines:

Here comes the bribe...

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 June 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Selbst ist die Braut

Filming Locations:

Javits Federal Office Building - 26 Federal Plaza, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$33,627,598 (USA) (19 June 2009)

Gross:

$163,947,053 (USA) (30 October 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Mandeville Films, Kurtzman/Orci

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The puppy named Kevin is played by four American Eskimo puppies named Flurry, Sitka, Nanu and Winter.

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Goofs

A time-lapse scene shows the sun not setting during the night at Sitka. Alaska is almost 1500 miles north to south. While there are places in Alaska, above the Arctic Circle, where the sun doesn't set at night in summer, the sun always sets in Sitka, even in summer (though sometimes quite late, and nautical twilight isn't reached every night).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Andrew Paxton: Shit!

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #18.20 (2010)

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Soundtracks

Relax
Written by Peter Gill, Holly Johnson (as William Johnson), and Mark O'Toole
Performed by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Courtesy of ZTT Records Ltd.

User Reviews

better than expected

We went into this movie more or less out of despair; the cinema offerings seemed uniformly lousy and we simply wanted to see a movie that looked like fun. This one looked stupid: I'd seen Betty White promoting the movie on Jimmy Fallon's show and the scene shown was idiotic, though it did have a couple of amusing lines. Well, we were all pleasantly surprised. The outcome of the plot might be predictable, but the road getting there is surprisingly sharp and entertaining. There are quite a few witty lines and exchanges, and the delivery and timing of the two stars and, of course, of Betty White are just about perfect. Both of the lead characters have surprises in their backgrounds to reveal, and the settings are beautiful. There are one or two scenes that are clunkers, but even the dopey episode with White's Grandma Annie doing a ritualistic dance in the woods ends up having some relevance to a later plot event. The movie is well thought-out and well executed, and the actors create characters who engage us, even if we don't know anyone quite like them in our own lives.