The 2009 Romantic Comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.
Margaret Tate (Bullock) is a domineering (and very bitchy) Canadian woman who works as an executive editor for a publishing company based in New York City, and treats pretty much everyone around her like crap, particularly her assistant, Andrew Paxton (Reynolds). Eventually, Margaret learns that she's in danger of being deported back to Canada due to violating the terms of her work visa.
To fix this, Margaret lies by claiming that she's engaged to get married to Andrew and that the two of them are planning on flying out to Alaska for his grandmother's 90th-birthday to tell the rest of his family. Andrew, of course, vehemently tries backing out of the plan, but Margaret insists that they'll be married for a short while and then get a divorce—Andrew ultimately agrees to it after he makes her promise to publish his book and promote him.
The two fly out to Alaska and Margaret meets Andrew's family—over the course of their time in Alaska, the two slowly get to know each better and ultimately end up falling in love (for real).
Tropes included in this movie:
- Accidental Pervert: Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock's characters accidentally wind up naked and on top of each other. This is due to a fresh-out-of-the-shower Margaret making a run for the wardrobe just as Andrew started heading for the shower himself. They're both not looking and awkwardly slam into each other front-first.Margaret: Why are you naked?!
Andrew: Why are you wet?! - Artistic License – Law: The consequences for admitting that you intend to go through with a sham marriage to obtain US citizenship, as Margaret does near the end of the film, would not have the results depicted in the film. In actuality you would be arrested the minute you admitted it, and at best case you'd be driven to the nearest airport, put on the next plane back to your home country, and barred from ever entering the United States again for the rest of your life. Worst case, you'd be jailed for up to eight years, then deported.
- Becoming the Mask: Margaret and Andrew have near zero chemistry when trying to play up being in love in front of everyone, but through some shared experiences they end up coming closer without realizing how it looks. After jumping in bed together when family walk in, as they leave Andrew is agitated and Margaret instinctually comforts him by rubbing his shoulders. When Margaret falls out of the boat into Alaskan water Andrew gets her back in the boat, wraps a blanket around her and hugs her in an effort to warm her up faster.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Andrew and Margaret have this between them pretty much through the entire trip to Alaska.
- Between My Legs: This perspective is used when Margaret is trying to fight off the Paxton family dog with a hair dryer.
- Big Fancy House: Due to Andrew being Secretly Wealthy, the Paxton family home in Sitka is one.
- Black Comedy Animal Cruelty: Margaret drops her cellphone while trying to protect a small dog from an eagle. When she succeeds and the eagle seizes the phone instead, she frantically holds the dog up in the air and begs the eagle to take it in exchange.
- Butt-Monkey: Ryan Reynolds in this trailer
. - Calling the Old Man Out: Andrew finally snaps and addresses his father's disapproval of him working at a publishing firm. Their differences are only resolved once his grandmother Gammy fakes a heart attack and makes them reconcile.
- Can't Live with Them, Can't Live Without Them: Andrew and Margaret don't get along particularly well at first, but are rather reliant on each other — and then eventually find that they do actually like each other.
- Chick Flick: Although luckily the film focuses more on humor than the general mushy stuff.
- Citizenship Marriage: The entire plot of the film.
- Cool Old Lady: Andrew's grandmother, Gammy. Then again, it's Betty White so that's a given.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Margaret.
- Fake Relationship: The entire plot starts when Canadian businesswoman Margaret convinces her American assistant Andrew to marry her so she doesn't get deported. Naturally, they end up falling for each other for real.
- Fanservice: Ryan Reynolds—naked. Sandra Bullock—naked. A good time is had by all.
- Funny Background Event: The immigration officer that Margaret and Andrew meet has a copy of U.S. Citizenship for Dummies on his desk.
- Funny Foreigner: Ramone.
- Hand-or-Object Underwear: When Margaret comes out of the shower and gets pestered by the dog. A wonderful subversion occurs when she literally runs into Andrew and they manage to censor each other's body parts with one another.
- Hereditary Wedding Dress: Downplayed and justified. After convincing Andrew and Margaret to have their wedding last minute so that Andrew's family can witness it, Grandma Annie passes her wedding dress, made by hand by her own mother, on to her granddaughter-in-law Margaret. Margaret, who was orphaned young and has no other family, is touched at being treated like family in this way, especially since she originally only proposed to Andrew so she would not be deported to Canada.
- High-Powered Career Woman: Margaret is the domineering, Ice Queen, CEO of a publishing company in New York, who is suddenly forced to prioritize romance over her career (albeit superficially) when she is confronted with deportation for not being an American citizen and decides to fake a marriage with her assistant Andrew to keep her resident status. As a Rom Com, she naturally warms up to Andrew and knocks down some of the walls she's built.
- Hilarious Outtakes: On the DVD, plus a special feature in which Betty White treats Ryan Reynolds like shit but no one believes him when he tries to tell them about it. Has to be seen to be believed.
- Hollywood Heart Attack: Subverted. It was faked.
- The Illegal: Ramone might be one based on the answers he gives in his questioning during the end credits.
- Intimate Healing: The realistic keep-warm kind.
- Irony: The film stars the American Sandra Bullock as a Canadian businesswoman who tries to get a Citizenship Marriage with her assistant played by the Canadian Ryan Reynolds.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Margaret ultimately reveals that the wedding is a sham and leaves to pack up her office and be deported. Andrew of course flies back to New York to stop her and tell her that he loves her.
- Jerkass: Andrew's Dad for most of the film and the immigration agent for all of it.
- Love Triangle: Margaret, Andrew and Gertrude, Andrew's ex-girlfriend.
- Mama Bear: Andrew's mom verbally bitchslaps his father for upsetting him and demands that he fix it.
- Marriage Before Romance: Margaret makes Andrew marry her to avoid being deported to Canada. After pretending to friends, family and the INS, they're exposed...only to have him propose so that they can date.
- Mistress and Servant Boy: Andrew and Margaret at the start of the story, although he takes more initiative once he realizes the leverage he now has over her.
- Mr. Fanservice: It's Ryan Reynolds.
- Naked People Are Funny: Undoubtedly one of the most contrived examples of this ever. Margaret comes out of the shower only to find that there's no towel, but is then intimidated by the Paxton's family's small dog, which she earlier allowed to be abducted by an eagle. She protects her modesty only with the aid of a small sponge, while attempting to evade the dog. Meanwhile, Andrew comes back from working off his rage at his unsympathetic father by chopping wood while listening to music on headphones; he doesn't realise she's been in the shower because he assumes she's still out with his mother and their friends. Margaret calls out to find if anyone's there, but Andrew doesn't hear her over his ipod, so he doesn't reply. He strips off his clothes in order to go into the shower, while she escapes from the dog while still wet and naked: they collide with each other: awkwardness ensues. Absurd as it is, it's still funny.
- Percussive Therapy: Andrew carving out a canoe shows his mother that his father upset him.
- Race for Your Love: Andrew tries to chase after Margaret when the immigration agent takes her away, but her plane takes off before he can get to her. He eventually catches up to her back at their office in New York.
- Raging Stiffie: Andrew's morning wood.Margaret: Oh my god what is that?!
Andrew: What?! It's...it's morning! - Rom Com: Shows the usual classic form of boy and girl hate each other, get closer together, almost get together, break up, and then get back together permanently.
- Secretly Wealthy: After arriving in Alaska to see Andrew's family, Sandra discovers that Andrew comes from a fairly wealthy family—in fact, the Paxtons own many of the businesses in Sitka, Alaska.
- Sexy Mentor: Andrew doesn't acknowledge Margaret as such until their professional relationship is interrupted — see Mistress and Servant Boy — but of course it's part of the premise.
- Shirtless Scene: Or in this case, shirtless and pantless scene for both Reynolds and Bullock.
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: Andrew and Margaret.
- Suggestive Collision: Margaret makes a nude run for the wardrobe from the shower. Andrew is also naked, getting ready to take a shower of his own. Neither is looking and they walk into each other at a fast pace. He ends up on top for her:Margaret: Oh my God! Why are you naked?
Andrew: Why are you wet? - Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Andrew chases Margaret to the airport but she's already on board the plane. He calls his friend who works in the Air Traffic Control tower and asks him to stop the plane for him. The friend tells him he's not allowed to do that, and the plane takes off on schedule.
- There Is Only One Bed: Justified, as Andrew's family fully expect Margaret and him to sleep together. He takes the floor.
- Tranquil Fury: Andrew is very calm whenever he's angered, which shows when he's speaking to his father.
- Wakeup Makeup: Played with. Margaret wakes before Andrew and applies makeup to her lips as well as fixing her hair and even gently slapping her cheeks to liven up her face. When Andrew wakes up and joins her in the bed to keep up appearances, he asks if she's wearing makeup, believing she had just woken up as well. She replies, "Of course not."
- Waxing Lyrical: Margaret joins Andrew's grandma in a dance around the fire. She asks for a "song from the heart". Margaret starts singing Lil' Jon's "Get Low".Andrew: Whatcha doin'?
Margaret: Oh, uh, uh..you know you G-Gammy wanted me to, uh..you know..chant-chant from the heart.
Andrew: Balls? That's what came to your heart?
Margaret: You know, it, uh, went-went with the beat. - "Well Done, Son" Guy: Andrew and his father.
