movie review of the proposal

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The proposal, common sense media reviewers.

Charming romcom is best for older teens and up.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Lessons about looking past the superficial.

Margaret treats employees poorly -- especially And

In one scene, Margaret, who can't swim, falls

The main characters accidentally crash into each o

Language includes "bitch," "ass,&qu

Several brands featured, including Starbucks, Appl

Adults drink at a cocktail party and at a bar, whe

Positive Messages

Positive role models.

Margaret treats employees poorly -- especially Andrew. She blackmailshim into marrying her, and he accepts. But as the movie goes forward,she realizes she can't do something so questionable. Andrew andMargaret both learn to look past each other's "covers" to unearth thereal person underneath. Andrew is a good role model as someone whodoesn't just use his family's money to live a life of entitlement butactually works hard for his accomplishments.

Violence & Scariness

In one scene, Margaret, who can't swim, falls into a lake and has to tread water for a few desperate seconds. The big "naked fall" scene is played for laughs, but it had to hurt...

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

The main characters accidentally crash into each other while completely nude (lots of skin is glimpsed, but no uncovered sensitive body parts). In addition to that, there are a few kisses, scenes of a couple in bed, references to morning erections, and a comical sequence of a flabby exotic dancer's strip tease (he gets down to a male G-string and pumps his hips near a woman's face).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language includes "bitch," "ass," "damn," "s--t," "boobs," "hell," "oh my God," and "Jesus!"

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Several brands featured, including Starbucks, Apple (Mac), Pringles, Pepsi, and Hostess.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults drink at a cocktail party and at a bar, where one character gets buzzed.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this charming romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds has a much talked-about scene in which the leads, both naked, accidentally crash into and fall down on top of each other. But since it's rated PG-13, all that's shown is a tumble of skin. There's also plenty of innuendo, as well as couple of passionate kisses and a comical scene featuring a flabby exotic dancer in a G-string. Language is the basic PG-13 variety ("ass," "bitch," and "s--t" are the main offenders), and there's some social drinking and product placement. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say (37)
Kids say (115)

Based on 37 parent reviews

Too much nudity...

Very sweet movie, but lots of sex jokes, what's the story.

Margaret ( Sandra Bullock ) is a shrewish Manhattan book editor who's as feared as The Devil Wears Prada 's Miranda Priestly. When Margaret's bosses inform her she's about to be deported back to her native Canada, she blackmails her faithful, exploited assistant Andrew ( Ryan Reynolds ) into pretending they're engaged. To convince their incredulous immigration officer, the two agree to visit Andrew's family in Alaska, where they have to put on a believable show for his entire clan. As the weekend progresses, they predictably start falling (literally) for each other.

Is It Any Good?

There's nothing original about an uptight career woman who needs some lovin' falling for her gorgeous, put-upon assistant. But Bullock and Reynolds have a breezy chemistry that most on-screen couples never achieve. They're equally believable as boss-and-subordinate as they are as reluctant lovers. Both have finely honed comedy skills, and they're bolstered by scene-stealing supporting actors, particularly Betty White as Andrew's grandmother and Oscar Nuñez ( The Office ) as a jack of all trades (including exotic dancer).

Obviously, there aren't many unconventional twists to this mainstream love story. But occasionally a good ol' genre flick is well executed enough to transcend its predictable plot. Director Anne Fletcher hit the jackpot with leads who know (no doubt due to their long-term off-screen friendship) how to make each other funnier. Move over Matthew and Kate -- it's time for Sandy and Ryan to be Hollywood's new golden romcom couple.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how this movie compares to other romantic comedies. What do most Hollywood "romcoms" tend to have in common? How is this one different (if it is)?

Margaret isn't just Andrew's boss, but she's also clearly older than him. Is that a common scenario in romantic movies?

The movie's trailer prominently featured the "naked fall" scene. Did knowing about that gag make the scene any less funny? In general, do you think trailers give away too much, or just enough?

Movie Details

In theaters : June 19, 2009
On DVD or streaming : October 12, 2009
Cast : Betty White , Ryan Reynolds , Sandra Bullock
Director : Anne Fletcher
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Touchstone Pictures
Genre : Comedy
Run time : 104 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : sexual content, nudity and language
Last updated : April 23, 2024

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Movie Review | 'The Proposal'

From the Corporate Jungle to Wild Alaska: Taming the Savage Boss

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By Manohla Dargis

June 18, 2009

Blame the heels. In her new movie, “The Proposal,” Sandra Bullock, playing a Type A (rhymes with) witch, totters around in a pair of exquisite high heels, the kind that elongate the legs and give a woman’s derrière the gentle backward thrust familiar from fertility figurines. The character, a no-nonsense, no-smiling publishing executive, otherwise favors an aerodynamic look (pencil skirts and ponytails), but the heels betray her. They throw a curve into her straight line and force her to tilt, sway and wobble. She might be the mistress the harsh and exacting mistress of her universe, but she’s clearly been prepped for a fall.

Like most Hollywood romantic comedies these days, “The Proposal” is all about bringing a woman to her knees, quite literally in this case. The simple premise is partly telegraphed in the advertising tag line, “Here comes the bribe,” which evokes wedding bells and desperation. One day at the office, Margaret Tate (Ms. Bullock), a Canadian who’s let her visa expire, suddenly finds herself scrambling for a way to stay in the United States and the big New York office where she rules with an iron fist clutching a designer bag. She finds the means to her salvation, yes, in more ways than one, in the pleasant form of her assistant, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds), a beleaguered Guy Friday who slavishly attends to many of her needs.

A stud-in-waiting, Andrew will soon be attending to Margaret’s other desires, of course. Overlong story short: Margaret blackmails Andrew into a sham marriage proposal in exchange for a promotion. He agrees, though only after making her kneel on the sidewalk. They fly to a cute little town in Alaska, where she discovers his family lives on its own island in a mansion picturesquely surrounded by mountains. You can’t see Russia from the front door, but there are loads of amenities, if remarkably no visible hired help. Mom (Mary Steenburgen) and Dad (Craig T. Nelson) are on hand, as is Grandma Annie (Betty White), the resident unfunny old-lady kook who’s about to turn 90 and could use a little face time with a big pillow.

You know the rest because you’ve seen (and read) it many times before. After nestling in the bountiful bosom of family and some unexpected naked slapstick with Andrew, Margaret melts. He mans the ramparts, she lowers her defenses. He thrusts, she parries. He chops wood and loses his shirt. She loses her cellphone and ditches the heels. He rescues her, scooping her out of the water after she falls from a boat. She shivers and smiles and tears up as she talks about her tragic past, revealing the sad little girl who’s long been hidden behind the cruel disguise of a sensationally successful professional adult. Ding-dong the witch is soon dead and in her place, well, here comes the bride.

The director marshaling all these clichés and stereotypes is Anne Fletcher, whose last gig was the similarly obnoxious “27 Dresses.” Working from a script by Peter Chiarelli, Ms. Fletcher betrays no originality from behind the camera and not a hint of visual facility. The opening scenes, including shots of Andrew rushing through the streets while balancing coffee cups, are right out of “The Devil Wears Prada,” minus the snap. The scene in which Margaret runs around naked is borrowed from “Something’s Gotta Give,” though here the point isn’t that desirability transcends age but that at 44, Ms. Bullock still has an amazing body. The rest of the movie looks like many industrial entertainments of this type: it’s decently lighted and as lived in as a magazine advertisement.

Ms. Bullock, who excels at playing spunky, is as appealing as usual, but the role proves as awkward as those heels. (Mr. Reynolds is equally likable, though more decorative than anything else.) She’s always been better in fundamentally independent roles that allow her to grab the wheel (“Speed”) and take the spotlight (the “Miss Congeniality” flicks), 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. Certainly she’s no shrew in need of taming. She’s just another female movie star in need of a vehicle that won’t throw her overboard for sexist giggles and laughs.

“The Proposal” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). The film has the line, “Show her who’s boss.” Enough said.

THE PROPOSAL

Opens on Friday nationwide.

Directed by Anne Fletcher; written by Peter Chiarelli; director of photography, Oliver Stapleton; edited by Priscilla Nedd Friendly; music by Aaron Zigman; production designer, Nelson Coates; produced by David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman; released by Touchstone Pictures. Running time: 1 hour 48 minutes.

WITH: Sandra Bullock (Margaret Tate), Ryan Reynolds (Andrew Paxton), Mary Steenburgen (Grace Paxton), Craig T. Nelson (Joe Paxton), Betty White (Grandma Annie), Denis O’Hare (Mr. Gilbertson) and Malin Akerman (Gertrude).

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The Proposal Reviews

While The Proposal is an enjoyable, funny, and at times endearing movie, it leaves you frustrated with how jealously it conforms to the genre's conventions.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Sep 4, 2023

...The Proposal remains a funny comedy.

Full Review | Jan 2, 2022

The movie is so formulaic that you'll need a pretty high tolerance for rom-com foolery for The Proposal to be to your taste.

Full Review | Nov 22, 2020

Despite borrowing virtually eery rom-com plot device, screenwriter Pete Chiarelli keeps the dialogue crisp and witty.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/4.0 | Sep 20, 2020

More like a blind date from hell than a feel-good romantic comedy.

Full Review | Original Score: D+ | May 16, 2019

It's quite a testament to Bullock and Reynolds that despite all the implausible frippery, they still make you root for their characters. Mostly they make you root for them to be paired together again in a better movie.

Full Review | Mar 2, 2019

I found myself enjoying The Proposal more than I felt I should, chuckling at the predicaments and feeling the odd unsolicited tear moisten my eyes as if on cue in the third act.

Full Review | Jan 2, 2018

... I do have to admit that I did laugh a few times.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Sep 12, 2017

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 17, 2011

A fresh twist to a proposal that starts out as all business but becomes something warmer and fuzzier before it's over.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 29, 2011

The comedy is some good moments, and the chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds is strong, but it's too cute and predictable

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Jul 24, 2011

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Apr 4, 2011

Simple and clichéd, yet refreshing. As long as you're hell-bent on seeing a romantic comedy, The Proposal will deliver.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 14, 2010

annoyingly predictable and barely watchable piece of Hollywood routine

Full Review | Original Score: 3/10 | Dec 17, 2009

It's not awful, certainly not memorable and - despite the words of at least one quote whore - it's not "the year's best comedy."

Full Review | Original Score: 69/100 | Nov 2, 2009

a morass of clichés

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 31, 2009

Tailored to fit Sandra Bullock more snugly than the antique wedding gown altered for the star during the final act, the film begins to fall apart at the seams after its focus wanders from its promising screwball premise...

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Oct 30, 2009

Bullock is totally at home in this territory, and she remains fun to watch, but I do wish she would get stronger, possibly more original comedic material.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Oct 20, 2009

Unfortunately, this winning team is stuck in a dumb vehicle.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Oct 16, 2009

The Proposal doesn't blaze any new ground, but it doesn't raze any old ground either. It's a solid, old-fashioned romantic comedy that's more interested in the romance than in being silly or raunchy. These days, that's refreshing enough.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Oct 10, 2009

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The Proposal : EW review

How are the elements of the charming, traditional romantic comedy The Proposal like the checklist of a charming, traditional bride? Let me count the ways…

Something old: The story of a haughty woman and an exasperated man who hate each other — until they realize they love each other — is proudly square, in the tradition of rom-coms from the 1940s and ’50s. Or is it straight out of Shakespeare’s 1590s? Sandra Bullock is the shrew, Margaret, a pitiless, high-powered New York book editor first seen multitasking in the midst of her aerobic workout (thus you know she needs to get…loved). Ryan Reynolds is Andrew, her put-upon foil of an executive assistant, a younger man who accepts abuse as a media-industry hazing ritual. And there the two would remain, locked in mutual disdain, except for Margaret’s fatal flaw — she’s Canadian. (So is X-Men’s Wolverine ; I thought our neighbors to the north were supposed to be nice .) Margaret, with her visa expired, faces deportation and makes the snap ?executive decision to marry Andrew in a green-card wedding. It’s an offer the underling can’t refuse if he wants to keep his job. (A sexual-harassment lawsuit would ruin the movie’s mood.) Okay, he says. But first comes a visit to the groom-to-be’s family in Alaska. Amusing complications ensue.

Something new: The chemical energy between Bullock and Reynolds is fresh and irresistible. In her mid-40s, Bullock has finessed her dewy America’s Sweetheart comedy skills to a mature, pearly texture; she’s lovable both as an uptight careerist in a pencil skirt and stilettos, and as a lonely lady in a flapping plaid bathrobe. Reynolds, meanwhile, is just refining his dry comedy thing, learning to get the most from his deceptive cute-face looks. Who knew these two would, hmmm, complete each other? Working together, both are surer and more disciplined in delivering their comedy goods.

Something borrowed: The boisterous family dynamics. The eccentric supporting players (none more extreme than Oscar Nuñez from The Office ). The snappy screwball? dialogue in Pete Chiarelli’s script. And the way Anne Fletcher directs like a camp counselor wrangling bunkmates…it’s all been seen before. For a reason. These elements work .

Something blue: As the wise and saucy matriarch of the family, the divine 87-year-old Betty White has fun as one hot grandma — and inspires her younger stars to say ”I do,” too. B+

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‘the proposal’: film review.

Artist Jill Magid's debut film 'The Proposal' documents her novel art project inspired by Mexican architect Luis Barragan.

By John DeFore

John DeFore

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Two smart women wage a polite long-distance war over a man neither has met in The Proposal , artist Jill Magid’s document of an art project that went to extremes. Pitting Magid, engaged in an exploration of the work of Mexican architect Luis Barragan, against the woman who claims near-complete dominion over the late visionary’s oeuvre, the film (Magid’s self-assured debut) addresses fundamental questions about the ownership of creative work in a unique, entrancingly dreamy way. Set to expand from its debut theatrical booking in New York to Los Angeles this week, the doc should play well in any city with a thriving gallery scene.

Barragan, a modernist with a dramatic sense of color, died in 1988, and his personal effects were preserved by a foundation in Mexico City. But the bulk of his archive, everything to do with his professional life, was carried far away — sold via a New York City gallery to Rolf Fehlbaum, chairman of the Swiss furniture company Vitra. Legend has it that he bought the archive (for around $2.5 million) at the request of the woman he wanted to marry, Federica Zanco, an architectural scholar who after the purchase became director of the Barragan Foundation. Zanco’s foundation copyrighted everything from the architect’s name to photographs of his buildings — even, Magid complains, photos taken before the foundation existed. For over 20 years, it has restricted access to the material.

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A Comedy With Errors, Or: 'The Proposal' Rejected

Ella Taylor

Sitka Is For Lovers: Hard-as-nails Margaret (Sandra Bullock) takes a weekend adventure to the land of the midnight sun to meet the family of her unwilling fiance (Ryan Reynolds). Kerry Hayes/Touchstone Pictures, Inc. hide caption

Sitka Is For Lovers: Hard-as-nails Margaret (Sandra Bullock) takes a weekend adventure to the land of the midnight sun to meet the family of her unwilling fiance (Ryan Reynolds).

The Proposal

Director: Anne Fletcher
Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 107 minutes

Rated PG-13: Sexual content, nudity and language With: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White

Watch Clips

'We're Getting Married'

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'Going To Sitka'

'Baby Maker'

The Deported: Reynolds makes a fine onscreen foil for Bullock, but The Proposal sags too much for them to hold up. Kerry Hayes/Touchstone Picutes, Inc. hide caption

The Deported: Reynolds makes a fine onscreen foil for Bullock, but The Proposal sags too much for them to hold up.

Nuts, Dear: Betty White (right, with Bullock) makes a game appearance as the inevitable wacky grandmother. Kerry Hayes/Touchstone Picutes, Inc. hide caption

Nuts, Dear: Betty White (right, with Bullock) makes a game appearance as the inevitable wacky grandmother.

Is it post-feminism, or the reality that most chick flicks are still made by men, or what? What accounts for the fact that today's studio movies heap more fear and loathing on career women than they ever did in the 1940s?

Ever since Glenn Close boiled those bunnies for Michael Douglas in Fatal Attraction, it's been open season on the working woman in Hollywood. I can't say I approve — but I have to admit that in the case of The Proposal, which stars Sandra Bullock as a hard-boiled New York publishing executive hoisted by her own Machiavellian petard, the trend brings a welcome touch of evil to yet another example of the soggy pap that passes for romantic comedy these days.

Which is not to say that The Proposal, directed with more verve than flair by Anne Fletcher (27 Dresses), breaks new ground — or even that it follows through on its table-turning screwball premise. Which is that faced with deportation, Bullock's Margaret — a Canadian citizen — bullies her long-suffering assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) into a fake marriage.

In an effort to persuade a skeptical immigration official (the excellent Denis O'Hare) that theirs is a love match, the pair decamps to Sitka, Alaska, to bring the happy news to Andrew's family.

Big mistake, for them and for the movie's integrity. For as long as it stays put in New York, The Proposal makes a pretty sharp comedy of executive-suite manners. It's astutely written, by former producer Peter Chiarelli, who's no Ben Hecht but who clearly understands the quiet malice of corporate power politics.

Bullock is both a better actress and a better comedian than the snobbier critics have given her credit for being. Having built a career playing mostly good girls that a mass female audience can identify with, she stretches nicely here into the realm of the hard-boiled, her expressive features a carved mask of petrified neurosis. She never hogs the action, but plays off Reynolds — a fine comic actor with a serious edge, and a fellow whose strategic under-delivery of his lines gives the movie a much-needed undertow of simmering resentment.

That resentment gets enticingly complicated by pent-up sexual tension, and though Reynolds looks pretty fetching with his shirt off, we should be grateful that the actor's eyes are set a touch too close together, his ears a little too jugged, his face a mite too pasty to let him rest easy as a run-of-the-mill romantic lead. Instead, he becomes something far more interesting here: a slave who, with one cunning flip, turns the tables on his conniving mistress and toys with her as she has with him.

All too soon, however, goodwill heaves into view. Early trauma elbows its way in to explain Margaret's hard-ass ways, prompting her to gaze wistfully into the middle distance and murmur that she always wanted a family. Ditching the suit and the cool urban sheen, Andrew steps forth as a flannel-shirted but studly sensitive male, conveniently equipped with a slightly eccentric but warm and encouragingly rich clan — who, not counting a fondness for male strippers and some brief oedipal father-son tension, carry on lives of simple authenticity far from the madding crowd.

At which point The Proposal starts to sag like a pricked balloon. The devil may wear the usual Prada, but she's no Anna Wintour: Under the benign influence of Wholesome Family Life, Margaret's severely pulled-back ponytail works its way down to settle alluringly over her shoulders, and she sheds the power suit for champagne cami-jammies — the uniform of bedroom farce, far behind which the inevitable soft-focus clinch cannot be.

Give or take some entertaining physical comedy from The Office 's Oscar Nunez, who may be said to be playing most of the supporting roles, the rest is a negligible bore, with every twist lurching into view a mile away. And in the colossal-waste column, mark down the name of the great Betty White, here reduced to mugging away gamely as the wacky old grandma with a shrewd eye for humbug.

Worst of all is the way The Proposal collapses in a heap of self-betrayal at the end. Did I mention that Andrew is also a gifted writer? No?

Then you'll never guess who ends up back at the office, packing her things in cardboard boxes — not just because she's no longer a bitch on wheels, but because she's not the really creative one in the family. Grrrr.

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DVD & Streaming

The Proposal

Comedy , Romance

Content Caution

In Theaters

June 19, 2009
Sandra Bullock as Margaret Tate; Ryan Reynolds as Andrew Paxton; Mary Steenburgen as Grace Paxton; Craig T. Nelson as Joe Paxton; Betty White as Grandma Annie

Home Release Date

October 13, 2009
Anne Fletcher

Distributor

Touchstone Pictures

Movie Review

When Margaret Tate snaps her fingers or barks an order, people jump. As editor in chief of a prominent New York City publishing house, she rules her domain with a sharp tongue and an iron fist. And no one knows that better than her young, underappreciated assistant, Andrew Paxton.

Andrew bears up under her abuse—while fetching lattes and genuflecting on cue, of course—in the hope that he might one day work his way up to an editor position of his own. That is, if his dragon lady boss doesn’t fire him first for doing something silly like … breathing.

But Andrew’s lot is about to change—for better or for worse.

Margaret’s ice-queen reign is unexpectedly challenged when she’s called in by the suits upstairs and told that because of a few neglected legalities, the U.S. immigration department plans to deport Margaret to her native Canada. Calculating quickly, the cornered boss lady seeks an impromptu means of escape. When Margaret spies Andrew, she impulsively blurts out that they’re engaged to be married.

After picking his jaw up off the floor, Andrew grudgingly agrees to the fraudulent nuptials in exchange for an editor job. Margaret sneers at his terms but agrees to them anyway just to get the whole mess behind her.

In reality, though, the whole mess is just beginning. Not only does Andrew have to convince the U.S. government that he’s actually in love with his boss, he also must prove it to an even more discriminating set of authorities: his family.

Positive Elements

Andrew is a genuinely nice guy whose judgment slips when he agrees to the romantic facade with Margaret. Nevertheless, he tries hard to keep his relationship with his boss as professional as possible, which includes separate sleeping arrangements. Elsewhere, Andrew’s desire to turn his back on the family business results in clashes between him and his father, Joe. But Dad obviously loves his son and apologizes after those flare-ups.

[ Spoiler Warning ] For her part, Margaret is at first determined to deceive the immigration authorities. But when she gets to know Andrew and his family, she chooses to admit the truth and faces the requisite penalties. She also tells Andrew that his family’s love is a very valuable thing. When the faux romance between the pair begins to turn into the real thing, Margaret tells Andrew that their situation is quite complicated. Andrew admits that she’s right, but chooses to keep pursuing a real relationship with her anyway.

Spiritual Elements

Andrew’s Grandma Annie is an eccentric woman whose spiritual references meld bits of Christianity, pagan beliefs and her native Alaskan heritage. She repeatedly gives thanks to “the universe” for positive events. And Margaret later finds her dancing and chanting ritualistically around a campfire in an Indian blanket. Annie says, “Come see how I give thanks to Mother Earth.” She also asks Mother Earth to make Margaret’s loins “abundantly fertile.”

Sexual Content

In a long, intricately choreographed scene, Margaret and Andrew run into each other while naked. They slowly fall to the floor in a tangle of limbs with their chests pressed close together. The pair is completely nude, and the camera captures all but the most sensitive regions of their bodies. Before that unexpected collision, Margaret’s breasts are barely covered by a strategically placed arm and hand. The same is true for a glove that obscures her groin. In essence, the filmmakers show us everything , while not showing quite everything.

Another extremely sex-oriented moment is similarly shocking, though for different reasons. When the Paxton women take Margaret to a bar for a bachelorette party, she’s brought up onto the stage for a close-up view of “the only exotic dancer on the island.” The resulting male striptease is played for laughs. The dancer remains clad in a tiny pair of formfitting briefs, but the camera zooms in—and I mean zooms in —as he thrusts and gyrates in Margaret’s face.

In addition to those major PG-13 boundary-pushers, the film is peppered with sexual innuendo that includes multiple crude references to the male anatomy and discussions of Margaret’s breasts. Several women wear low-cut and formfitting outfits. Margaret and Andrew share several passionate kisses. Margaret does a hip-thrusting dance.

Violent Content

Margaret, a professed non-swimmer, falls out of a speeding boat and flounders in the water until Andrew rescues her. There are also some comic-oriented pratfalls.

Crude or Profane Language

Three s-words and almost 20 other profanities, including “a–,” “h—,” “b–ch” and “d–n.” God’s name is misused 20 or so times. Jesus’ name is abused twice.

Drug and Alcohol Content

At a party, characters consume wine, beer, etc. Andrew’s father drinks alcohol in other scenes. A bar full of women repeatedly toss back drinks during Margaret’s bachelorette party.

Other Negative Elements

Tempers flair between father and son a few times. In one case, Joe demeans Andrew’s morals and his manhood by saying, “I never figured you for a guy who slept his way to the middle.” When an eagle snatches Margaret’s phone, she offers up a small puppy to the bird as a trade. During the credits, Margaret and Andrew joke about her habit of passing gas in bed. When Andrew puts his hand on Margaret’s backside, she threatens to emasculate him in his sleep.

In interview after interview, director Anne Fletcher has said that she wanted to inject The Proposal with the same kind of charm found in the classic comedies from the ’30s and ’40s. And there are a few brief moments in this Devil Wears Prada / Northern Exposure mash-up that have that kind of flavor, evoking memories of Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant’s crisp banter. A sentimental conclusion singing the praises of family and commitment further echoes those old classics’ feel-good vibe.

But let’s not get too carried away. The rest of the movie, which is to say the other 95 percent or so, climbs into a convertible Packard and leaves family-friendly funny in the dust with its thumb out. That’s because Fletcher and her team have taken their contrived but potentially charming premise and tarted it up with layers of “contemporary” comedy rouge. Bare bodies. A bizarre Mother Earth ritual. A wince-inducing bachelorette party striptease.

The latter scene was so embarrassingly repugnant that it was one of the few times in my PG-13 moviegoing experience I’ve found myself hoping someone would leap up and yell “Fire!” or maybe, “I’ve gone blind!” just for an excuse to clear the theater. I feared my retinas might be permanently scarred.

Despite the directors’ aspirations, then, the end result is tired, offensive and wholly disappointing. In fact, if Hepburn and Grant had seen this, they surely would have wagged their heads in disgust. Or at least turned their backs and sauntered arm-in-arm to the latest Pixar flick.

It goes without saying—but I’ll say it anyway—we’re not in the 1930s anymore.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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The Proposal

T he search for a halfway bearable romcom goes on - and on and on. In this one, ripped off from The Devil Wears Prada and Green Card in an approximate ratio of 1:4, Sandra Bullock is teamed up with Ryan Reynolds, and each star's face has a waxy immobility that has nothing to do with Botox; the pure awfulness of the script has paralysed their facial muscles.

Bullock is Margaret, a high-flying publishing executive and a complete by-otch, who makes life hell for her male assistant Andrew, played by younger hottie Reynolds. When she is threatened with deportation to her native Canada, Margaret bullies Andrew into a marriage of convenience, and Andrew responds by insisting she come to meet his folks in Alaska. And when they're thrown together, under the wholesome influence of hometown values ... well ... guess what?

Unfortunately, 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, and Andrew can't be a total wimp, because that would be unsexy, so the fundamental comic premises of the film are fudged. There are bizarre scenes involving a gay Cuban stripper and a Native American dance in the forest which have been inserted, possibly after test screenings, to pep up the fun factor - without success. My own "proposal" to everyone involved is unprintable.

Comedy films
Romance films
Sandra Bullock

‘The Proposal’ a Marriage of Talents From Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Bullock

Aasif Mandvi
Ann Fletcher
Betty White
Craig T. Nelson
Definitely, Maybe
Denis O'Hare
Elizabeth Oppriecht
Malin Akerman
Mary Steenburgen
Movie Review
Oscar Nunez
Peter Chiarelli
Ryan Reynolds
Sandra Bullock
The Proposal

CHICAGO – At some point in our lives, most of us have had to reach beyond our job descriptions to appease a demanding boss. Common themes from making coffee to picking up dry cleaning are familiar and often tolerated as one strives to “get ahead”.

But what would happen if you arrived at work to find that your boss was requesting… marriage? What then?

Such a demand is placed on Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds of “Definitely, Maybe” and “Van Wilder”) as his Canadian uber-boss Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock of “Miss Congeniality” and “Speed”) is informed that she will be deported lest her status quickly changes. Though not without protest, Andrew agrees to her “proposal” of marriage and the two embark on the adventure of pulling off faux love and a sham engagement.

The film has an “uh-oh” start as Bullock plays a unidimensional, too-frigid and too-forced Margaret. Her supporting office workers scurry about Bullock in silly ways and overplay reactions to their mega-menacing boss.

However, an amusing and snarky chemistry begins to develop between the “happy couple”. One forgets Reynolds is acting as he creates the pressured yet charming Andrew. Bullock soon catches up with a multi-layered, all-too-relatable Margaret.

Scenes begin to stand on their own out of sheer situational humor as – lying for the sake of their suspicious immigration agent Mr. Gilbertson (played by Dennis O’Hare of “Duplicity” and “Milk”) – the two play out their relationship in front of Andrew’s friends and family. Willing to bare it all for laughs, Reynolds and Bullock go so far as to build one awkward yet hysterical scene completely in the nude.

As for Andrew’s family, Mary Steenburgen (of “Four Christmases” and “Back to the Future Part III ”) touches the audience as Andrew’s empty-nested mother. Craig T. Nelson (of the “Coach” television series) appears as Andrew’s father disconnected from his role as he is from his son.

As always, Betty White (as Andrew’s Grandma Annie) is adorable with a “golden” touch to her every scene. From spicing up an exotic dance to stomping out a rain dance, White is a shimmy to the screen.

An additional gold star goes to the casting choice of Oscar Nuñez, who is known for his work on “The Office”. The go-to guy for literally everything in the isolated Alaskan town, the mere appearance of Nuñez on the screen elicits a laugh.

Despite its rough start, strengths of this picture lie both within the writing of Peter Chiarelli and within the direction of Ann Fletcher (of “27 Dresses”). The two accomplish creative, new-to-the-screen plotlines that overlap with ease.

While “The Proposal” does amount to a predictable yet pleasant tale, this is to be expected in this type of film whose target audience is not looking for a challenge.

A mix of something old with something new and some things borrowed with some blue comedy, “The Proposal” proves to be a marriage of talents that amounts to a fun and pleasant night at the movies.

“The Proposal” from director Ann Fletcher stars Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Malin Akerman (of “ Watchmen ”), Craig T. Nelson, Betty White, Mary Steenburgen, Denis O’Hare, Oscar Nuñez and Aasif Mandvi. “The Proposal,” which opened on June 19, 2009 nationwide, is rated “ PG -13” for sexual content, nudity and language.

By ELIZABETH OPPRIECHT HollywoodChicago.com [email protected]

Movie Review: The Proposal (2009)

General Disdain
Movie Reviews
13 responses
--> July 18, 2009

Oil meet water. Water, this is oil. The two of you don’t mix well, I know, but amazingly enough, you have more chemistry between the two of you than do the leads of The Proposal . Sure, the premise of the film is initially setup that way, but even after their heart felt metamorphoses they look about as comfortable kissing and hugging as I do when I’m forced to kiss my 76-year old mother-in-law.

Which is rather surprising because this romantic comedy has two seasoned veterans playing opposite each other. Sandra Bullock is Margaret Tate a ruthless, man handling executive editor in chief at Colden Books. Ryan Reynolds is her administrative assistant, Andrew Paxton. He and everyone else in the office is ecstatic when Margaret is set to be deported back to Canada due to her work visa lapsing. Andrew’s elation, however, is short lived when Margaret insists he marry her so she can stay in the country.

For the ruse to work, they go to Alaska to Andrew’s family’s home so they can rehearse the answers sure to be asked by Mr. Gilbertson (Denis O’Hare), a State Department representative who believes their upcoming nuptials are a scam. Everyone else thinks there is something fishy going on too, but that doesn’t stop mom and dad (Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson) from insisting (mom more so) that they get married immediately on the premises.

Aside from the obvious lack of romantic magnetism between the leads, The Proposal also lacks any comedic punch; thus completely removing the movie from the romantic comedy genre (this may be a first for Hollywood) altogether. That’s not to say director Anne Fletcher doesn’t at least try to squeak out a few jokes from the cast — she does. Based on the mismatch she goes for the gold hyping up the uncomfortableness felt by the “lovers” and all in eye sight. The highlight of this is the scene in which a naked Margaret (even though she’s aged a bit, Bullock is still holding it together) stumbles into a naked Andrew. Fletcher then goes hog wild pushing the risqué talk and actions out of the grandmother (Betty White). If you can’t have kids asking the sex questions or stepping through a ridiculous pregnancy dance type of thingy, then by golly have an 80-year old woman do it!

Needless to say, somewhere along the way the polar opposites find common ground and fall in love. You wouldn’t know how or why from watching the movie though — unless of course you figure a two-minute speech near the end of the 108 minute running time can right all the wrongs and magically make everything in the universe all fluffylike. Don’t be a fool though, the two minute speech is just smoke and mirrors — all involved just decided the natural progression for these kinds of flicks had to be followed, and so presto!, by the end of the movie they’re madly and truly in love.

Bleh. This is just lazy writing by first time screenwriter Pete Chiarelli and even lazier directing by Fletcher (who was also responsible for the mess that was 27 Dresses as well). My proposal to you is to skip The Proposal and find anything — that’s right, find absolutely anything else to do instead.

I'm an old, miserable fart set in his ways. Some of the things that bring a smile to my face are (in no particular order): Teenage back acne, the rain on my face, long walks on the beach and redneck women named Francis. Oh yeah, I like to watch and criticize movies.

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'Movie Review: The Proposal (2009)' have 13 comments

July 25, 2009 @ 10:23 am Rafael

The story of “The Proposal” is quite predictable. However, it’s still a good thing since people wanted to see a romantic-comedy story like this one.

July 27, 2009 @ 9:17 am Phil

Well, `The Proposal’ didn’t look like my kind of film, and this hasn’t made me want to see it any more!

If the missus `proposes’ we watch this, I shall have to find an excuse to do “absolutely anything else” instead!

September 12, 2009 @ 10:03 pm Stacey

I think critics expect something so much from a romantic comedy. I was quite pleased with “The Proposal” – I simply wanted to be entertained for an evening – it caught my attention and kept it throughout the movie.

September 29, 2009 @ 8:01 am Kaladhar

This review is totally out of sync… I strongly have to disagree.. THE PROPOSAL is a superb movie… Definitely a family entertainer…

I love the lead pair.. Sandra & Ryan… They rock!! Good comedy timing..

I recommend tthis movie for those who wants a good laugh… I did :)

September 29, 2009 @ 4:07 pm karinova

Even knowing ahead of time that it is the lightest possible chickflick romcom will not prepare you for how bad this movie is. Really, they didn’t even try. It’s like the Lifetime Channel got a 13-year-old girl to write the screenplay adaptation of a Harlequin Romance. Secure your eyeballs, because they WILL be rolling during viewing.

Worst part? The whole reason they have to study up on the relationship Q&A’s is Margaret is such a selfish and demanding boss that after 3 years, Andrew knows everything about her (how she takes her coffee, what she’s allergic to, that she has a tattoo, etc.) but she knows NOTHING about him. Because she’s never bothered to ask or cared to notice. Much is made of this. So they go to Alaska and on Day 1, in a single one-minute speech, we learn about 50 things about Margaret. In short: she’s really not as mean as she seems; she’s just a Lonely Little Girl on the inside. And apparently that’s all it takes; for some reason they’re in lurve from that moment on. But the thing is, she never. Learns. Anything. About HIM! Except that his family is rich (who knows how) and that he and his dad have a tense relationship (who knows why). The whole movie is focused on her her her. Poor Ryan Reynolds is just there as eye candy, I guess. Which was admittedly nice.

November 24, 2009 @ 3:40 am Bingo Tipps

This is the worst film,I have seen in my life. Worst writing and directing. But an absolutely steller cast.

November 24, 2009 @ 6:29 pm HSA

I actually thought that this movie was pretty funny. Although I am not a big bullock fan, she did pretty well.

December 24, 2009 @ 2:08 pm sharma

The biggest problem with The Proposal is its short timeline. We are expected to believe one man goes from loathing to loving in what amounts to about two days and two conversations. I realize this is a romantic comedy, but even rom-coms usually make a larger effort to earn the audience’s admiration than this one does.

February 17, 2010 @ 6:16 am Sweeps

Sandra Bullock is hot and looks amazing i like Sandra Bullock.. Overall the movie is very nice to watch.

April 11, 2010 @ 8:36 pm Cure

I still can’t believe they keep making the most predictable and overused plot they can think of. I’m sure the leads made it better than expected……..but it’s always sad when these types of movies do really good at the box office (which I have a feeling this will).

July 14, 2010 @ 7:53 am Rana Bhavna

The more recurrent noise towards the end was me groaning with disappointment, that a movie which had struck gold with its central matchmaking was succeeding so ruthlessly in taking the shine off.

August 18, 2010 @ 1:49 pm Daniela

>This is the worst film,I have seen in my life. +100

July 5, 2011 @ 6:57 pm Paulina

I like both Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock but I’m not sure if they made any spark or chemistry in this movie. The story is cute, although a little forced, but for the basic romantic comedy, it’s okay I guess. Sure, it’s predictable, but the flick works and is quite satisfying in the end.

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Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock star in the "The Proposal."

All the romantic comedy conventions are shamelessly on parade in “The Proposal,” trampling on our brains and turning them into mush.

They include an uptight character who literally lets her hair down to show she’s loosening up, a spontaneous sing-along, wacky relatives, a shocking mid-wedding revelation, a mad dash to the airport and, finally, some very public I-love-yous.

Where is the creativity, people? By definition, this is a predictable genre — a guy and a girl who are clearly meant for each other eventually end up together, despite the many madcap obstacles and misunderstandings that come their way.

We know the destination before we even park the car at the multiplex; it’s how we get there that matters.

“The Proposal” seemed to be getting there with some spark and ingenuity, led by a couple of actors with solid comic chops. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds are both well suited for snappy banter and they play off each other with some nice friction off the top.

Bullock has always shown a flair for physical humor, but here she gets a chance to play a scheming, tyrannical New York book editor, which is a refreshing change from her frequently daffy winsomeness.

But Anne Fletcher (who also directed the by-the-numbers “27 Dresses”) and screenwriter Peter Chiarelli obliterate any good will they’d generated when “The Proposal” turns gushy, piles on the contrivances and goes precipitously downhill in the final act.

Bullock stars as Margaret Tate, a rigid Canadian who’s on the verge of being deported. She blackmails her put-upon assistant, aspiring editor Andrew Paxton (Reynolds), into marrying her to stay in the country.

Think they’ll fall in love for real? In three days, no less? Perhaps in Sitka, Alaska, anything is possible.

That’s where Andrew drags Margaret to meet his family to convince a persistent immigration official that they’re a real couple. Some typical fish-out-of-water antics ensue.

Margaret wears four-inch Christian Louboutin pumps and schleps her matching Louis Vuitton luggage for the weekend. She samples the local cuisine with horror. For her bachelorette party, Andrew’s mom (Mary Steenburgen), grandmother (Betty White) and other family friends drag her to a bar for a little entertainment from a male stripper (Oscar Nunez, who has multiple functions on the island, none of which is terribly amusing).

White also gets repeatedly stranded here with awkward gags that don’t even come close to making the most of her comic talents. She’s more than capable of raunchy humor, which has always provided an endearing contrast with her prim looks; here, she’s merely asked to look silly.

But we know these folksy folks will wear down Margaret’s defenses, and in no time she lets down her uptight ponytail and realizes maybe there’s more to Andrew than she’d previously realized.

Seeing him naked probably also helped — it sure doesn’t hurt — in a scene in which both actors strip down to basically nothing. Both have been to the gym, it seems.

As bickering co-workers, they’re a great fit. As potential romantic partners, not so much — and the 12-year age difference is only part of what makes their connection seem implausible. There’s also the small problem of Margaret abandoning everything that defined her faster than you can say “I do.”

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The Proposal Review

22 Jul 2009

108 minutes

Proposal, The

The Proposal sees Sandra Annette Bullock return to her romantic comedy wheelhouse for the first time since 2002’s Two Weeks Notice (Miss Congeniality 2 was hardly romantic and barely a comedy). Add Ryan Rodney Reynolds (lest we forget, an actual Canadian), perhaps the best modern male rom-com lead, as her foil and this should have walked it up the aisle. Sadly, The Proposal jilts any notion of freshness at the altar of cliché.

Saddled with a premise — a guy and a gal pose as a couple to earn an immigration visa — that has had its passport stamped up the wazoo, Bullock and Reynolds try their darnedest with a hole host of well worn scenarios. There is the Improvising The Story Of How They Met riff, the Faking A Passionate Kiss In Front Of Friends And Family ruse, and the Stumbling Into Each Other Stark Bollock Naked gambit. Bullock also gets lumbered with two more familiar comedy tropes, a bitch boss from hell (we’re asked to believe that Sandra Bullock is Dom DeLillo’s literary agent!) in early scenes transmuting into the city slicker out of water in the rural countryside. It is testament to the skill and likeability of both Bullock and Reynolds that the tired staples and hackneyed farce nearly work.

But not even a gifted comedienne like Bullock can help the bizarre set pieces that shoot for something original. The Proposal must be the first rom-com to try and wring laughs out of its heroine coming under attack from a bird of prey. Even stranger is the sequence in which Bullock is encouraged to engage in bizarre bumpkin rituals encouraged by Reynolds’ grandma (White) and turns it into unfunny New Age booty shaking.

Away from the central couple, there is interesting support. Dennis O’Hare has fun with his quirky, nit-picky INS agent hellbent on splitting the couple up, Malin Ackerman is wasted as Paxton’s college sweetheart, and Oscar Nunez steals scenes as the seemingly only employee in the one-horse town. Yet director Mitchell, who did much better work with Katherine Heigl and James Marsden on 27 Dresses, never nails a tone. Even in its own romantic comedy milieu, you never believe the characters or their predicaments. There is a scene where Margaret and Andrew slowly begin to open up to each other during a conversation about first concerts and ‘80s rap. It feels real and moving, two people connecting, but time and again it forsakes such reality for speedboat pratfalls and last minute dashes to the airport.

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Movies | 08 06 2010

THE PROPOSAL

"mixed blessings".

What You Need To Know:

(PaPa, BB, Ro, FRFR, LL, NN, A, M) Strong mixed pagan worldview with some solid moral elements, but mixed with Romantic elements and false religious material where elderly woman performs pagan Native American chants, including clear discussion of thanking the spirits in the trees and “going to the spirits” when one dies; four obscenities and 12 profanities; no violence; much discussion of sex and assumption that unmarried people will sleep together; man and woman, both naked accidentally and comically collide with one another, all private parts are covered up, man in speedo, upper male nudity; drinking of beer and wine; no smoking; and lying and fraud, much of which is ultimately rebuked.

More Detail:

THE PROPOSAL is a very funny story of powerful book editor Margaret talking her younger assistant Andrew into marrying her in order to stop deportation to Canada. The “engaged” couple head to Andrew’s parents home in Alaska, being tailed by the Immigration Officer. The always-in-control Margaret finds herself a fish out of water as she navigates life out of Manhattan.

Margaret realizes that while Andrew knows everything about her, she knows nothing about him because she has been so self-absorbed. Andrew’s parents are excited about the upcoming wedding and talk them into getting married that weekend so that Andrew’s grandmother can be part of it.

Margaret experiences a loving family for the first time and sees that her deception is going to hurt many people. She is torn between telling the truth, which will mean deportation and loss of her career, and going along with this charade, which will hurt everyone involved.

And, of course, Margaret and Andrew are beginning to fall for one another.

THE PROPOSAL is a very, very funny movie with great acting and chemistry between the two lead characters. Sandra Bullock is at her comedic best in this movie and brings much emotion to the character as well.

The story is well written, the music fun, and Betty White as the aging grandmother is extremely humorous.

That said, much of the comedy comes from the fact that the unmarried couple must pretend to be married and with that comes much sexual innuendo. There is one scene where the two characters accidentally bump into each one another while naked, each preparing for a shower. While there are no “private parts” shown, it’s extremely clear they are undressed. There is also a visit to one of those male strip places for women with a male stripper wearing a “speedo” brief. This scene is played for laughs.

Also, the grandmother character goes into the woods wearing Native American costume, chants and gives thanks to the spirits. Margaret joins in and it humorously turns into a rap dance. However, there is clear discussion of thanking the spirits in the trees and “going to the spirits” when one dies.

In the end, Margaret elects to sacrifice for others so that they won’t be hurt.

THE PROPOSAL is funny, but extreme caution is advised because of the movie’s PG-13 material and the positive references to Native American pagan customs.

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Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the proposal.

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“The Proposal” reckons with how deeply one can love an artist and their work—next to blood pumping romance, it’s just about the most intense relationship a human being can have with something, whether it’s with a filmography, a discography, or collection of art. Director and artist Jill Magid , for example, deeply loves the creations of Luis Barragán, a Mexican architect whose hypnotically simple projects—homes with massive stone walls, blocks of juxtaposing colors that tell a story—have inspired her for years. And yet, Barragán's legacy is virtually owned by a furniture company in Sweden, who essentially refuse to share the rights to his creations. Magid’s very passion to free Barragán's work fuels this often compelling saga through a twisty, international and years-spanning real-life mystery, and past a few disagreeable editorial choices. Magid essentially casts herself as the lead of this documentary, which has a wild way of questioning ownership when it comes to an artist that so many people love.

The documentary’s mystery plot starts at a dead end: a wealthy Swiss woman named Federica. She received the rights to the art as an engagement present from her husband, and has since held onto them as part of the Swedish furniture company her husband owns, Vitra. Most distinctly, they've copyrighted Barragán’s name and designs, without the accent. Thousands of drawings, letters, blueprints, dreams—all of it hoarded in a private archive. Even photographs of Barragán’s architecture in Mexico can’t be distributed, though you can see the buildings for yourself (as Magid does, spending time in Barragán's home). This ownership has inhibited the rest of the world from seeing it, while Federica states in correspondences to Magid that they're using the archives to create a massive project about his work.

With Barragán having died in 1988 and Federica not being shown on camera, the film creates elusive and enigmatic characters with its sensitive approach to the presence everyone has in this story. Federica's letters are read by someone else, but she looms throughout, especially as her letters are accompanied by exterior shots that study the Vitra headquarters, a monstrous, mostly monochrome behemoth of sloping steel walls, like a gauche bastardization of Barragán's architecture. As Magid shares their letters, Federica states at one point that things are lonely down in the archive. Magid's editing takes us back to Vitra headquarters, making us wonder how isolating it must be to see art as private property.

And while Barragán and Federica are off-screen, Magid is distinctly gentle with her own camera presence, often filming herself from the back, making herself always secondary to the art she shares the frame with. In her reverent ways she’s like an Antonioni character, her presence secondary to the massive and imposing environments that the viewer studies through atmosphere, not exposition. Even her voiceover, which accompanies passages of her inhabiting Barragán's home, has the stillness of someone speaking quietly in a museum.

Toward the film's halfway point, Magid hatches a bizarre plan/poignant art project to try to win over Federica that need not be spoiled, and gives the film's title its purpose. In the documentary’s nutty style, it leads to storytelling that both bolsters and hinders the project—good in that Magid’s plan sets the movie off on an exciting course of events, the story’s enigmatic characters and abundant passion combining for an increasingly controversial course of events, paved with questions considering what parts of an artist belong to their fans (it's very exciting to see Magid herself doing something others might find reprehensible). But this plan is also where the movie's cumulative power can waver, as Magid frustratingly leaves audiences in the dark about her intent, ignoring that audiences will deduce what’s really going on before the movie’s big reveal.

"The Proposal" is initially a frustrated film, especially as its first act can stew on its outrage for what's been done to the artist's legacy, literally making Barragán's work speak for itself by focusing on the present more than the past. But the movie, and Magid, are sprung from this by the hope of creating a connection—the story's core is about two people with the same obsession, divided by their ideologies. As much as "The Proposal" can be gripping with its heady adventure, its compassion has the most complicated and fascinating presence throughout.