THE PROPOSAL (B-)

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen and Betty White

Story: When high-powered book editor Margaret faces deportation to her native Canada, the quick-thinking exec declares that she's actually engaged to her unsuspecting put-upon assistant Andrew, who she's tormented for years. He agrees to participate in the charade, but with a few conditions of his own. The unlikely couple heads to Alaska to meet his quirky family and the always-in-control city girl finds herself in one comedic fish-out-of-water situation after another. With an impromptu wedding in the works and an immigration official on their tails, Margaret and Andrew reluctantly vow to stick to the plan despite the precarious consequences. (Touchstone Pictures, Disney)

Rated: PG-13

Bottom line: Ryan Reynolds has been on the brink of stardom for the past nine years and, interestingly enough, Sandra Bullock hasn’t given us anything worth watching in nine years…so let’s get these two together and see if we can’t make us a movie! It’s forcefully sappy-sweet, alarmingly predictable and you’ll know what to expect at almost every single turn – but the Reynolds/Bullock chemistry works well enough that you might want to give a hesitant ‘yes’ to THE PROPOSAL.