The Proposal (2009)

Romantic comedy directed by Anne Fletcher. 

High-powered businesswoman Margaret (Sandra Bullock) will be deported and lose her job at a New York publishing firm unless she gets married to an American. She forces her assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) to go along with the plan. They travel to his family home in Alaska, where – in trying to convince his family and immigration agent that they’re in love – they inevitably fall in love for real. 

It sounds formulaic but there are some genuinely funny moments and the script is finely tuned enough to sparkle. 

Sandra Bullock is likeable as a hard-edged bully who slowly reveals her vulnerabilities. A ludicrous scene in which a small dog is carried off by an eagle actually works. 

The strong cast also includes Mary Steenburgen and Betty White.

The Family Stone (2005)

Funny and moving comedy drama about a family Christmas. The eldest of several children brings his girlfriend (Sarah Jessica Parker) to meet the family, with all sorts of unexpected consequences. There’s romance and tragedy, conflict and farce, and a lot of highly amusing moments along the way. Diane Keaton is superb as the mother – the centre of the family – who is dying of cancer. But unusually, every character is perfectly played and the writing is expertly judged. It tackles prejudice about privilege, deafness and homosexuality with a lightness of touch that stops it being heavy-handed. And ultimately, it’s as heartwarming a story as you’d expect from a Christmas film, but with enough sharp observation to prevent it ever becoming schmaltzy or predictable.