The Proposal

The Proposal is a simple movie.  Queen bitch boss Margaret (Sandra Bullock) is going to be deported to Canada.  To remedy this she forces her hardworking assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her.  To keep the charade up, Margaret finds herself meeting Andrew's family in Alaska for Gammie's (Betty White) 90th birthday.  Comedy and romance ensue.

There really isn't much in the way of surprises in this movie.  Mary Steenburgen and Craig Nelson fulfill their roles as Andrew's parents, and Gammie is a slightly inappropriate, wise yet kooky grandmother.  Andrew and Margaret have obvious chemistry, even if it is not immediately obvious to the two of them.  Really, as far as formulaic romantic comedies go, this one hits every scene on cue.

If there is a genre, though, that should be formulaic it is the romantic comedy.  Who wants to see a comedic romance that has an M. Night Shyamalan ending, or J.J. Abrams curve balls?  The Proposal fulfills the demands of the genre nicely.  It may be predictable, but it is enjoyable for what it is, and there are enough fun moments to make it worth a watch as long as what you want to watch is a romantic comedy.  It's not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a solid entry in the genre and if you want a solid popcorn flick to easily enjoy with a significant other, you could do a lot worse.

*** (3/5 stars)