I love Betty White! She, along with the rest of the cast in The Proposal, makes this rom-com/fish-out-of water comedy a fun and entertaining romp. I thoroughly enjoyed this film for a multitude of reasons, one of which was Betty White.
White is a comedy icon, a TV staple for decades. Many know her best as Rose from the hit NBC series The Golden Girls, but she also portrayed the dirty-minded happy homemaker Sue Ann Nivens on the 70s sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show. More recently she has done voice-over work on Family Guy, and can be seen in bit part like her role as Gammy in The Proposal.
Another reason this movie is a lot of fun are the many physical comedy moments that star involving Sandra Bullock. It’s hard these days to find a gifted comic actress willing to make a fool of herself on-camera, and Bullock certainly knows how to get the laughs. I haven’t seen Bullock in a film where she’s been this entertaining since Miss Congeniality.
She also seems to be getting hotter the older she gets much like Julia Louis-Dreyfus (another funny female who has no problem looking silly) on The New Adventures of Old Christine.
Ryan Reynolds (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) also does a great job with his biting comebacks and under-the-breath comments throughout the film. He has a unique style that he has had since National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, and he continues to utilize it even now. What makes his style effective and not become stale is that he has also grown as an actor.
The film also includes a wide range of characters played by other familiar faces like Craig T. Nelson (Coach, The Family Stone), Mary Steenburgen (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show) guy who really bring their A-game to the film.
I also should mention that the writers of the new Star Trek film, Transformers 2, and former writers on Fringe, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci executive produced this film, which makes them three for three for successful films in 2009.
Is it perfect? Of course not. What movie these days is. But Bullock is far more entertaining, funny, and tolerable to watch in The Proposal than All About Steve, and the cast as a whole does an excellent job making this rom-com an amusing and delightful date movie.
The Proposal DVD contains a number of special features, which include:
Deleted Scenes
Alternate Ending
Featuring Nicey Nash (Reno 911!) as a flight attendant. It’s a decent ending, but the one they decided to use was more effective.
Set Antics: Outtakes and Other Absurdities from The Proposal
Very funny! Lots of great moments with Betty White (did I mention I love her?).
Audio Commentary
You also get a Digital Copy of the movie for The Proposal on the go!
I cannot recommend The Proposal enough. It’s a fun and entertaining movie that is definitely worth a look!