Hollywood Role Reversal

The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds reverse long-standing roles often seen in Hollywood romantic comedies. Instead of a much older male star (Clint Eastwood and Renee Russo, Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, Cary Grant and Grace Kelly – or just about any of Kelly’s leading men) and a starlet, it’s Bullock who’s older and the high powered boss to Reynolds put-upon executive assistant. And it works just fine (the film opened last weekend to $34 million plus).

It also takes place in the publishing industry, as Bullock’s tough editor-in-chief cajoles and soothes jittery authors, getting them to promote their books by appearing on Oprah. Reynolds highly organized assistant Andrew Paxton is really a writer who works for Bullock’s Margaret Tate and puts up with her grief just so he can someday get her to read the manuscript of his novel. In order to keep her Visa status in the U.S. and avoid deportation back to Canada, Margaret persuades Andrew to marry her. With some conditions of his own and the government investigating the charade, the two are forced to travel to Alaska and spend a long weekend with his family.

Hollywood would do well to remember that women have a lot of money to spend on movies and that actresses don’t just fade away at forty.

Fun ironic fact – in real life it’s Reynolds who hails from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

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