The Proposal Shines a Light on Alaskan Wilderness and Family Togetherness

My friend Libbie and I have a mixed track record when it comes to Sandra Bullock movies. On the one hand, Miss Congeniality was one of the first movies we saw together in the theater, and we loved it. On the other, both of us agreed that 2007's Premonition was pretty dismal. Still, the good impressions outweighed the bad as we watched the trailer for The Proposal, and the premise looked cute, so we decided this was probably a cinema-worthy chick flick. I'm glad we followed through on those theater plans.

The Proposal stars Bullock as Margaret Tate, a no-nonsense book editor seemingly cut out of the same cloth as Meryl Streep's Devil Wears Prada tyrant, though she never quite achieves that level of cool collectedness. Still, she rules her office with an iron fist, and nobody has to put up with more grief than her personal assistant, the adorable Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds). There's nothing he won't do in his sycophantic quest to achieve his dream job, and he's about to find out just how far Margaret will push that envelope. When she receives the shocking news that she is on the verge of deportation to Canada, she produces a fiance - Andrew. To satisfy the government, being engaged is not enough; they'll have to actually marry. First, though, they'll have to announce the news to his extended family, who are gathered in Andrew's Alaskan hometown for his grandmother's 90th birthday party.

My favorite Bullock movie is probably While You Were Sleeping, a wonderfully sweet romantic comedy about a woman whose longtime crush is in an accident that knocks him into a coma. She is the first on hand to help him, and by the time he's safely settled in the hospital, staff and family alike assume that she is his fiancee. After a few initial attempts to set the record straight, this lonely woman allows the family to embrace her. The details of the two movies are very different, but in some respects the basic plot is very similar: isolated woman falls in love with the family of a faux fiance. Because while film is about Margaret and Andrew falling for each other away from the stresses of work and the constraints of the boss-employee relationship, their romance blossoms largely because of the nurturing environment of the affectionate Paxton family. And all that fresh Alaska air doesn't hurt either. "How could anybody choose the city over that?" Dad asked me during a scene displaying a vast vista of verdant grass and snow-capped mountains. I don't know. (I do know, however, that I caught my dad not only admiring the landscape but laughing out loud several times, so guys, don't snub this one automatically!)

It's a surprise to us and Margaret alike when a ride through Andrew's hometown reveals that the Paxtons practically own the city. Their name is everywhere, and his parents live in a luxurious estate. His distant father Joe (Craig T. Nelson) has nothing but disdain for his son's chosen career path; he's the only child, so Joe was counting on him to keep up the family business. His mother Grace (Mary Steenburgen) is appropriately named, for she is happy to forgive Andrew for his long absences and only wants to keep the peace between the two most important men in her life. The always-delightful Betty White is the eccentric Paxton family matriarch, a position whose power she wields shrewdly. Grammy is no dummy, but unlike the bigoted neighbor White played in Bringing Down the House, she is genuinely sweet. The previews highlight her punchiest moments, giving the impression that there's more of a bite to her than there really is.

Aside from these three, there are four other significant supporting players. Denis O'Hare is Mr. Gilbertson, a smug immigration officer who distrusts the sincerity of Margaret and Andrew's connection. His is largely a comic role, though he is a central source of conflict as he tails Margaret with relentless Catch Me If You Can-style determination. There's also Gertrude (Malin Akerman), the childhood sweetheart who once turned down Andrew's proposal because, unlike him, she wanted to remain in Alaska, and Kevin, the adorable puppy who apparently has an innate dislike for Margaret. His slapsticky contributions to the movie are funny but seem to be there mainly for the sake of any kids who might be watching.

Finally, there's Ramon, a family friend and jack of all trades. Libbie and I are both fans of The Office, so we were excited to see Oscar Nunez, who portrays soft-spoken, level-headed accountant Oscar, in this film and amused by the many roles the zany character plays in the community. I do think, however, that a comedic bit involving him as a stripper is gratuitously raunchy and goes on much longer than it needs to. Though the movie is clearly geared towards adults and doesn't even have any characters in it who are children, this is one of the only scenes necessitating a PG-13 rating. Another involves Margaret and Andrew accidentally colliding while unclothed, but the circumstances are innocent and the shot is tastefully done. Scattered throughout the movie are a few suggestive comments, but there's surprisingly little profanity.

The Proposal is a tale about the importance of family and respect, and it happens to be set in an absolutely glorious location. Reynolds and Bullock have great chemistry despite the slight age gap; she's 12 years older, but that seems fitting, since she's so much higher up on the totem pole business-wise. He's lovable from the beginning, while it doesn't take long for her character to become sympathetic. Margaret has pushed Andrew around for three years, so it's fun to watch him yank her around a bit once their strange situation gives him the upper hand, but it's also touching to see him staunchly defend her when questions about her arise. Meanwhile, her big end-of-the-movie oration, while strikingly similar to her speech in While You Were Sleeping, shows how much she has matured in just one weekend.

If you like Bullock or Reynolds, you'll probably like it, and if you've also always wanted to visit Alaska, you'll probably love it. For a feel-good, mostly old-fashioned romantic comedy, I propose you check out The Proposal!

The Office Gets Down to Business in Season Two

This past Christmas, my brother received the first four seasons of The Office on DVD. He didn't have to head back to college until mid-January, so we got a fair bit of viewing in during that time, and he managed to get us completely hooked. While the first season is a fun introduction to the characters, it's so short, at only six episodes, that it seems more like a mini-series that kicks things off than a full season. Season two really plunges into the characters, letting us scrutinize all the quirks and foibles of the employees of the Scranton branch of the Dunder-Mifflin paper company.

The fearless leader is Michael Scott, played to the zany hilt by Steve Carell. Michael is a boss who is desperate to be liked by all of his employees, though he often sabotages his efforts to ingratiate himself by cluelessly making inappropriate remarks. He excels at wasting time, and the logic behind his thought processes tends to be truly baffling. In this season, one of his primary preoccupations is Jan Levinson-Gould (Melora Hardin), a hard-nosed superior with whom he unexpectedly shares a tender moment. Convinced that there's more to their relationship than one tipsy encounter, he pursues her for the remainder of the season, even as he puts the moves on Carol (Nancy Walls), the real estate agent who sold him his house. Meanwhile, he manages to wreak havoc with his staff time and again, whether he's proving himself inept at keeping a secret, leading uncomfortable seminars or handing out office awards that nobody really wants.

Michael's second-in-command is Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), an aggressively anti-social beet farmer whose off-the-wall remarks are among the strangest on the show. While Dwight is often maddeningly self-serving, he becomes more sympathetic this season as he embarks upon a covert relationship with uptight accountant Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey), a devout Christian and cat lover who relishes her role as head of the party planning committee, and reveals greater depths of geekiness, making allusions to the likes of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and LOST. In the fourth episode, The Fire, Dwight demonstrates the extent of his oddness when Jim initiates a "What three books would you bring with you to a desert island?" game. His answer? "Physician's Desk Reference - hollowed out. Inside: waterproof matches, iodine tablets, beet seeds, protein bars, NASA blanket and, in case I get bored, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. No, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." This was the moment when I declared my allegiance to Dwight for the rest of the series.

Perhaps the most normal people in the office are salesman Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and receptionist Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer). They make the drudgery of their jobs bearable by collaborating on elaborate pranks, of which Dwight is almost always the victim. They're young, attractive and totally into each other. There's just one problem: Pam is engaged to the boorish Roy Anderson (David Denman), a warehouse worker who isn't really a bad guy but who certainly doesn't seem like a good match for Pam. The gradual resolution of the romantic tensions between Jim and Pam reminds me of the long-deferred Niles-Daphne relationship on Frasier; in both cases, the heart of series lies largely in wanting these star-crossed lovers to finally have a shot at real happiness together.

With the main players already well established, season two delves more deeply into the less prominent but still crucial characters. The only other woman in Pam's age bracket is Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling), a customer service representative of Indian descent who is scarily skilled at speaking at Micro Machine Man speeds. She has her eye on Ryan Howard (B. J. Novak), the fresh-out-of-college temp on whom Michael fawns, much to Ryan's discomfort. Kelly is ditzy, while Ryan has plenty of book smarts and a pretty high opinion of himself, though when it comes down to it his value to the company is rather limited, especially since he considers himself above many of the tasks Michael assigns him.

Sharing the accountants' corner with Angela are articulate, well-coiffed Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez), an underused character who has a moment in the spotlight late in the season, and pudgy, lethargic Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner), who reacts to the shenanigans of his office-mates with an elementary school mentality. Back in the annex with Kelly is sad-sack Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein), the human relations guy who is constantly butting heads with Michael over his management style. Consequently, Toby is the one employee who Michael detests, which adds to the pervasive exhaustion reflected in the bags under Toby's eyes.

Middle-aged saleswoman Phyllis Lapin (Phyllis Smith) generally brings a kind, maternal presence to the office, though party planning encounters with Angela bring out some less admirable aspects of her personality. Her demeanor tends to be quiet but cheerful, while fiery-haired alcoholic Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery) comes across as sour and oversexed. Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton), the oldest member of the staff, first makes a big impression in Halloween, when he talks Michael, who has been pressured into laying off an employee, into letting him stay. In charge of quality control, he rarely plays a significant role in the workings of the office, but this creepy, out-to-lunch renaissance man can often be counted on for a hilariously random aside.

Down in the warehouse with Roy is Daryll Philbin (Craig Robinson), a no-nonsense black man who is leery of Michael interfering with his team's productivity and enjoys yanking Michael's chain by feeding him phony ghetto phrases. Up in the office, the only black employee is Staney Hudson (Leslie David Baker), a grumpy bulldog of a guy whose rolled eyes and terse statements make it very clear that he doesn't take kindly to Michael's interruptions, which could cost him sales. When that interference comes in the form of mandatory meetings, Stanley expresses his disdain by ignoring the presentation and working crossword puzzles.

This season gives all of these characters opportunities to interact with one another in ways that are sometimes meaningful and always amusing. The mockumentary style of the series allows for frequent instances of characters directly addressing the camera; some of the funniest bits of dialogue and most revealing character details come out in these short soliloquys. Several episodes take characters into a different setting, whether it's the Chili's where Michael hands out the annual Dundies awards, the ice skating rink where he holds his birthday party or the warehouse he so gleefully infiltrates. The office itself takes on a different flavor at times, too, particularly when Jim institutes a competition consisting of all the games that people have made up to stave off boredom and when various employees bring their children and step-children to work with them.

No matter what the circumstances, this show is full of surprises, with every episode guaranteed to have loony lines that will catch you off guard. With 22 episodes, there's a lot more to chew on here than in the first season, not to mention that there are more - and funnier - deleted scenes for each episode than for any series I've seen on DVD, with the possible exception of Freaks and Geeks, the other series produced by Paul Feig. Other special features like PSAs presented by various characters and a series of short scenes dealing with an accounting mystery add to the set's value.

When I started watching The Office, my friend informed me that season two was her favorite, and I can understand why. In terms of establishing character, it's the cornerstone of the series, and there is still plenty of new territory to explore at this point. It's also pretty easy to pick up the series here without having watched the first season, as my dad did; in later seasons, there are some pretty substantial plot twists that might throw new viewers for a loop, but if you want to dive into The Office with a full set of episodes, season two won't leave you confused. Still, I recommend catching it from the beginning, especially if you're a Netflix member, as the first four seasons are not only rentable but also available for instant viewing. Just be warned: It's mighty addictive!