“(stares into camera) The Proposal.”

“Is that what you think I do?!”

And just like that, a 15 year-old movie briefly entered the consciousness again, by way of those relentless fourth wall breaks courtesy of “The Merc with a Mouth” in Deadpool and Wolverine. Well, what better time to take a trip down engagement lane with 2009’s The Proposal?

THE STORY: For the past three years, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) has been an editorial assistant for the icy, high-powered lead editor Margaret (Sandra Bullock). Together, they work in New York City not as friends, but acquaintances. Andrew, like others in the office, merely puts up with the incisive actions of Margaret.

Margaret gets a hard dose of reality when it’s shared with the Canadian that her visa has expired and she faces deportation. The only way she can avoid it? Marriage. Who to? None other than Andrew, of whom she promises a promotion to the role he’s always wanted in fellow lead editor. With a previous trip to Sitka, Alaska already on the books for Andrew, the newly formed couple decides to announce their engagement to his loved ones in Grandma Annie (Betty White), his mom, Grace (Mary Steenburgen), and father, Joe (Craig T. Nelson) Hijinks naturally ensue, all while immigration agent Mr. Gilbertson (Denis O’Hare) is determined to snuff out this ruse.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: The Proposal isn’t a perfect rom-com, and I think it could be argued that the movie doesn’t do enough to convince you that by runtime’s end (predictable spoiler), Margaret has fallen for Andrew in the way Andrew has fallen for her. That said, it’s not something you pay a ton of attention to until the movie’s over, mainly because it’s a fun, chemistry-laden romp between co-stars and a legendary supporting actress.

In The Proposal, it sees Reynolds at an earlier point in a career where one couldn’t immediately see shades of Wade Wilson in nearly every character, and at a time where he was as likely to be a supporting castmate as a lead one. And with Bullock, the movie is an obvious reminder of how big of a megastar she was, with the skills to be humorous and deliver poignancy in the same scene. Together, their chemistry isn’t the most sizzling, but it is substantial and the screenplay builds adequate character backstory for both to make it not crazy that the two would see each other in different lights the more time they spend around each other and committing to their task at hand.

However, the real star of the show is the late, great Ms. White. Stealing every scene she appears in, her wit, mannerisms, and delivery are pitch-perfect. There was almost always an element of wholesome naiveté with a small tinge of edginess that she brought with her into every role and every cast interaction.

A GREAT MOMENT: C’mon, it is the forest dance scene. In it, Margaret wanders across Grandma Annie, who is busy giving respect to the spirits and Mother Nature. Margaret quickly tries to get away, but Gammy will have none of that, and demands her to take in the ritual. After some stiffness and some Grandma Annie encouragement, Margaret embraces the direction from the spirits and recites the very crude lyrics to Lil Jon’s Get Low, with body gyrations included.

The moment is short, lasting no more than three minutes, but it’s an A+ showcase of two extremely talented actresses who bounce off of each other so smoothly. Bullock has never had an issue making herself look like a complete goober physically and verbally, and that type of willingness sells the humor of this type of scene exponentially. The same goes for White, hilariously off-rhythm when the lines of the song come. A perfect deadpanned one-liner from Reynolds puts a beautiful bow on this stretch of runtime.

THE TALLY: With a pre-Deadpool Reynolds, a still-peak form Bullock, and a comically acute White, The Proposal remains a simplistic but oh-so-satisfying mid-budget rom-com. It’s What to Watch.

Photo credits go to screenrant.com. impawards.com, and IMDB.com.

For additional detailed thoughts on films both small and large, games, and the key moments that comprise each, check out ThatMomentIn.com.