Claim: Mary Steenburgen stars in The Proposal.

The Proposal is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Peter Chiarelli . The film stars Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds , Betty White , Mary Steenburgen and Craig T. Nelson . The film was produced by Mandeville Films and released on June 19 , 2009 , in North America by Touchstone Pictures . The plot centers on a Canadian executive , Margaret Tate , who learns that she may face deportation from the U.S. because of her expired visa . Determined to retain her position as editor in chief of a publishing house , Tate convinces her assistant , Andrew Paxton , to temporarily act as her fiancé . Initially planning on resuming their lives after Tate resolves her visa issues , they appear to abandon those plans as their relationship intensifies .   Development on the film began in 2005 , when Chiarelli wrote the film 's script . Principal filming occurred over a period of two months from March to May 2008 . The film received mixed reviews from critics , who criticized its script , but praised the chemistry between Bullock and Reynolds . The film was a box office success , grossing over $ 317 million worldwide , becoming the highest grossing romantic comedy film of 2009 .