The Proposal (2009 film)

The Proposal
Directed by	Anne Fletcher
Written by	Pete Chiarelli
Produced by	Todd Lieberman Sandra Bullock David Hoberman Alex Kurtzman Roberto Orci Kristin Burr
Starring	Sandra Bullock Ryan Reynolds Mary Steenburgen Craig T. Nelson Betty White Denis O'Hare
Cinematography	Oliver Stapleton
Edited by	Priscilla Nedd-Friendly
Music by	Aaron Zigman
Distributed by	Touchstone Pictures
Release date	June 19, 2009 (2009-06-19)
Running time	107 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$40,000,000
Box office	$317,375,031

The Proposal is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher and starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. The screenplay was written by Pete Chiarelli. The film was released on June 19, 2009 in North America by Touchstone Pictures.

Story

Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is the executive editor in chief of a book publishing company, Ruick & Hunt Publishing. Her workers strongly dislike her for her bossy, pushy and cold demeanor. After learning she is being deported to Canada as her visa has expired, she forces her much abused assistant, Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds), to marry her. Andrew, reluctant at first agrees to the deal after Margaret threatens him by saying that she'll not publish his book and all his hard work for past three years will be wasted. Both visit the Immigration Department, where they are introduced to the immigration officer. He informs them that the department suspect that the couple are committing a fraud in order to avoid Margaret's deportation after receiving tip off call from one the former employee Bob who Margaret fired earlier. After the couple denies the statement, the officer tells them about the process which will be carried in order to confirm that the relationship is not a sham. They are informed that they'll be asked questions about each other separately, their families and co workers will be questioned and if the answers don't match then both will be charged for the crime of felony wherein Margaret will be deported to Canada and Andrew will be put in prison for 4 years at most. A distorted Andrew tells margaret that he is risking his 4 years for this deal and demands that she'll make him the editor immediately after their marriage and also publish his book with 20,000 copies in first run or else he'll quit. A desperate Margaret agrees to his demands.

In order to sell the lie, the couple travels to Sitka, Alaska, Andrews home town to meet his family. During the flight, Andrew goes through the list of questions that they'll be asked and informs Margaret that he knows almost everything about her but she has to learn everything about him in just four days. Surprised, Margaret asks him questions from the list to which he replies correctly including the question about scars on her body to which he answers that he is sure that she has a tattoo as she once canceled an appointment with her dermatologist for tattoo removal. Upon arriving in Sitka, Margaret meets Andrew's mother and grandmother(Betty White), who welcomes her warmly. During the ride home, Margaret notices that nearly every shop in the town is named after Paxton and realizes that Paxton is Andrew's surname and all the shops belong to his family. Soon Margaret realizes that Andrew's family is amongst the richest and prestigious people in Alaska and the live in a fort like house across the lake. Upon her arrival at their house, Margaret welcomed by a huge party which consists of the neighbors and friends of the family. She also meets Gertude, who was Andrew's ex-girlfriend. During the party, Andrew confronts his dad, who is shocked by his decision of marrying his boss who he hates the most and thinks that he is using her to get ahead in his career. After his brief conflict with his father, Andrew announces to the party about his upcoming marriage to Margaret and the two quickly forge up a story about their relationship and are forced to kiss each ohter. After the party is over his mother shows margaret their room which they'll have to share as being a couple.

The next morning Margaret loses her cellphone while saving Andrew's family dog from a hawk. On hearing that, Andrew comforts Margaret by telling her that they could order the cellphone with the same number and go to the town and get it. Andrew's mother and granny takes Margaret out for sightings and take her to a local bar to enjoy a strip dance show by a locally famous and funny dancer. During the show margaret meets Gertude again and the have a quick chat in which she learns that Andrew never wanted to get in his family business and wanted to become an editor and make his own life instead much to his father's disappointment and also learns that he and gertude were quite serious about their relationship but andrew wanted her to run with him to New York City and start a new life to which she refused as she didn't believe in leaving her home town.On returning home, the trio finds andrew angrily slashing a tree log with an axe after having a argument with his father over their family business to which his mother replies that its better to leave him alone.Next she overhears the conversation between andrew's parents and learns that he has dealings with his father as his father wants him to take over their family business whereas andrew wants to make his own. Later margaret goes to the shower but forgets the towels and does not sense Andrew coming in the room, Andrew too is not aware of her presence as his ipod is plugged on, takes his clothes off. As margaret tries to reach to the towels kept in the cupboard, she is attacked by the family dog and she runs into andrew naked. Later that night after their embarrassing encounter andrew and margaret have a personal chat in which margaret describes her earlier life and also reveals that she hasn't been with a man for almost two years. Surprised andrew tells her that she is very beautiful to which she feels complemented an the two build up a bond. The following day, the family suggests they could marry the same weekend, an idea they reluctantly accept. Andrew is stressed because the marriage is actually a sham, and Margaret tries to comfort and convince him, finding herself genuinely caring for him. To sort out her emotions, she goes for a bike ride into the woods, where she finds Annie "giving thanks" to mother nature in a ritual. Annie invites her to join her, and they end up dancing, while Andrew watches.

After getting her new phone, Margaret tries to catch up on her work through a computer while Andrew chats with Gert outside. On their way home, Andrew's mother and Gammy steal Margaret away to fit her in the wedding dress she will be wearing which belongs to gammy and also gammy gives her a 150 year old pendant which also belongs to her. After Margaret realizes how much trouble she is making for Andrew, she has a meltdown which results in her high jacking a boat (with a much confused Andrew) and driving off.She tells him that she has been alone since she was 16 yr old after her family died and she almost forgot what it feels like having people in her life but after coming there she realized her faults and that she doesnt want to mess up his life as he has everything she never had. While releasing her frustration, she lets go of the helm and stumbles to the back of the boat while Andrew tries to calm her down. When he makes a sharp turn to avoid hitting a buoy, Margaret falls out of the boat. Andrew quickly turns the boat around after commenting on her silence, and saves her.

The same day Mr. Gilbertson, the U.S. immigrations official who is investigating Margaret's visa application, contacts Joe in hopes of verifying the marriage is a sham. Joe instead invites him to Sitka to see the "happy couple" interact, hoping that if the marriage fails Andrew will settle down, stay in Alaska and give up writing to take over the business. Mr. Gilbertson makes a deal with his father and states that Andrew won't be criminally punished if he admits the marriage is a scam, but Margaret will be deported to Canada. Andrew, who now cares deeply about Margaret, vehemently denies that the relationship is a lie.

During the wedding ceremony, Margaret decides she cannot marry Andrew and confesses the business arrangement in front of everyone, including Mr. Gilbertson, who informs her she has twenty four hours to get back to Canada. Since Margaret admitted to the scam, Andrew does not get jail time. Margaret returns to New York to pack her things. Andrew rushes to their room only to find she has already left, leaving his manuscript with a note of praise from her on the bed. Gertrude attempts to comfort Andrew, and encourages him to pursue Margaret.

As he rushes out of the house to confront Margaret, another argument arises between Joe and Andrew. Annie has a heart attack while trying to stop them and while being airlifted to the hospital, she convinces Joe and Andrew to quit arguing before she "passes away". Once they agree, Annie reveals she had faked it, just so they would stop fighting and try to make it to the plane to stop Margaret from going back to New York. Andrew attempts to stop Margaret's flight, but cannot do so in time. Andrew then rushes to New York and shows up at the office where he confesses his love for Margaret in front of the entire office staff, proposing marriage all over again as he "wants to date Margaret." The two go to Mr. Gilbertson once more to get engaged, this time "for real."

As the end credits roll, Gilbertson interrogates not only Andrew and Margaret, but also Joe, Grace, Annie, Ramone (the exotic dancer from Margaret's bachelorette party), and Kevin (Andrew's family's dog).

Cast

• Sandra Bullock as Margaret Tate, a socially inept Chief Editor at her major New York City trade book company. However, she is a Canadian-born Canadian citizen. To avoid being deported to Canada for a year because of a visa transgression, she comes up with an idea on the spot of marrying her American assistant, Andrew Paxton. She cannot swim and is an orphan, her parents having died in a car accident when she was sixteen. Because of the accident she has a tattoo of two swallows on her back. She is the protagonist of the film. According to E! News, Julia Roberts was originally offered to star in the film, but turned it down and the role went to Bullock.
• Ryan Reynolds as Andrew Paxton, the good-hearted assistant to Margaret who wishes to be promoted to editor and have his chosen manuscript published. He agrees to the fake marriage on the terms that those two conditions are met. It is later revealed his family is rich (seemingly owning the entire town), but Andrew himself is estranged from his father, who wishes him to take over the family business. Due to work, and Margaret's constant demands on him, Andrew has not been home for three years. His parents live in Alaska. He is the deuteragonist.
• Mary Steenburgen as Grace Paxton, Andrew's mother, who accepts Margaret immediately, taking her on a girls' night out, giving breakfast in bed, and making her feel welcome. She also does not like Andrew and Joe fighting, and commands her husband to set things right, which Andrew and Margaret both overhear part of. She and the others convince Andrew to go after Margaret when she confesses the sham.
• Craig T. Nelson as Joe Paxton, Andrew's father who owns the family business that dominates the entire town of Sitka. He wants his son to take over when he retires, but Andrew wants to be a book editor. Joe brings Mr. Gilbertson in after suspecting the marriage is a sham. He and his son reconcile after Gammy fakes a heart attack and he realizes that Andrew truly loves Margaret.
• Betty White as Grandma Annie "Gammy", Andrew's nanny, kind 90 year old grandma who loves Margaret right from the start and treats her like family. Along with Grace, she instantly accepts Margaret, and thinks Margaret is the perfect wife for her dear Andrew.
• Denis O'Hare as Mr. Gilbertson, the immigration agent investigating Margaret's case. He believes the marriage is a fake and takes great pleasure in the revelation that it is. He serves as the main antagonist of the film.
• Oscar Nuñez as Ramone, an omnipresent citizen of the Alaska town who holds many jobs. He is seen as a waiter, male stripper, a shopkeeper, and even as a minister. In the end it is suggested he is an illegal immigrant.
• Malin Akerman as Gertrude, Andrew's ex-girlfriend.

Production

Filming locations

Although most of the film is set in Sitka, Alaska, filming actually took place in the Cape Ann area of Massachusetts, primarily in Rockport. Village streets and harbor locations were filmed on Bearskin Neck, at the Motif Number One on Bradley Wharf, and the other wharfs of Rockport Harbor.

Music

The score to The Proposal was composed by Aaron Zigman, who recorded his score with the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the Sony Scoring Stage.

Release and reception

Critical reaction

The film received mixed reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 44% of critics gave positive reviews based on 169 reviews with an average score of 5.3/10 and 75% from the RT community. By comparison, Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, the film has an average score of 48% based on 29 reviews.

Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B+ praising "the chemical energy between Bullock and Reynolds." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 stars out of 4 despite complaining that the film "recycles a plot that was already old when Tracy and Hepburn were trying it out". Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film 1 star out of 4, noting positively "the one star rating I've put on The Proposal is all for Betty [White]."

Box office

On its opening day, the film made $12.7 million in 3,056 theaters, becoming #1 for the day. It later went on to be number one for the weekend with $33.6 million, beating out the weekend's other new release, Year One, and the previous number one film, The Hangover. The film became Bullock's first number one film in 10 years, and also marked her biggest opening weekend. The Proposal also earned $10 million from 10 foreign markets, with No. 1 bows in Australia ($3.3 million) and Russia ($2.8 million) leading the way. In South Africa the film debuted at number 2, losing out to the new release Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, but in three weeks the film managed to gross a total of $1,299,853. The film has grossed $317,375,031 worldwide making it one of the biggest box office successes in Sandra Bullock's career and with a $163,958,031 gross in the United States and Canada.

Home media

The Proposal was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 13, 2009. After two weeks, it had sold 3,314,840 DVD copies, earning $54,744,965 in sales.

Awards and nominations

Sandra Bullock was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the category Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and received a Teen Choice Award for Choice Summer:Movie Romance in 2009. It also won Sandra a People's Choice Award for Best Actress and the movie for Best Comedy.

The Proposal had four nominations at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, but did not win any.

The Proposal has four nominations at this year's Teen Choice Awards. One each in the Choice Acting (Romantic Comedy) Categories for Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. One for the movie itself in the Choice Movie (Romantic Comedy) category, and another for Choice Movie Dance for Sandra Bullock's and Betty White's "Get Low" dance scene.

External links

• Official website
• The Proposal at IMDb
• Template:Amg movie
• The Proposal at Box Office Mojo
• The Proposal at Metacritic
• The Proposal at Rotten Tomatoes