THE PROPOSAL (Running time: 104 minutes)
Rated PG-13 Starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Betty White, Craig T. Nelson

There’s nothing like a good romantic comedy to brighten your day. The Proposal is a warm, delightful hot-fudge-sundae of a movie.

The movie begins with the set-up: world’s nastiest boss, Margaret (Bullock) pushes around her assistant, Andrew (Reynolds) unmercifully. She’s demanding, selfish, competitive and difficult. She is also smart, accomplished and highly prized as an editor by her bosses.

And, she is Canadian. There is a problem with her work visa meaning that she is about to be deported. So she forces Andrew into a phony engagement to stay in the U.S. and at her job. To keep up the façade for the dogged immigration man that they are really in love and getting married, they fly off to Alaska to visit Andrew’s family. That is where the fun begins.

As the two play the part of lovers, they begin to fall in love. Chilly Margaret who has no family thaws out as she is swept into the warm bosom of Andrew’s family. There are some conflicts: Andrew butts heads with his Dad (Nelson) and times when both main characters act decidedly human – boss lady starts singing and dancing wildly in the woods.

However, the real charm of the movie comes from the hilarious performance of Betty White as “Gammie”, the 90-year-old grandma. She steals the show.

There is sexual innuendo, an almost nude scene that is played for laughs, a little bad language and no violence. There is a local Alaska male stripper who is more funny than sexy.

The Proposal is a “chick flick” with a happy ending. Moms, grandmas and girls age 12 and over will enjoy the sweet story and the sassy dialogue.

YEAR ONE (Running time: 97 minutes)
Rated: PG-13 Starring Jack Black, Michael Cera

The best description of Year One was one I overheard walking out of the movie. A boy aged 12 or 13 said that this movie is “not bad for a stupid movie." I guess that is a new genre of movies for teen and ‘tween boys: the stupid movie. Jack Black is the king of stupid movies, along with Will Ferrell and Owen Wilson.

While Year One made a few good jokes about the differences between then and now, Cave Man vs. Modern Man, there were still too many dumb, sexual and scatological jokes to make it palatable for anyone over 15 years of age.

There is a loose storyline, but the movie just jumps from one bad gag or joke to another. The two main Cave Men get kicked out of their village. Year One then becomes a Stone Age road trip movie with the guys having silly and stupid adventures on their way to Sodom. You can imagine the idiocy that occurs there.

Ridiculous jokes about overly hairy men and bananas fill this ultimately boring movie. Because of the sexual content, it should be best for boys 13 and up who have nothing better to do. Parents, avoid this like the plague. Getting clunked on the noggin by Fred Flintstone would be more fun than watching this movie. --Written by Jean Joachim, writer of a nationally syndicated movie review column.

For more of Jean's reviews, including Imagine That, Land of the Lost, My Life in Ruins, Up, Dance Flick, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and Terminator Salvation, click here.