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The Proposal (film)
Encyclopedia
The Proposal is a 2009 American romantic comedy film
set in Sitka, Alaska. Directed by Anne Fletcher
and written by Peter Chiarelli, the film features Sandra Bullock
and Ryan Reynolds
as the leading roles, with Mary Steenburgen
, Betty White
, and Craig T. Nelson
in supporting roles. The film was produced by Mandeville Films
and released on June 19, 2009, in North America by Touchstone Pictures
. The plot centers around a Canadian immigrant named Margaret Tate, who learns that she may face deportation charges because of her expired visa
. Adamant to retain her position as executive chief, Tate convinces her assistant, Andrew Paxton, to temporarily act as her husband. Initially planning on resuming their lives after Tate resolves her visa issues, the plans are seemingly abandoned as their relationship intensifies.
Development on the film began in 2005, when Chiarelli wrote the film's script. Principal filming encompassed over a period of two months from March to May 2008. Critics were polarized with The Proposal; however the interactions between Bullock and Reynolds were critically acclaimed. The film was a box office success, grossing over $317.4 million worldwide, becoming one of the highest grossing romantic comedy films of all time.
) is the executive editor in chief of a book publishing company. Her subordinates dislike her because she is pushy and cold. After learning she is about to be deported to Canada because of an expired visa, she convinces her assistant, Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds
), to marry her. Both visit Immigration where an officer, Mr. Gilbertson (Denis O'Hare
), informs them that he suspects they are committing fraud to avoid Margaret's deportation. Gilbertson tells them that they'll be asked questions about each other separately. If their answers don't match, Margaret will be deported to Canada and Andrew will be convicted of a felony punishable by a $250,000 fine and five years in prison. Andrew insists that Margaret make him an editor after their marriage and publish his book. Margaret agrees.
The couple travels to Sitka, Alaska
, Andrew's home town, to meet his family. Margaret meets Andrew's mother Grace (Mary Steenburgen
) and grandmother Annie (Betty White
). During the trip to the family home, Margaret notices that nearly every shop in town carries the name Paxton and learns that Andrew's family is in fact very wealthy. During a welcome home party, Andrew confronts his father, Joe (Craig T. Nelson
), who is angry about Andrew's dating the boss he has so long disliked and thinks he is using her to get ahead in his career. After their argument, Andrew announces the engagement to everyone. Margaret also meets Gertrude (Malin Åkerman
), Andrew's ex-girlfriend. After the party is over, Grace and Gammy show Margaret and Andrew the bedroom they will share during the weekend.
The next day, Grace and Annie take Margaret to a local bar to watch a strip dance by a locally famous but over-the-hill exotic dancer, Ramone (Oscar Nunez
). Stepping away from the show, Margaret learns from Gertrude that Andrew wanted to become an editor and make his own life and that Andrew had proposed to Gertrude. However, Gertrude refused because she didn't want to leave Sitka for New York. Returning home, Margaret learns of the conflict between Andrew and Joe. That night, Margaret asks Andrew about his relationship with his father, but Andrew refuses to talk. In response, Margaret begins to share personal information about herself with Andrew.
The next day, the family convinces them to marry while they're in Sitka. Andrew is stressed, and Margaret tries to comfort him. After Margaret realizes how much trouble she is making for Andrew, she hijacks a boat. She tells him she has been alone since she was sixteen years old after her parents died and had forgotten what it felt like to have a family. She lets go of the helm and stumbles to the back of the boat. Andrew makes a sharp turn to avoid hitting a buoy, and Margaret falls out of the boat. Andrew quickly turns the boat around and saves her. At the wedding ceremony, Margaret confesses the sham marriage to the entire assemblage, including Gilbertson, who informs her she has twenty four hours to leave for Canada. Margaret returns to the Paxton home to pack her things. Andrew rushes to their room only to find Margaret has already left, leaving his book manuscript with a note of praise and a promise to publish it. Gertrude attempts to comfort Andrew and asks if he is going to go after her. As he rushes out of the house to find Margaret, another argument arises between him and Joe. Annie fakes a heart attack and convinces them to reconcile before she "passes away". Annie admits faking the attack. Andrew's parents realize he really loves Margaret. Andrew goes to New York and tells Margaret he loves her in front of the entire office staff. The couple go to Gilbertson and inform him they are again engaged, but for real this time.
had been given a lead role for The Proposal. Julia Roberts
was originally approached by producers for a lead role in the film, but later declined. Nearly two months after the announcement, it was reported that negotiations were being finalized for Ryan Reynolds
to star opposite to Bullock. In January 2008, Touchstone Pictures
signed Anne Fletcher
to direct the film. It premiered on June 1, 2009 at the El Capitan Theatre
in Hollywood, California.
Filming for The Proposal initiated in April 2008 in Rockport, Massachusetts
. In the oncoming days leading to production, areas of the town were temporarily remodeled to represent Sitka, Alaska, the setting of most of the film. Principal photography
officially began on April 9 at Bearskin Neck, where it continued over a period of 24 hours. Filming continued at the Motif Number One
building on Bradley Wharf (April 14-16), the Haskins Building (April 15-18), and the central business district of Rockport (April 17). Principal photography relocated to Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
on April 22, where it resumed over an approximate period of two weeks. In response, city officials accommodated the producers by renting out all publicly owned parking lots. Filming for The Proposal was shortly delayed after Bullock and her husband were involved in a car accident. The wedding scene was filmed in a three-story twentieth century Victorian
home; photography took place at the residence for three weeks. In an interview with the New York Times, the owners of the home stated that Nelson Coates
knocked on their door asking for leaves. Initially, the owners directed Coates to other residences in the area; however, they eventually gave the film's producer a tour of the house. Production occurred on the first floor of the home. Outside of the Cape Ann
area, filming took place in Boston, Massachusetts at the State Street Bank Building
and in Lower Manhattan
in New York City
. The Proposal contained 350 special effect shots, and some parts were edited using computer-generated imagery
. The score to The Proposal was composed by Aaron Zigman, who recorded his score with the Hollywood Studio Symphony
at the Sony Scoring Stage.
As part of an extensive advertising campaign, Bullock and Reynolds discussed about taking part in the production of a nude scene. The scene was filmed in a period of three days, and took approximately twelve takes
to complete. Expressing that she was initially nervous, Bullock stated in an interview with Sky News
that "when everyone else acts like it's just a normal day it really helps you relax." Although she revealed that producers provided them with fig leaves
, Bullock stated that they would continuously fall off. She added, "You could literally see everything." Similar sentiments were expressed by Reynolds, who in an interview with People
, stated, "Filming a scene that involves being entirely naked and takes a couple days can be a little awkward." He continued: "Thankfully you're there for so long and you're doing it for so long that you dispense with the awkwardness pretty quickly and start to have mundane, normal conversations – the difference being you're not wearing pants."
, and The Hangover
. In an exit poll conducted by Disney, nearly 63% of the opening audience consisted of female viewers, 78% were eighteen or older, and 71% were classified as couples. It marked the biggest opening weekend out of any film in Bullock's career, nearly doubling from her previous holder, Premonition
. As of October 2011, the film has grossed over $163.9 million in the United States and Canada.
Box office performances showed similar numbers in international markets. The film was released in Australia
on June 18, 2009, grossing over $2.8 million on its opening weekend. In Russia
, the film grossed over $2.6 million on its opening weekend, accounting for 34% of all total film revenue in that country. In South Africa
the film debuted at number two, losing out to the new release Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
. It managed to gross over $2.6 million as of October 2011. In the United Kingdom, estimated first opening weekend grosses stand at $1.2 million. The film has grossed over $317.4 million worldwide, with international grosses standing at $153.4 million. It is the twentieth highest-grossing film of 2009.
Home media
The Proposal was released on DVD
and Blu-ray
on October 13, 2009. It sold over 2.4 million units within its first week, translating to an addition of $39.3 million in the box office. In its second week, sales numbers declined by 70% to 623,744 units, ranking second among DVD sales of the week. By January 2010, The Proposal had sold over 4.8 million units and earned over $79 million in sales.
website Rotten Tomatoes
, based on 180 reviews with an average rating of 5.3/10, with the consensus: "Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds exhibit plenty of chemistry, but they're let down by The Proposal devotion to formula." Metacritic
, which assigns a weighted average
score, gave the film a 48 out of 100 based on 30 reviews from critics.
Roger Ebert
of the Chicago Sun-Times
gave a mixed review, giving the film three out of four stars despite complaining that the film "recycles a plot that was already old when Tracy
and Hepburn
were trying it out". Peter Travers of Rolling Stone was very critical of the film, calling it insipid. He wrote, "Anne Fletcher directs Peter Chiarelli's script like a manufacturer of hard plastic that is guaranteed to ward off intrusion from all recognizable human emotion." New York Times writer Manohla Dargis felt that Bullock's character was awkward in comparison to her previous work. She continued: "She’s always been better in fundamentally independent roles that allow her to grab the wheel [...] and take the spotlight [...], 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." The Telegraph
Tim Robey expressed disappointment towards the film, giving it a two out of five stars.
The interaction between Reynolds and Bullock was acclaimed by critics. Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly
opined that the chemistry between the two actors was "fresh and irresistible." Zorianna Kit of The Huffington Post
exclaimed that "what [kept] audiences of this lite-fare comedy in their seats is the undeniable on-screen chemistry between leads Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds." She continued: "The two are so adept at comedy and have so much fun with one another, viewers watching The Proposal won't be able to resist their charms, even when some of the plot veers in to unnecessarily silliness." Betsey Sharkley of the Los Angeles Times
felt that their relationship was a "cheeky update of The Taming of the Shrew
." She opined, "Bullock's deft physical comedy, one of her most endearing qualities, is given a full run. [...] Reynolds' ability to deliver a line, or a look, with withering, surgical precision is there at every turn." Giving it a one out of five stars, The Guardian
writer Peter Bradshaw
gave a negative reaction to the interaction between Reynolds and Bullock. Bradshaw stated: "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 [...]. Andrew can't be a total wimp, because that would be unsexy, so the fundamental comic premises of the film are fudged."
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
set in Sitka, Alaska. Directed by Anne Fletcher
Anne Fletcher
Anne Fletcher is an American film director and choreographer.Fletcher took dance lessons as a child. At the age of 15, she appeared on the show Salute to the Superstars; later she moved to California, where she was trained by Joe Tremaine. She worked as a choreographer and worked in this capacity...
and written by Peter Chiarelli, the film features Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
and Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
as the leading roles, with Mary Steenburgen
Mary Steenburgen
Mary Nell Steenburgen is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Lynda Dummar in Jonathan Demme's Melvin and Howard, which earned her an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.-Early life:...
, Betty White
Betty White
Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
, and Craig T. Nelson
Craig T. Nelson
Craig Theodore Nelson is an American actor. He is probably best known for his Emmy-winning roles as Hayden Fox on the TV series Coach, and as Steve Freeling in the 1982 film Poltergeist. He also starred in The Incredibles in 2004 as Mr...
in supporting roles. The film was produced by Mandeville Films
Mandeville Films
Mandeville Films is an American independent film production company.Founded in 1994 by David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, it re-formed as Mandeville Films and Television in 2002 after a short hiatus.-History:...
and released on June 19, 2009, in North America by Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
. The plot centers around a Canadian immigrant named Margaret Tate, who learns that she may face deportation charges because of her expired visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
. Adamant to retain her position as executive chief, Tate convinces her assistant, Andrew Paxton, to temporarily act as her husband. Initially planning on resuming their lives after Tate resolves her visa issues, the plans are seemingly abandoned as their relationship intensifies.
Development on the film began in 2005, when Chiarelli wrote the film's script. Principal filming encompassed over a period of two months from March to May 2008. Critics were polarized with The Proposal; however the interactions between Bullock and Reynolds were critically acclaimed. The film was a box office success, grossing over $317.4 million worldwide, becoming one of the highest grossing romantic comedy films of all time.
Plot
Margaret Tate (Sandra BullockSandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
) is the executive editor in chief of a book publishing company. Her subordinates dislike her because she is pushy and cold. After learning she is about to be deported to Canada because of an expired visa, she convinces her assistant, Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
), to marry her. Both visit Immigration where an officer, Mr. Gilbertson (Denis O'Hare
Denis O'Hare
Denis O'Hare is an American actor noted for his award winning performances in Take Me Out and Sweet Charity as well as the HBO television show True Blood. He is also known for his supporting roles in the films Charlie Wilson's War and Milk...
), informs them that he suspects they are committing fraud to avoid Margaret's deportation. Gilbertson tells them that they'll be asked questions about each other separately. If their answers don't match, Margaret will be deported to Canada and Andrew will be convicted of a felony punishable by a $250,000 fine and five years in prison. Andrew insists that Margaret make him an editor after their marriage and publish his book. Margaret agrees.
The couple travels to Sitka, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, Andrew's home town, to meet his family. Margaret meets Andrew's mother Grace (Mary Steenburgen
Mary Steenburgen
Mary Nell Steenburgen is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Lynda Dummar in Jonathan Demme's Melvin and Howard, which earned her an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.-Early life:...
) and grandmother Annie (Betty White
Betty White
Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
). During the trip to the family home, Margaret notices that nearly every shop in town carries the name Paxton and learns that Andrew's family is in fact very wealthy. During a welcome home party, Andrew confronts his father, Joe (Craig T. Nelson
Craig T. Nelson
Craig Theodore Nelson is an American actor. He is probably best known for his Emmy-winning roles as Hayden Fox on the TV series Coach, and as Steve Freeling in the 1982 film Poltergeist. He also starred in The Incredibles in 2004 as Mr...
), who is angry about Andrew's dating the boss he has so long disliked and thinks he is using her to get ahead in his career. After their argument, Andrew announces the engagement to everyone. Margaret also meets Gertrude (Malin Åkerman
Malin Akerman
Malin Maria Åkerman is a Swedish–Canadian actress and model. She was born in Stockholm, Sweden and moved to Canada at the age of two. As a child, she appeared in several television commercials before going on to win a modelling contract at age sixteen...
), Andrew's ex-girlfriend. After the party is over, Grace and Gammy show Margaret and Andrew the bedroom they will share during the weekend.
The next day, Grace and Annie take Margaret to a local bar to watch a strip dance by a locally famous but over-the-hill exotic dancer, Ramone (Oscar Nunez
Oscar Nunez
Oscar Nunez , sometimes credited as Oscar Núñez, is a Cuban American actor and comedian.He currently appears as Dunder Mifflin's paper supply accountant, Oscar Martinez, on NBC's The Office.-Career:...
). Stepping away from the show, Margaret learns from Gertrude that Andrew wanted to become an editor and make his own life and that Andrew had proposed to Gertrude. However, Gertrude refused because she didn't want to leave Sitka for New York. Returning home, Margaret learns of the conflict between Andrew and Joe. That night, Margaret asks Andrew about his relationship with his father, but Andrew refuses to talk. In response, Margaret begins to share personal information about herself with Andrew.
The next day, the family convinces them to marry while they're in Sitka. Andrew is stressed, and Margaret tries to comfort him. After Margaret realizes how much trouble she is making for Andrew, she hijacks a boat. She tells him she has been alone since she was sixteen years old after her parents died and had forgotten what it felt like to have a family. She lets go of the helm and stumbles to the back of the boat. Andrew makes a sharp turn to avoid hitting a buoy, and Margaret falls out of the boat. Andrew quickly turns the boat around and saves her. At the wedding ceremony, Margaret confesses the sham marriage to the entire assemblage, including Gilbertson, who informs her she has twenty four hours to leave for Canada. Margaret returns to the Paxton home to pack her things. Andrew rushes to their room only to find Margaret has already left, leaving his book manuscript with a note of praise and a promise to publish it. Gertrude attempts to comfort Andrew and asks if he is going to go after her. As he rushes out of the house to find Margaret, another argument arises between him and Joe. Annie fakes a heart attack and convinces them to reconcile before she "passes away". Annie admits faking the attack. Andrew's parents realize he really loves Margaret. Andrew goes to New York and tells Margaret he loves her in front of the entire office staff. The couple go to Gilbertson and inform him they are again engaged, but for real this time.
Cast
- Sandra BullockSandra BullockSandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
as Margaret Tate, a chief editor at a major New York City book publisher. - Ryan ReynoldsRyan ReynoldsRyan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
as Andrew Paxton, Margaret's assistant who wishes to be promoted to editor and have his book manuscript published. - Mary SteenburgenMary SteenburgenMary Nell Steenburgen is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Lynda Dummar in Jonathan Demme's Melvin and Howard, which earned her an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.-Early life:...
as Grace Paxton, Andrew's mother. - Craig T. NelsonCraig T. NelsonCraig Theodore Nelson is an American actor. He is probably best known for his Emmy-winning roles as Hayden Fox on the TV series Coach, and as Steve Freeling in the 1982 film Poltergeist. He also starred in The Incredibles in 2004 as Mr...
as Joe Paxton, Andrew's father who owns the family business that dominates the entire town of Sitka. - Betty WhiteBetty WhiteBetty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
as Grandma Annie "Gammy", Andrew's grandmother and Joe's mother. - Denis O'HareDenis O'HareDenis O'Hare is an American actor noted for his award winning performances in Take Me Out and Sweet Charity as well as the HBO television show True Blood. He is also known for his supporting roles in the films Charlie Wilson's War and Milk...
as Mr. Gilbertson, the immigration agent investigating Margaret's case. - Oscar NuñezOscar NunezOscar Nunez , sometimes credited as Oscar Núñez, is a Cuban American actor and comedian.He currently appears as Dunder Mifflin's paper supply accountant, Oscar Martinez, on NBC's The Office.-Career:...
as Ramone, a resident of Sitka who holds many jobs, including waiterWaiterWaiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress" with the gender-neutral version being a "server"...
, male stripperMale stripperUntil the 1970s, strippers in Western cultures were almost invariably female, performing to male audiences. Since then, male strippers, performing to female audiences, have also become common. Male and female strippers also perform for gay and lesbian audiences respectively, as well as for both...
, shopkeeperShopkeeperA shopkeeper is an individual who owns a shop. Generally, shop employees are not shopkeepers, but are often incorrectly referred to as shopkeepers. Today, a shopkeeper is usually referred to as a manager, though this term could apply to larger firms .*In many south asian languages like Hindi, Urdu,...
, and minister. - Malin ÅkermanMalin AkermanMalin Maria Åkerman is a Swedish–Canadian actress and model. She was born in Stockholm, Sweden and moved to Canada at the age of two. As a child, she appeared in several television commercials before going on to win a modelling contract at age sixteen...
as Gertrude, Andrew's ex-girlfriend. - Michael Mosley as Chuck, Andrew's friend.
Production
Peter Chiarelli initially wrote the script for the film in 2005. In May 2007, it was announced that Sandra BullockSandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
had been given a lead role for The Proposal. Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
was originally approached by producers for a lead role in the film, but later declined. Nearly two months after the announcement, it was reported that negotiations were being finalized for Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
to star opposite to Bullock. In January 2008, Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
signed Anne Fletcher
Anne Fletcher
Anne Fletcher is an American film director and choreographer.Fletcher took dance lessons as a child. At the age of 15, she appeared on the show Salute to the Superstars; later she moved to California, where she was trained by Joe Tremaine. She worked as a choreographer and worked in this capacity...
to direct the film. It premiered on June 1, 2009 at the El Capitan Theatre
El Capitan Theatre
El Capitan Theatre is a fully restored movie palace at 6838 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is owned by Pacific Theatres and operated by the Walt Disney Company. It serves as the venue for many of Walt Disney Pictures' movie premieres...
in Hollywood, California.
Filming for The Proposal initiated in April 2008 in Rockport, Massachusetts
Rockport, Massachusetts
Rockport is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,952 at the 2010 census. Rockport is located approximately 25 miles northeast of Boston at the tip of the Cape Ann peninsula...
. In the oncoming days leading to production, areas of the town were temporarily remodeled to represent Sitka, Alaska, the setting of most of the film. Principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
officially began on April 9 at Bearskin Neck, where it continued over a period of 24 hours. Filming continued at the Motif Number One
Motif Number 1
thumb|350px|"Motif Number 1"Motif Number 1, located on Bradley Wharf in the harbor town of Rockport, Massachusetts, is a fishing shack well known to students of art and art history as "the most often-painted building in America."...
building on Bradley Wharf (April 14-16), the Haskins Building (April 15-18), and the central business district of Rockport (April 17). Principal photography relocated to Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
Manchester-by-the-Sea is a town on Cape Ann, in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 5,228.-History:...
on April 22, where it resumed over an approximate period of two weeks. In response, city officials accommodated the producers by renting out all publicly owned parking lots. Filming for The Proposal was shortly delayed after Bullock and her husband were involved in a car accident. The wedding scene was filmed in a three-story twentieth century Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
home; photography took place at the residence for three weeks. In an interview with the New York Times, the owners of the home stated that Nelson Coates
Nelson Coates
Nelson Coates is an American production designer and set designer for film, television, and theater. He was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1994 for his art direction of the miniseries The Stand, for which he designed all 225 sets. Coates is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and...
knocked on their door asking for leaves. Initially, the owners directed Coates to other residences in the area; however, they eventually gave the film's producer a tour of the house. Production occurred on the first floor of the home. Outside of the Cape Ann
Cape Ann
Cape Ann is a rocky cape in northeastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean. The cape is located approximately 30 miles northeast of Boston and forms the northern edge of Massachusetts Bay. Cape Ann includes the city of Gloucester, and the towns of Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and...
area, filming took place in Boston, Massachusetts at the State Street Bank Building
State Street Bank Building
State Street Bank Building, also known as 225 Franklin Street, is a high-rise building located in the Financial District, Boston, Massachusetts. The building stands at 477 feet with 33 floors, and was completed in 1966. It is tied with 33 Arch Street as the 19th-tallest building in Boston. The...
and in Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The Proposal contained 350 special effect shots, and some parts were edited using computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
. The score to The Proposal was composed by Aaron Zigman, who recorded his score with the Hollywood Studio Symphony
Hollywood Studio Symphony
The Hollywood Studio Symphony is the credited name of the symphony orchestra behind many major soundtracks, including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Sucker Punch, Jurassic Park 3, Last Samurai, Pirates of the Caribbean, We Are Marshall, Spider-Man 2, Lost and The...
at the Sony Scoring Stage.
As part of an extensive advertising campaign, Bullock and Reynolds discussed about taking part in the production of a nude scene. The scene was filmed in a period of three days, and took approximately twelve takes
Take
A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production.-Film:In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup"...
to complete. Expressing that she was initially nervous, Bullock stated in an interview with Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
that "when everyone else acts like it's just a normal day it really helps you relax." Although she revealed that producers provided them with fig leaves
Fig leaf
A fig leaf is the covering up of an act or an object that is embarrassing or disagreeable. The term is a metaphorical reference to the Biblical Book of Genesis, in which Adam and Eve used fig leaves to cover "their nakedness" after eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and...
, Bullock stated that they would continuously fall off. She added, "You could literally see everything." Similar sentiments were expressed by Reynolds, who in an interview with People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
, stated, "Filming a scene that involves being entirely naked and takes a couple days can be a little awkward." He continued: "Thankfully you're there for so long and you're doing it for so long that you dispense with the awkwardness pretty quickly and start to have mundane, normal conversations – the difference being you're not wearing pants."
Box office
The Proposal was released in the United States on June 19, 2009. On its opening day, the film grossed an estimated $12.7 million in 3,056 theaters, becoming the highest grossing film of the day. It later went on to gross over $33.6 million during its opening weekend, beating out Year One, UpUp (2009 film)
Up is a 2009 American computer-animated comedy-adventure film produced by Pixar, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and presented in Disney Digital 3-D. The film premiered on May 29, 2009 in North America and opened the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first animated and 3D film...
, and The Hangover
The Hangover (film)
The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha and Jeffrey Tambor...
. In an exit poll conducted by Disney, nearly 63% of the opening audience consisted of female viewers, 78% were eighteen or older, and 71% were classified as couples. It marked the biggest opening weekend out of any film in Bullock's career, nearly doubling from her previous holder, Premonition
Premonition (2007 film)
Premonition is a 2007 American drama film directed by Mennan Yapo and starring Sandra Bullock and Julian McMahon. Principal photography took place in Louisiana.-Plot:...
. As of October 2011, the film has grossed over $163.9 million in the United States and Canada.
Box office performances showed similar numbers in international markets. The film was released in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on June 18, 2009, grossing over $2.8 million on its opening weekend. In Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, the film grossed over $2.6 million on its opening weekend, accounting for 34% of all total film revenue in that country. In South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
the film debuted at number two, losing out to the new release Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, also known as Ice Age 3, is a 2009 3-D computer animated film. It is the third installment of the Ice Age series, produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox...
. It managed to gross over $2.6 million as of October 2011. In the United Kingdom, estimated first opening weekend grosses stand at $1.2 million. The film has grossed over $317.4 million worldwide, with international grosses standing at $153.4 million. It is the twentieth highest-grossing film of 2009.
Home media
The Proposal was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on October 13, 2009. It sold over 2.4 million units within its first week, translating to an addition of $39.3 million in the box office. In its second week, sales numbers declined by 70% to 623,744 units, ranking second among DVD sales of the week. By January 2010, The Proposal had sold over 4.8 million units and earned over $79 million in sales.
Critical reaction
Critics were polarized with the film. The film has a 43% approval rating on the review aggregatorReview aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services . This system stores the reviews and then uses them for purposes such as: creating a website for users to view the reviews, selling information to third parties about consumer tendencies and creating databases for...
website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, based on 180 reviews with an average rating of 5.3/10, with the consensus: "Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds exhibit plenty of chemistry, but they're let down by The Proposal devotion to formula." Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a weighted average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score, gave the film a 48 out of 100 based on 30 reviews from critics.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
gave a mixed review, giving the film three out of four stars despite complaining that the film "recycles a plot that was already old when Tracy
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
and Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
were trying it out". Peter Travers of Rolling Stone was very critical of the film, calling it insipid. He wrote, "Anne Fletcher directs Peter Chiarelli's script like a manufacturer of hard plastic that is guaranteed to ward off intrusion from all recognizable human emotion." New York Times writer Manohla Dargis felt that Bullock's character was awkward in comparison to her previous work. She continued: "She’s always been better in fundamentally independent roles that allow her to grab the wheel [...] and take the spotlight [...], 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." The Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
Tim Robey expressed disappointment towards the film, giving it a two out of five stars.
The interaction between Reynolds and Bullock was acclaimed by critics. Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
opined that the chemistry between the two actors was "fresh and irresistible." Zorianna Kit of The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
exclaimed that "what [kept] audiences of this lite-fare comedy in their seats is the undeniable on-screen chemistry between leads Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds." She continued: "The two are so adept at comedy and have so much fun with one another, viewers watching The Proposal won't be able to resist their charms, even when some of the plot veers in to unnecessarily silliness." Betsey Sharkley of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
felt that their relationship was a "cheeky update of The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
." She opined, "Bullock's deft physical comedy, one of her most endearing qualities, is given a full run. [...] Reynolds' ability to deliver a line, or a look, with withering, surgical precision is there at every turn." Giving it a one out of five stars, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
writer Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw is a British writer and film critic. He was educated at Cambridge University, where he was President of Footlights.Bradshaw is a film critic for The Guardian...
gave a negative reaction to the interaction between Reynolds and Bullock. Bradshaw stated: "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 [...]. Andrew can't be a total wimp, because that would be unsexy, so the fundamental comic premises of the film are fudged."
Accolades
| Group | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2009 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2009 The 15th Critics' Choice Awards were presented on Friday, January 15, 2010 at the Hollywood Palladium to honour the finest achievements in 2009 film-making, on January 15, 2010 on VH1... |
Best Comedy Film | ||
| 67th Golden Globe Awards 67th Golden Globe Awards The 67th Golden Globe Awards was telecasted live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, January 17, 2010 by NBC, from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM and 8:00PM – 11:00 PM . The ceremonies were hosted by Ricky Gervais, and were broadcast live for the first time.Nominations were... |
Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Sandra Bullock Sandra Bullock Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,... |
|
| 2010 MTV Movie Awards 2010 MTV Movie Awards The 2010 MTV Movie Awards was the 19th annual ceremony which took place on June 6, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. Aziz Ansari served as a host for the 19th annual ceremony. Voting the nominees began from a list of eligible contestants on March 29, 2010, and ended on April 9, 2010... |
Best Comedic Performance MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Comedic Performance.-References:... |
Sandra Bullock | |
| Best Comedic Performance MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Comedic Performance.-References:... |
Ryan Reynolds Ryan Reynolds Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known... |
||
| Best Kiss MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss This is a following list for the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Kiss.This is a following list for the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Kiss.... |
Sandra Bullock & Ryan Reynolds | ||
| Best WTF Moment MTV Movie Award for Best WTF Moment This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best WTF Moment. It was first awarded in 2009. In 2011, it was renamed Best Jaw Dropping Moment.-2009:*Peeing in the Sink – Amy Poehler ... |
Betty White Betty White Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and... |
||
| 36th People's Choice Awards 36th People's Choice Awards The 36th People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2009, was held on January 6, 2010 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and was broadcasted on CBS. Not all of the awards were presented on air during the show, as many including Favorite Movie were left out... |
Favorite Comedy Movie | ||
| Favorite On-Screen Team | Sandra Bullock & Ryan Reynolds | ||
| Favorite Movie | |||
| Satellite Awards 2009 Satellite Awards 2009 The 2009 Satellite Awards, honoring the year's outstanding performers, films, television shows, DVDs, and interactive media, were presented by the International Press Academy at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles on Sunday, December 20, 2009... |
Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Sandra Bullock | |
| 2010 Teen Choice Awards 2010 Teen Choice Awards 2010 Teen Choice Awards were held on August 8, introducing a lot of new categories now separated into "Movie", "TV", "Music", "Summer", "Fashion" and "Other". The show aired on August 9, 2010 on Fox, co-hosted by Katy Perry, who also performed, and Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, and... |
Choice Movie Dance | Sandra Bullock & Betty White | |
| Choice Scene Stealer – Female | Betty White Betty White Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and... |
||
| Choice Movie Chemistry | Sandra Bullock & Ryan Reynolds | ||
| Choice Movie Liplock | Sandra Bullock & Ryan Reynolds | ||
| Choice Movie – Romantic Comedy | |||
| Choice Movie Actress – Romantic Comedy | Sandra Bullock | ||
| Choice Movie Actor – Romantic Comedy | Ryan Reynolds | ||
| 2009 Teen Choice Awards | Choice Summer Movie – Romance | ||
| Choice Summer Movie Star – Male | Ryan Reynolds | ||
| Choice Summer Movie Star – Female | Sandra Bullock |