Tonight we are pairing The Proposal with good old fashioned popcorn and a great Chardonnay. Yes, it sounds too good to be true but I promise it’s awesome. I had the pleasure of dragging my husband to the drive-in to see this movie.
We packed a few grown up items that they do not serve at the snack bar to go with our popcorn. One was a rich and buttery Chardonnay from Malivoire winery in Vineland, Ontario. I always find that Niagara Chardonnay’s have a slight campfire and roasted corn character that pairs them so well with popcorn. The theatre stuff is ok, but take the time to pop some the old fashioned way at home with an air popper, it’s so much more fun! Do not forget to melt the real butter over top and give a sprinkle of salt, I prefer sea salt. Sit back, sip and enjoy the movie!
Sandra Bullock plays Margaret a go for the throat; no holds barred executive editor-in-chief. She strikes fear into the hearts of her employees and doesn’t care their opinion of her. Ryan Reynolds plays Andrew Paxton her faithful, almost puppy like, assistant. He has so much fear of her blocking his career path that he even drinks the same morning beverage just in case one spills. Margaret is perceived to be a completely cold hearted bitch that will do anything to get the job done. That is anything except getting her VISA papers in order to avoid deportation.
Through the opening of the movie I immediately thought Margaret was going to be the kind of person you love to hate. She has no thought for others, only focuses on herself and constantly puts her faithful assistant down. However, there is just something about Sandra Bullock that I can’t hate. Even while Margaret is so focused on herself you can’t help but wonder when that is going to change. You believe it will change otherwise it’s not much of a romantic comedy! With Andrew you can’t help but want to hug him for trying so hard at everything! He works his butt off and doesn’t seem to get anywhere in the eyes of his boss. He writes and she shoots it down. He comes up with good ideas that are ignored.
Margaret is faced with the fact that she needs Andrew to marry her to avoid deportation. Andrew agrees but, with some conditions. When they go to immigration they encounter a suspicious officer who fires a number of questions at them to test their relationship. He enquires if the parents know and Margaret reveals she doesn’t really have family. Andrew plans to tell his parents on the weekend… in Alaska. That’s right, Andrew grew up in Alaska and no one is more shocked than Margaret at that revelation. They head off to Alaska for the weekend and Grandma’s 90th birthday. The whole family is there and we quickly learn that the Paxton’s are almost like the Kennedy’s here. Everyone is excited to meet Margaret. Except Andrew’s father. This is coloured by the fact he’s obviously not thrilled with his son’s career choice.
You want to believe that things will work out for Margaret and Andrew so that we can see Andrew get what he finally deserves. Success on his own. He wants to be a big name in the industry he has chosen. The softer side of Margaret which is refreshing and welcome and brings home the point that people are a product of their environment just as much as they are a product of genetics. The fun loving characters of Andrews Mom and Grandma bring in lots of comic relief and you just want to hang out with them (or have a bachelorette with them!).
The beginnings of true romance between Margaret and Andrew. There are times when we aren’t sure they will pull through and you will have to watch it to find out!
Throughout, this movie I felt drawn into the characters, each and every one of them. It was a great feeling because I often feel that the perimeter characters in romantic comedies are a bit lost. Ryan does such a great job of giving this character a warm and fuzzy feeling that you can’t believe at times how badly you want things for him, a character in a movie! But that’s exactly what he accomplishes.
The movie made me laugh, made me cry and made me think just a little bit at times about relationships and how we all deal with them differently. I loved the movie and I think my husband even enjoyed it just a little bit.
I leave you with this….our Chardonnay will grow and evolve in your glass, the popcorn transforms itself from small hard seeds to a warm and fluffy snack and our lead characters just might mimic that a bit. Enjoy the show!
