Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is informed that her visa has expired meaning she is at risk for being deported back to her native Canada and losing her cushy chief editor position. Margaret makes a deal with her personal assistant, Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds), that if he marries her to make her US citizenship valid she will help him get promoted to editor. Easy enough, right? Get married, get the immigration papers signed and then quickly divorce, right?

Ha! No way, Jose. Immigration informs the newly engaged couple that they will be thoroughly tested to make sure the marriage isn’t a sham. What luck that Andrew has to travel to his hometown of Sitka, Alaska for a weekend celebration of his grandmother’s (Betty White) birthday. Both Andrew and Margaret have a lot at stake in this partnership. If they fail, Andrew will go to prison while Margaret gets booted back to Canada. Ah, but if they can pull this off there will be great job promotions to be had. So the two plan to get to know each other just enough to pass the evaluations.

Can two people who detest each other fake it as a couple? Oh, they try really hard and it’s a pleasure to watch. The fun starts when we meet Margaret who is the epitome of the office dragon. The whole office can’t stand her but they keep mum about it so as not to be burned to a crisp by her fiery breath or turned to a popsicle by her icy stare. And I think a lot of us can relate to Andrew; he goes above and beyond for a superior that regards him as a well dressed servantboy. Then Andrew gets to live out the true American dream by taken advantage of Margaret’s weakness and turning the tables on their professional relationship. After years of unyielding and dehumanizing servitude Andrew gets to call the shots and Queen Margaret has to bow down to him for a change. Margaret lets him have his fun but every so often has to remind him that if they succeed she will still be his boss after her US citizenship is sealed and approved.

Then the two leave NYC to Alaska where we discover that there’s more to Andrew than meets the eye, much more. Mary Steenburgen and Craig T. Nelson play Andrew’s parents. Mom is thrilled to see her son who so rarely visits Sitka. That’s because of the strained relationship between Andrew and his dad. Dad thinks Andrew is wasting his time pursuing a writing career while Andrew is determined to do his own thing.

The marriage scheme gets more complicated when Andrew’s family insists that the couple exchange their vows before they head back to NYC. Andrew and Margaret try to resist but they eventually fold under Grammy’s (Betty White) wish to see her only grandchild wed before she croaks.

Another complication comes in the form of Andrew’s old flame, Gertrude (Malin Akerman), and you know how exes effect romcoms (romantic comedies). There’s sweet little Gertie making Andrew look back on what might’ve been and causing Margaret to feel some guilt for blocking the former couple’s reconcilation. Leave it to the blonde and blue eyed beauty of Ms. Akerman to act as the lure that could drag Andrew away from Margaret and muck up the deal.

I wonder if I was the only one in the theater expecting Akerman to break into Silk Spectre mode and go all crimefighter on Margaret’s snooty booty? Anyway…..

There are so many positive things about The Proposal I want to share but the first and foremost is that the laughs are virtually non-stop. Of course there are those moments when the funny momentum dies down to allow the dramatic moments to flourish. But even at those times the movie is a blast because we get to learn more about Andrew and Margaret. And yeah, we know that Margaret is gonna gradually thaw out of her iceberg shell and as always it is a lot of fun to watch the upscale executive mingle with the townies and their rural customs. If you thought all the best gags were exposed in the preview then rest assured because there are a lot more comical surprises in store.

Okay, I don’t normally do this but there is one scene where Grammy warns that the family dog must not be let out of the house or else the eagles might scoop him up. The next morning Margaret goes outside to get a better cell phone signal and leaves the door open. The dog rushes outside and dontcha know an eagle actually swoops outta the tree, snags the pooch and tries to fly away with the furry mega meal. And poor Margaret has to try and get the dog back from the flying predator. An unpleasant challenge for her but a wickedly funny moment for us to watch.

Sitka is full of some interesting characters but none can match the amazing talents of Ramone played by Oscar Nunez. Ramone takes on many roles in the town including shopkeeper, caterer and minister. But most will probably be more inclined to hire him as an exotic dancer. Ramone gets to show off his “flashdancing” to a not so enthusiastic Margaret. I’m gonna have a whole new mental image when I hear Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s “Relax (Don’t Do It)”. Whoa.

Sandra Bullock is great as the resident queen of mean. Again, it’s the same old “uptown girl goes downtown” shtick but with the twist that Margaret has to play nice or else she’ll lose her status and wealth. Poor Margaret has to endure a lot of stuff before she can return to NYC and Bullock portrays her character’s growing impatience like a champion. And do I really need to say how funny Ryan Reynolds is? We already know that, right? Right. The two of them together are as natural as PB& J.

I think my first favorite scene is when Margaret breaks the news to Andrew in the CEO’s office that they are engaged. Margaret makes up the romance on the fly while Andrew hesitantly follows along with a look of shock and an inability to form coherent sentences. And then there’s a cute scene where Margaret and Andrew perform a unique rendition of Rob Bass & DJ E-Z’s “It Takes Two To Make A Thing Go Right”. Let’s just say if they ever do an autobiographical film about The BeeGees Mr. Reynolds is a shoo-in for Barry Gibb.

The Proposal’s #1 opening was no fluke. This movie is good. Really, really good. It’s funny and heartwarming and sweet and crazy and the story is well done (cheers to screenwriter Pete Chiarelli for that). The Proposal is fun for the whole family or just as a giggly hangout flick with your friends. This is also one of those rare romcoms that won’t make the manly men puke in their popcorn buckets……well, at least not until the wedding finale. The Proposal was well worth my time and my cash.