Rated PG-13
One of my favorite questions to ask people is what movie they’ve seen the most times in theaters. I think if you’re going to spend your money to see a movie multiple times, what you choose to see says a lot about you. That being said, I have an adult male friend who answered this question with a film title I would have never expected: While You Were Sleeping. And he saw it nine times. When I expressed my shock and disbelief over his answer he went on to explain that it was all because of the huge crush he had on Sandra Bullock. I kind of understood…
I couldn’t help but think about that when I went to see her latest film, The Proposal. In it, Bullock plays Margaret Tate. She’s a high-powered editor-in-chief of a publishing house, who everyone in her office is afraid of and, in general, avoids. Everyone except her assistant, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds). But that’s only because he can’t. After being confronted with possible deportment for failing to renew her visa (she’s Canadian), Margaret comes up with a plan to force Andrew to marry her in order to stay in the company. Andrew decides that if he’s going to go along with her plan, he’s going to get a promotion out of it. But all does not go smoothly. Since Margaret is from Canada, her marriage has to go through the immigration office. And immigration doesn’t believe the marriage is totally genuine. So they say that they’ll be watching Andrew and Margaret. This puts a lot of pressure on them as they travel to his hometown in Alaska to tell his family of their upcoming nuptials.
It’s pretty rare these days to find many original ideas in romantic comedies. And while The Proposal doesn’t provide much in the line of originality, it does have something else that makes it extremely fun: an incredible cast.
I’ve always loved Sandra Bullock (although, not as much as my friend), and she really shines here. She’s had enough practice in these kinds of movies to really sharpen her comedic pace. But, in romantic comedies, you’re only as good as your co-star/love interest. Good thing they cast Ryan Reynolds, whose fast-paced dry wit is a great match to Bullock. Bullock and Reynolds are two leads that are easy to laugh with and cheer for, but the movie is also packed with great supporting roles as well. Mary Steenburgen works great in her role as the caring mother who wants to see more of her son. Craig T. Nelson is great as the dad who just doesn’t know how to connect with his son (Reynolds). But my favorite actor in the whole movie is Betty White as Grandma Annie.
My favorite scene in the whole movie belongs to White and Bullock. It starts with Grandma Annie dancing around a fire in the woods to give thanks for the upcoming wedding and ends with Margaret (Bullock) joining in. But while Grandma dances to the beat of a few drums, Margaret prefers Lil Jon. I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say that this scene alone is worth the price of the movie.
If you’re looking for a good date movie, The Proposal fits the bill rather nicely.
Josh Treece, if asked the question “What movie have you seen the most times in the theater?”, would answer with Spider-Man, which he saw four times. When he’s not watching movies, he’s ministering to teenagers.