“The Proposal” just isn’t all that engaging

Jim Hill

15 years ago

On paper, “The Proposal” really looks like it should work.

I mean, this film stars Sandra Bullock. The girl we fell in love when she had to keep that bus zooming along
at 50 MPH in “Speed.” Who made us cry when she finally told the truth at
the altar in “While You Were Sleeping.” Who showed her skill for slapstick in
“Miss Congeniality.”

And as Sandra’s co-star, you’ve got Ryan Reynolds. That talented up-and-comer
who’s been stealing scenes for several years now. Effortlessly walking away with
movies like ““Blade – Trinity” and “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.”

So when Disney put these two charming performers in the hands of Anne Fletcher (who directed Katherine Heigl’s 2008 romantic comedy, “27 Dresses”), that seemed to guarantee box office gold. The only thing that was missing at this point was a really clever script.

Unfortunately — judging by the way “The Proposal” turned out
— Mouse House execs never did actually find that solid screenplay. Which is why Sandra, Ryan and Anne had to make do with Peter Chiarelli’s underwritten effort. Which tries –
and fails – to update the screwball comedy conventions of the 1930s for 2009.

And Bullock and Reynolds … They try their damnedest to make Chiarelli’s unlikely premise work. Playing against type, Sandra is Margaret Tate, a frosty Canadian editor who bulldozes everyone who works underneath her at a New York publishing house. And these folks include Andrew Paxton
(Reynolds), Margaret’s long-suffering assistant who dreams of one day becoming
a published author.

So when Tate runs afoul of U.S. Immigration and suddenly finds
herself facing deportation, thinking on her feet, Margaret announces her
engagement to Andrew. Later in her office, this
icy editor works out a deal with her stunned assistant. If Paxton agrees to
stay married to Tate long enough to clear up all of her visa-related problems,
Margaret will then promote Andrew to editor as well as get his novel
published.

While Tate’s superiors at the publishing house are
thrilled with this all-too-convenient solution, there’s still one thing that stands between
Margaret and her visa. And that’s Mr. Gilbertson (Denis O’Hare) from the
Department of Immigration. Who doesn’t believe for a second that Tate &
Paxton are actually a couple.

So let’s review: We have two unlikable characters in an highly unlikely situation. So was does Chiarelli do in Act
II? He sends Margaret & Andrew off to Alaska to attend Grandma Annie
(Betty White)’s 90^th birthday celebration. And when these two arrive in
Sitka, Tate learns that Paxton comes from Kennedy-like wealth.
More importantly, that her assistant has an old girlfriend (Malin Akerman) who still pines for Andrew as well as
a father (Craig T. Nelson) who’s pressuring him to come back home & take over the family
business.

The screenwriter continues to pile on the complications
(i.e. An eagle snatches Margaret’s cell phone, Tate is forced by Grandma Annie to
take part in a ritualistic dance around a ceremonial fire, a frisky puppy prevents the now-naked editor from
exiting a bathroom), all in an effort to add additional laughs and
tension to the proceedings. But as “The Proposal” lurches into Act III, all you can think
about is how hard Bullock and Reynolds have to work in order to put this flimsy material over.

To their credit, Sandra & Ryan almost – almost – pull it off. They pile on the charm, using every acting trick in the book
to try & make “The Proposal” seem far lighter & funnier than it actually
is. But when Bullock – just as she did in “While You Were Sleeping” – winds up
standing at the altar, making yet another tearful confession, what’s supposed
to be this really touching moment in the movie comes across as …
Well, derivative and sad.

Again, on paper, this Sandra Bullock / Ryan Reynolds / Anne
Fletcher film really looks like it should work. It’s only when you see this new Touchstone Pictures
release up on the big screen that you realize that — without a strong script that actually delivers on the promise of this screwball premise — “The
Proposal” just isn’t all that engaging.