Sandra Bullock's The Proposal, HBO Instaclassic

A A A Comments (8) By Robert Wilonsky Wednesday, Jun 17 2009

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The Proposal
Directed by Anne Fletcher
Disney
Opens June 19

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Starring Sandra Bullock as the publishing-house boss who blackmails her assistant, played by Ryan Reynolds, into marrying her, lest she face deportation to Canada, this is nothing but a faint echo of its myriad predecessors, which are too numerous to name. You know every tinny beat and false note by heart, from the implausible setup to the sprint-to-the-airport finish. The Proposal, in fact, appears to have been written using a secret cache of computers stored beneath Walt Disney HQ since 1978—codename "Pete Chiarelli," the first-time screenwriter who receives credit for having pilfered every rom-com convention since the invention of breathing. (It was directed by Anne Fletcher, who stitched together 27 Dresses out of the leftover scraps not used here.) Or, perhaps, it's the product of a book of MadLibs in which spaces are left blank for The Handsome Male Ingénue Specializing in Cocked Eyebrows, The Former Rom-Com It-Girl on Comeback Trail Who Looks 10 Years Younger Than Her Age, and The Ex–Golden Girl as Dirty-Minded Grandmother. Already filled in: Craig T. Nelson and Mary Steenburgen as The Parents and Malin Akerman as The One Who Got Away. And there you have it: HBO instaclassic! "Here comes the bride," utters the poster's tagline. Genius. Such great minds.

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Dan Navarro 04/25/2010 11:24:00 AM

Mr. Wilonsky, perhaps you are unfamiliar with the Book of Ecclesiastes, written about 300 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. There it is written that there is "nothing new under the sun." Fast forward about 2300 years, and you have a movie, "The Proposal" (2009), for which the writers must take an old, old story and re-configure it in a pleasing way for today's audiences. Yes, this sort of tale has been told before; but we ought to be able to enjoy a pleasant riff on this familiar strain. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds play a couple who start out despising each other, then through a novel series of circumstances, find that They Cannot Live Without Each Other. I found this version of the old, old story pleasant entertainment. It is not boring for even one second; on the contrary, I enjoyed seeing Miss Bullock adapt to her new surroundings (in Alaska), and Reynolds finding himself drawn to love this woman he once abhorred. It's not "Gone With the Wind," but it is well-done from start to finish, especially when Betty White is onscreen. A winner.
Bob Keeler 06/23/2009 10:06:00 PM

Isn't it "Here comes the BRIBE?"
Britton Dowers 06/20/2009 8:57:00 PM

Do you commenter�s actually watch good cinema??? Even the trailer, which Robert graciously did not show on his trailer show, is a complete clich�or every poor romantic comedy that has been hashed in the past twenty years. He is dead on it is complete regurgitated swill. The only justification for making a movie such as this is to capitalize on all the poor married saps who have to take their wives to a movies once every six months. The point of his review is the movie has been made before, and made better. The review is very tastefully and artfully done, which if you liked this movie , art is obviously wasted on you.
Constance 06/19/2009 8:29:00 PM

Dear Critic - When you can write something as good - then you have the right to be so mean....bad - bad - bad critic
Sharii 06/19/2009 7:14:00 PM

What a mean-spirited review. Even Shakespeare wasn't original.
Michael 06/18/2009 3:51:00 AM

Did we see the same film? Its nice to see a current film that has sweet moments and good laughs that may be time proven and retold, but, when in the talented hands of good comic actors like Bullock , Reynolds and Betty White never get old . How long will it take you to call the Apatow films "recycled." I feel they already are. I did not laugh once at the critically acclaimed "Leaving Sarah Marshall." What is tired is the current crop of dark comedy films , that are neither dark nor funny. But they are negative. Sometimes old formulas work. "The Proposal" is a fine example of one that does.
Lori 06/17/2009 10:54:00 PM

Actually, The Proposal's tagline is 'Here comes the briBe', not bride, as you wrote
Johnson Chorak 06/17/2009 11:14:00 AM

It's "Here Comes the Bribe" you dumba**. Question : did you, as a so-called big time critic, actually watch the movie??? Or are you trying to be the contrarian/person who only appreciates movies like 8 1/2 / who doesn't give less complex films a chance/ types on his macbook at starbucks to write his reviews/ thought History of Violence was good/ reviewers??? Get a grip you dou**.