The Proposal

The Proposal is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Peter Chiarelli. It is produced by Kurtzman/Orci Productions, Mandeville Films and Touchstone Pictures for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, and stars Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds with Malin Åkerman, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen and Betty White in supporting roles. The plot centers on a Canadian executive who learns that she may face deportation from the U.S. because her visa renewal application was denied. Determined to retain her position as editor-in-chief of a publishing house, she convinces her long-suffering personal assistant to temporarily act as her fiancé.
Development began in 2005 when Chiarelli wrote the script. Principal filming occurred over two months from March to May 2008. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances and chemistry between Bullock and Reynolds but criticized its screenplay and what was seen as a formulaic plot structure. It was a box office success, grossing over $317 million worldwide on its $40 million budget. Bullock was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.
== Plot ==
Margaret Tate is a Canadian editor-in-chief at a New York City book publishing company, and, due to her pushy personality, is disliked by her employees. Margaret learns that her visa renewal application has been denied due to a term violation, and she is to be deported back to Canada.
Not wanting to lose her position and life in New York, Margaret coerces her long-suffering personal assistant, Andrew Paxton, into marrying her so she can get a green card. She reminds him that if she is deported, his years of work as her assistant will be lost, which will set back his dream to become an editor.
U.S. immigration agent Gilbertson is suspicious and explains to the couple that if his investigation proves that they are committing fraud, Margaret will be deported permanently and Andrew will be charged with a felony that carries a $250,000 fine and will spend five years in federal prison. Due to these high stakes, Andrew insists that, if they marry, Margaret must make him an editor and publish a book he has recommended to her. She accepts his terms.
They travel to Andrew's hometown of Sitka, Alaska to see his parents Joe and Grace and his grandmother Annie. They only know that he's dating Margaret, and not that they're engaged. On the way to the family home, Margaret is surprised to discover that the Paxtons are very wealthy.
At a welcome home party, Margaret meets an enthusiastic waiter named Ramone, and Andrew's ex-girlfriend Gertrude, while Andrew's father confronts him. Joe believes he doesn't love Margaret and is merely using her to get ahead in his career. Angry about his father's distrust, Andrew immediately announces their engagement.
The next day, Grace and Annie take Margaret to a local bar for her bachelorette party, where she finds that Ramone is also a popular exotic dancer. Stepping away from the party, Gertrude tells Margaret that the night before her high school graduation, Andrew proposed to her but she refused as she didn’t want to leave Sitka for New York.
Upon returning to the house, Margaret overhears an argument between his parents regarding an ongoing conflict between Andrew and Joe. That night, she asks Andrew about his relationship with his father, but he refuses to talk about it. Instead, she opens up to him about her own life, and they begin to fall in love with each other.
The next morning, the family convinces Andrew and Margaret to marry the following day. While planning the wedding with Grace and Gammy, Margaret is deeply moved by their love and sincerity. She returns to Andrew and admits that, as she has been alone since her parents died when she was 16, she has forgotten how it feels to have a family.
Back at the house, Andrew and Margaret discover that Gilbertson has contacted Joe and informed him of the possible fraud. In response, Joe has flown him to Sitka, where he offers the couple a deal: If they confess the engagement is a sham, Margaret will simply be deported and neither of them will face any further penalties. They refuse, continuing to claim they are in love.
The next day, the wedding is officiated by Ramone. It begins normally but then Margaret, touched by the closeness of Andrew's family, stops the ceremony and tells everyone the truth. Gilbertson informs her that she has 24 hours to leave for Canada; so she returns to the house to collect her belongings.
After a short delay, Andrew pursues her but finds she has already gone. Andrew finds a note from Margaret, telling him she promises to get the book he discovered published before she leaves. Gertrude comforts Andrew and asks if he is going to go after Margaret. As he hurries to find her, another argument arises between him and Joe.
While they are arguing, Annie suddenly shows symptoms of a heart attack. As she and the family are airlifted towards the hospital, she begs Joe and Andrew to reconcile before she dies. Once they agree, she admits that she faked the heart attack so they could catch up to Margaret, and tells the pilot to head to the airport to catch her plane. However, it takes off just as they arrive. Andrew's parents realize he really loves Margaret.
Andrew returns to New York and arrives at the office just as Margaret is packing her things. He tells her he loves her and they kiss. Later, they inform Gilbertson that they are now engaged for real. He, excited for the challenge, exclaims, "Let's do it!"
During the end credits, Gilbertson asks Margaret and Andrew, Andrew's parents, and Ramone increasingly ridiculous questions.
== Cast ==
== Release ==
===Box office===
The Proposal was released in the United States on June 19, 2009. On its opening day, it grossed an estimated $12.7 million in 3,056 theaters, becoming the highest-grossing film of the day. It went on to gross over $34 million on its opening weekend, beating Year One, Up, and The Hangover. In an exit poll conducted by Disney, nearly 63% of the opening audience consisted of female viewers, 78% were eighteen or older, and 71% were classified as couples. It was the biggest opening weekend of any film in Bullock's career, nearly doubling her previous record, Premonition. As of October 2011, the film had grossed over $164 million in the United States and Canada.
Box office performances showed similar numbers in international markets. The film was released in Australia on June 18, 2009, grossing over $2.8 million on its opening weekend. In Russia, the film grossed over $2.6 million on its opening weekend, accounting for 34% of all total film revenue in that country. In South Africa the film debuted at number two, losing out to the new release Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. It managed to gross over $2.6 million as of October 2011. In the United Kingdom, estimated first opening weekend grosses stand at £3.2 million. The film has grossed over $317 million worldwide, with international grosses standing at $153 million. It is the twentieth highest-grossing film of 2009.
===Critical reception===
On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 45% based on 187 reviews, with an average rating of 5.32/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds exhibit plenty of chemistry, but they're let down by The Proposal devotion to formula." On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating, the film has a score of 48 out of 100, based on 30 reviews from critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times offered a positive review, giving the film three out of four stars despite complaining that the film "recycles a plot that was already old when Tracy and Hepburn were trying it out" but adding he was eventually won over by the performances. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone was very critical of the film, calling it insipid. He wrote, "Anne Fletcher directs Peter Chiarelli's script like a manufacturer of hard plastic that is guaranteed to ward off intrusion from all recognizable human emotion." New York Times writer Manohla Dargis felt that Bullock's character was awkward in comparison to her previous work. She continued: "She's always been better in fundamentally independent roles that allow her to grab the wheel [...] and take the spotlight [...], an independence that persists all the way through the last-act coupling. She can smile as brightly at a man as well as the next leading lady, though, like all genuinely big female stars, she's really more of a solo act." The Telegraph Tim Robey expressed disappointment towards the film, giving it a two out of five stars.The interaction between Bullock and Reynolds was well-received by critics. Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly opined that the chemistry between the two actors was "fresh and irresistible." Zorianna Kit of The Huffington Post exclaimed that "what [kept] audiences of this lite-fare comedy in their seats is the undeniable on-screen chemistry between leads Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds." She continued: "The two are so adept at comedy and have so much fun with one another, viewers watching The Proposal won't be able to resist their charms, even when some of the plot veers into unnecessarily silliness." Betsey Sharkley of the Los Angeles Times felt that their relationship was a "cheeky update of The Taming of the Shrew." She opined, "Bullock's deft physical comedy, one of her most endearing qualities, is given a full run. [...] Reynolds' ability to deliver a line, or a look, with withering, surgical precision is there at every turn." Giving it one out of five stars, The Guardian writer Peter Bradshaw gave a negative reaction to the interaction between Bullock and Reynolds. Bradshaw stated: "Their initial sparky detestation isn't convincing, and neither is their later thawing and romance. In each scene, it looks as if they have never met before. And Margaret isn't permitted to be a convincing cow, because that would make her unsympathetic [...]. Andrew can't be a total wimp, because that would be unsexy, so the fundamental comic premises of the film are fudged."
===Accolades===
List of awards and nominations 	List of awards and nominations 	List of awards and nominations	List of awards and nominations	List of awards and nominations	List of awards and nominations
Award 	Category 	Recipients 	Result 	 	
15th Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards	Best Comedy Film 	 	 	 	
67th Golden Globe Awards 	Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical 	Sandra Bullock 	 	 	
2010 Kids' Choice Awards 	Blimp Award for Favorite Movie Actress (along with The Blind Side)	Sandra Bullock 	 	 	
2010 MTV Movie Awards 	Best Comedic Performance 	Sandra Bullock 	 	 	
2010 MTV Movie Awards 	Best Comedic Performance 	Ryan Reynolds 	 	 	
2010 MTV Movie Awards 	Best Kiss 	Sandra Bullock & Ryan Reynolds	 	 	
2010 MTV Movie Awards 	Best WTF Moment 	Betty White 	 	 	
36th People's Choice Awards 	Favorite Comedy Movie 	 	 	 	
36th People's Choice Awards 	Favorite On-Screen Team 	Sandra Bullock & Ryan Reynolds	 	 	
36th People's Choice Awards 	Favorite Movie 	 	 	 	
14th Satellite Awards 	Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy 	Sandra Bullock 	 	 	
2010 Teen Choice Awards 	Choice Movie Dance 	Sandra Bullock & Betty White 	 	 	
2010 Teen Choice Awards 	Choice Scene Stealer – Female 	Betty White 	 	 	
2010 Teen Choice Awards 	Choice Movie Chemistry 	Sandra Bullock & Ryan Reynolds	 	 	
2010 Teen Choice Awards 	Choice Movie Liplock 	Sandra Bullock & Ryan Reynolds	 	 	
2010 Teen Choice Awards 	Choice Movie – Romantic Comedy 	 	 	 	
2010 Teen Choice Awards 	Choice Movie Actress – Romantic Comedy 	Sandra Bullock 	 	 	
2010 Teen Choice Awards 	Choice Movie Actor – Romantic Comedy 	Ryan Reynolds 	 	 	
2009 Teen Choice Awards 	Choice Summer Movie – Romance 	 	 	 	
2009 Teen Choice Awards 	Choice Summer Movie Star – Female 	Sandra Bullock 	 	 	
2009 Teen Choice Awards 	Choice Summer Movie Star – Male 	Ryan Reynolds 	 	 	
===Home media===
The Proposal was released by Touchstone Home Entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray on October 13, 2009. It sold over 2.4 million units within its first week, translating to an addition of $39.3 million in the box office. In its second week, sales numbers declined by 70% to 623,744 units, ranking second among DVD sales of the week. By July 2013, The Proposal had sold over 5.6 million units and earned over $90 million in sales.
== Remakes ==
===Indian remakes===
*It was loosely remade into Malayalam titled My Boss (2012).
*The Kannada remake is titled Software Ganda (2014).
*The Tamil remake is titled Sandakkari (2021).
===Chinese remake===
*A Chinese remake co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Linmon Pictures, and directed by Yee Chin-yen, was announced in June 2016.
===Other languages===
*The Iranian remake is titled To va man (2011).
== External links ==
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== References ==
Category:2009 films
Category:2009 romantic comedy films
Category:American romantic comedy films
Category:2000s English-language films
Category:Films about immigration to the United States
Category:Films about weddings
Category:Films directed by Anne Fletcher
Category:Films scored by Aaron Zigman
Category:Films set in Alaska
Category:Films shot in Massachusetts
Category:Films shot in Boston
Category:Films shot in New York City
Category:Films shot in Los Angeles
Category:Touchstone Pictures films
Category:Mandeville Films films
Category:Films about sham marriage
Category:Films produced by David Hoberman
Category:Films produced by Todd Lieberman
Category:2000s American films