Blu-ray Review: The Proposal

Release Date: October 13th, 2009
Running Time: 108 minutes

The Film

I have been an ardent fan of Ryan Reynolds since his hilarious turn in Van Wilder. His effortless wit and dry comedic style gets me every time, even in his action films. Likewise, I have always respected Sandra Bullock’s dedication to comedy and willingness to give it her all. Pairing the two of them together in a romantic comedy seemed like a perfect match, and audiences agreed as it raked in nearly $300 million worldwide. Unfortunately everything about The Proposal adheres to genre conventions and never gives the stars enough wiggle room to bring the film to the next level. I am sure most people will enjoy The Proposal, but it is seriously lacking in lasting appeal as both a film and Blu-ray disc.

Sandra Bullock plays Margaret Tate, the cold Editor-in-Chief of Colden Books whose employees harbor an unhealthy combination of terror and hatred for her, including her assistant Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds). When she finds out that she is going to be deported back to Canada and thus lose her job, Margaret announces that she and Andrew are getting married. He agrees to go along with the scam only because his future is tied to Margaret’s—if she goes, all of his slaving for years will be for nothing. But Andrew won’t play along for free; Margaret will have to promote him to editor and publish the manuscript he has been pushing on her. The situation, however, becomes far more serious when a government fraud investigator (Denis O’Hare) gets a tip that the marriage is a scam and plans to put the pair through a rigorous interview session to prove they are lying. With a week until the interview, Margaret and Andrew will have to learn everything they can about each other if they hope to pass the test.

Andrew’s family lives in Alaska and is throwing his grandmother (Betty White) a 90th birthday party. He figures this is the perfect time to build up their lie, so he brings Margaret home to meet his parents Joe and Grace (Craig T. Nelson and Mary Steenburgen), who don’t understand how Andrew could complain about this woman for years only to start dating her. Margaret is surprised to learn that Andrew’s parents are extremely wealthy and essentially own the entire town. Upon arriving they are bombarded with a party where Andrew announces their engagement.

The family is initially suspicious about the engagement, but Andrew and Margaret do their best to uphold the ruse. Meanwhile old family issues resurface for Andrew. Joe wants him to take over the family business and does not respect or support his decision to be an editor, and Grace is distraught over not seeing Andrew for years at a time. Throw in the love-of-his-life ex-girlfriend and you have plenty of opportunities for everything to go horribly wrong. Grace ultimately sees the engagement as the perfect opportunity to heal these old wounds. She persuades Andrew and Margaret to get married immediately in Alaska while the whole family is gathered! As the wedding approaches the family becomes more involved with the couple and bonds with Margaret. She experiences a familial love and warmth completely foreign to her, and the lie begins to take its burden. Amidst all of the deception and close quarters, something Andrew and Margaret didn’t expect begins to happen: they find themselves with real feelings for each other.

The Proposal is one of those films that solely succeeds based on the talents of its stars. Reynolds is one of my favorite leading men, especially in comedies, and Bullock is a seasoned romantic comedy actress. Both offer quite a few laughs, but it’s not the best I’ve seen them due to the stagnant nature of much of the material. Thankfully they have excellent chemistry and comedic timing, ensuring even the pieces that fall flat are still entertaining. Seeing those two butt heads is the core draw to the film, and it works more often that not. Unfortunately outside of the leads only Betty White is given any memorable material as the kooky grandmother. Craig T. Nelson and Mary Steenburgen are horribly underused, and Malin Akerman’s character is introduced as potential conflict only to be inexplicably gone for much of the film.

Though most of the jokes are typical romantic comedy fluff, there are a few notable scenes that give the actors a chance to shine. Bullock is hilarious trying to save the family dog from a preying eagle and booty dancing in the woods with Betty White. Reynolds inserts his trademark wit whenever he can, and their infamous nude scene will likely be the single moment that sticks out in audiences mind. The big problem with the story, however, is what happens when the lie inevitably gets exposed. How the filmmakers achieve the traditional romantic comedy ending after this comes off abrupt and odd—even Craig T. Nelson’s character expresses his confusion. After seeing the previews I really wanted to love this film; it seemed to have everything going for it, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. The Proposal is entertaining and has its moments, but ultimately it fails to break the mold and offer anything to separate it from the never-ending pack of romantic comedies.

The Disc

The video is presented in a 2.35:1, 1080p High Definition transfer that is generally good with some minor inconsistencies. Colors are gorgeous, particularly in the Alaskan scenery, but the flesh tones can shift around a bit. Black levels could be inkier though the shadow gradation is fine. Fined detail is very sharp in close-ups, showing off just how beautiful the stars are. Plenty of detail is visible in the costumes/sets as well, and the wide scenery shots have noticeable depth. Overall this is a good transfer with a few struggles but is more than enough for a comedy.

The audio is offered in an English DTS HD 5.1 master lossless audio track and French/Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound with English/French/Spanish subtitles. Dialogue is crisp and balanced with the breezy musical score. Ambience is usually present, whether in the bustling city or the Alaskan woods. Though there isn’t much action to utilize surround effects, the atmosphere is precisely placed to the various channels to immerse you in the scene. This is a mix that features a lot of subtle details without ever becoming unnecessarily overstated.

The Extras

The selection of special features is standard for the genre meaning it is mostly fluff without much substance.

Commentary is offered with Director Anne Fletcher and Writer Peter Chiarelli. Despite the friendly and energetic nature, the discussion is very basic and anecdotal. It doesn’t offer too much technical insight, but this isn’t the type of movie that pushes the boundaries of filmmaking.

The Deleted Scenes (7 minutes) are interesting in that they offer some good moments that would really have helped a few one-note characters. Optional Commentary with Fletcher and Chiarelli explains the cuts. A horrible Alternate Ending (7 minutes) was justly cut and again has optional commentary.

The “Set Antics” section (7 minutes) is a collection of outtakes and set goofs that is only entertaining because of Ryan Reynolds.

Lastly a Digital Copy is offered.

Final Thoughts

Despite what the tremendous box office return would suggest, The Proposal is not the next great romantic comedy. It is an enjoyable but forgettable affair whose quality is mimicked by its bland Blu-ray release.