The Proposal - 2.5 out of 4 Stars

Who Would Love This Movie: Fans of Sandra Bullock romantic comedies

Best Mood to Walk In With: Cutesy

Don't See This Movie If: You want realism or a deep emotional love story


The Proposal wasn't a great movie, but it is going to please a lot of people. If The Notebook is the feast of romantic comedies, then The Proposal is the jelly bean of rom coms...a small burst of fun, but unsubstantial in content. All in all, most viewers will get exactly what they want out of this movie: some laughs, a ridiculous situation that love eventually overcomes, and two extremely likable actors.

One thing I like about Sandra Bullock is that she never fails to deliver a solid, though mainstream performance. She knows she is not an edgy or Shakespearean actor, so she sticks with her own line of talent and works it hard. The script is not very strong, but most people would never notice or care about this because Bullock is so fun to watch. Although Ryan Reynolds is not as proven an actor and tends to run the gamut in film choices, his gentle sarcasm and patented slapstick facial expressions makes him a great foil for Bullock.

Although Craig T. Nelson disappoints as Reynolds's father, Mary Steenburgen as his mother provides the most well developed character. Not only does she have more than two emotions, but you can also understand her different motivations as a character, something that is often lost with Bullock and Reynolds whose two characters seem to choose the most unrealistic decision at every turn. Also, for you Golden Girls fans, Betty White is entertaining, though her character is all over the place. Together the cast is a lot of fun to watch, so long as you can suspend your belief about the plot.

Keep Your Eyes Closed For: The scene where Betty White is doing a Native American ritual around a fire. Very Strange.
Keep Your Eyes Open For: The special scenes embedded in the end credits.

Although I enjoyed My Life In Ruins more, I rated these movies the same because I realize The Proposal has more mass appeal. However, both are rather unlikely to happen in real life and provide extremely cliche endings. In the end The Proposal has the edge due to the fact that we already have a history of falling in love with the actors and so, once more, slip into a relationship with them easily.

Movies Are Life. ~ K