The Proposal 2009 : A Review and Some Thoughts

My son's been itching to watch The Proposal, and I've been adamant in PG'ing it. My son's 10 years old and is at that age when kids are curious about grown up things and think/feel brave enough to take on "adult" stuff. Well, I'm one of those protective mothers who wants to keep her cub in the den... But heck, one adult said the "adult" scenes weren't obscene or lewd - and indeed they weren't and bless him, my son found the birthday suits scene hilarious. I was at wit's end trying to keep my protectiveness at bay while barely stifling guffaws!

I also had to tell him that love stories like those are just in the movies (yeah, ma, they're fiction, you've been saying that since I was little). I had to say that lest he thought it was ok to short circuit love... I had to say my brief spiel on love, friendship and respect...

God, to be a mom!

Eventually, Andrew and Margaret's characters grew on me, and the development of the story caught on my sentimental side, that I was actually crying (eeek, yes! it's one of my weaknesses!). My son asked "Do you like the movie ma?" And my reply was "Do you think I'd still get married?" (Haller?!!!) And then he hugged me. "Yeah, you can get married ma." Yep, that's my son.

Now when Margaret admitted to their charade in that barn wedding scene, I had to say "Now that's very brave! She did the right thing." ("You do like the movie.")

It was really nice, that movie. "But that's a fairy tale, kid."

***

Speaking of proposals, now I understand why the American husband of my friend looooves telling his proposal story where he gets down on his knee, opens the Tiffany box with the rock and pops the question. And he is astounded that my friend was speechless, she almost spaced out. All this in the backdrop of New York with the view from the Brooklyn Bridge (when I was not there LOL). And he loves telling that story over and over again.

I was reminded of this during the scene in The Proposal when Andrew's ex-girlfriend asks them to tell the proposal story... And the guests at their party were intent on listening to their story... Fast forward to the end where Andrew actually proposes to Margaret, his former tormentor, with purpose and conviction in his former concentration camp - the office, and the onlookers, their officemates were all dissolved into mush...

Gosh I wonder if that happens in real life... Come to think of it, romantic proposals worth recounting happened as it did to my friend. (She's the one who gets embarrassed each time her husband relates it with such gusto, you can't help but get engaged - no pun intended!).

That's The United States of Hollywood for you, and I have to admit, I love it too!

Wallpaper from this site.