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Movies / On DVD / The Proposal
The Proposal

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The Proposal (2009)

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Reviews Counted:176

Fresh:76

Rotten:100

Average Rating:5.3/10

Consensus: Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds exhibit plenty of chemistry, but they're let down by The Proposal’s devotion to formula.

Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for sexual content, nudity and language.

Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:22-07-2009

Synopsis: THE PROPOSAL could have been a strictly script-by-numbers affair, but hilarious performances by Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds improve this romantic comedy. Publishing powerhouse Margaret Tate... THE PROPOSAL could have been a strictly script-by-numbers affair, but hilarious performances by Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds improve this romantic comedy. Publishing powerhouse Margaret Tate (Bullock, TWO WEEKS NOTICE) is used to getting her way. She bullies her ambitious assistant, Andrew Paxton (Reynolds, DEFINITELY, MAYBE), earning the ire of all the underlings at Colden Books in New York City. But Margaret, a native Canadian, finds her career in jeopardy when she is denied a visa and learns she will be sent northward. She forces Andrew to become her fiancé, but she’ll have to take a trip home to Alaska with him to prove to U.S. Immigration that their impending union is genuine. What ensues is a combination of GREEN CARD, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, and GREEN ACRES, with the hell-in-heels boss trying to fake a romance with her assistant as she struggles to survive as a city girl in the country. However, THE PROPOSAL proves to be more than the sum of its parts; Bullock has been one of Julia Roberts’s successors to the America’s-sweetheart crown since she starred in SPEED, but this comedy has her challenging her image with hilarious ease. Reynolds--who could be just window-dressing with his good looks and easy charm--is an excellent foil who is just as adept with sarcasm as he is with a smile. The two stars are supported by an impressive cast, including Betty White as Andrew’s scheming 90-year-old grandmother, Craig T. Nelson as his disappointed father, and THE OFFICE’s Oscar Nunez as an ubiquitous resident of his hometown. THE PROPOSAL may offer few surprises in the way of plot, but the on-screen talent keeps the film feeling fresh. [More]

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Malin Akerman, Craig T. Nelson

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Malin Akerman, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen, Betty White, Denis O'Hare, Oscar Nunez

Director: Anne Fletcher

Director: Anne Fletcher
Screenwriter: Peter Chiarelli
Producer: David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman
Composer: Aaron Zigman
Studio: Touchstone Pictures

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Reviews for The Proposal

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81 - 100 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Without question this riotously funny flick is the year's best comedy -- at least so far.

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment 2 Comments
06/19/09
Pete Hammond
Pete Hammond
Hollywood.com

The Proposal is just a good old-fashioned romance, one in which people actually bring out the best in one another rather than the worst. How novel is that?

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
06/19/09
Betsy Sharkey
Betsy Sharkey
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The bar for modern rom-coms remains depressingly low, but The Proposal clears it with ease.

Full Review Source: What Would Toto Watch? | comment Comment
06/19/09
Christian Toto
Christian Toto
What Would Toto Watch?

The movie's lazy, formulaic story quickly becomes an excruciating waste of talent.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
06/19/09
Mike Russell
Mike Russell
Oregonian

There’s nothing surprising here.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
06/19/09
Sharon Hoffmann
Sharon Hoffmann
Kansas City Star

The Proposal often lies flat where it should spark, with director Fletcher failing to maximize her talented cast's potential. The timing is off in several scenes, and a would-be outrageous character inspires more eye rolls than laughs.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
06/19/09
Carla Meyer
Carla Meyer
Sacramento Bee

A romantic comedy doesn't need to be original to be enjoyable, and yet The Proposal still falls way too short of the mark.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
06/19/09
Stephanie Zacharek
Stephanie Zacharek
Salon.com

It's got spunk and charm and two skillful stars in Bullock and Reynolds, who make it all feel much less generic than it is.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
06/19/09
Kevin Williamson
Kevin Williamson
Jam! Movies

It isn’t a film with a lot of big guffaws, but I smiled through most of it.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
06/19/09
Amy Biancolli
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle

Like most Hollywood romantic comedies these days, The Proposal is all about bringing a woman to her knees.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
06/19/09
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Onscreen chemistry is an elusive notion but you know it when you see it, and Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds definitely have it in The Proposal.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
06/19/09
Liam Lacey
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail

A straight-ahead romantic comedy that relies on the considerable charms of its stars, The Proposal feels so comfortable and familiar you might feel like you've seen it before.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
06/19/09
Tom Long
Tom Long
Detroit News

Think "Taming of the Shrew Wears Prada."

Full Review Source: Beliefnet | comment Comment
06/19/09
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Beliefnet

The script encases Margaret in rusted defenses from which it can't free her without awkward leaps and cheats.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
06/19/09
Lisa Kennedy
Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post

Things all fit together, but the film does lack the creative spark behind classic rom coms like Pretty Woman and When Harry Met Sally.

Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment Comment
06/19/09
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

[A] buoyant vehicle for Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, whose chemistry is a happy surprise.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
06/19/09
Andrea Gronvall
Andrea Gronvall
Chicago Reader

Although The Proposal isn't a sweep-you-off-your-feet affair, Bullock and Reynolds make it a thoroughly charming engagement.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
06/19/09
Tyler Hanley
Tyler Hanley
Palo Alto Weekly

Kudos to Bullock for trying something different.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
06/19/09
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

A cut above, but no more.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
06/19/09
Kimberly Jones
Kimberly Jones
Austin Chronicle

Nobody who ever attended a date movie will be surprised by what happens, but The Proposal has low expectations and good vibes in its favour.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
06/19/09
Peter Howell
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
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Latest News for The Proposal

June 26, 2009: Submit to the RT Show and Earn a Cool $100
Time for the weekly update, folks. As always, thanks to everyone who has submitted reviews and helped contribute to the show. Every week, we continue to bring you a lively,... More...

June 22, 2009: Watch RT on Current TV
This week, The Rotten Tomatoes Show will be looking at the movies that opened over the weekend, with help from you (the Rotten Tomatoes community), the Current TV community, and... More...

June 22, 2009: Box office: Australia accepts Sandra's Proposal
Proof of the power of the cougar-com in this season of blockbuster action and low-brow man-movies, Sandra Bullock's The Proposal mirrored its US success and wooed Australian... More...

June 21, 2009: Box Office Guru Wrapup: Audiences Can't Refuse Bullock's Proposal.
Sandra Bullock showed North America who's boss with her return to romantic comedy in The Proposal which gave the actress the biggest opening of her career and her first number... More...

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