I say it a lot, but I feel obligated to say it again here: I am a sucker for the rom-coms (romantic comedies). Big time. It's only fair I share that up front because my guess is I'm a little easier to please than most reasonably sane folks when a movie like "The Proposal" plays out the rom-com formula on-screen.

The rom-com formula, usually with only minor variations, is as follows: Boy and girl don't like each other much; some crazy circumstance forces boy and girl into close quarters; as time goes on, boy and girl begin to fall for one another; things blow up and boy and girl are seemingly separated before true feelings can be expressed; true feelings are expressed and everybody lives happily ever after.

"The Proposal" gives us the boy, Andrew (Ryan Reynolds), and the girl, Margaret (Sandra Bullock), and wastes little time in establishing the animosity between the two. Margaret is a powerful book editor in New York City and Andrew is her capable secretary - I mean executive assistant. Everybody that works on their floor lives in fear of Margaret, and while Andrew is good at his job he too despises his boss. I do wonder, though, if it was hard for Reynolds and Bullock to pretend they hated each other. Even in the beginning, when their relationship is supposed to be unpleasant, there are glimpses of chemistry between the two actors.

Crazy circumstance? Check. Margaret, a Canadian national, is informed she's being deported after her visa application is denied. In the middle of that meeting, Andrew pops his head in and Margaret hatches her plan: She'll force Andrew to marry her, thus saving his dreams of becoming an editor and keeping her in America.

Brilliant!

Things go along according to the formula, and two major factors keep "The Proposal" entertaining. First, Reynolds and Bullock are casting perfection. They're both pros at the rom-com style of humor and their chemistry is undeniable. Second... Alaska!

Most of "The Proposal" takes place at Andrew's parent's house as the "couple" has to prove they are for real. Andrew's parents live in Sitka. It is actually a fun twist, and even more fun if you happen to live in Southeast Alaska. Word to the wise: they filmed the majority of the movie in Massachusetts. Rumor has it there are lobster traps visible in "Sitka" a couple of times, but I admit I missed them if that's true. Whether or not Reynolds or Bullock ever set foot in Southeast, the film crew that did come to our neck of Alaska to shoot establishing footage did a good job. Even to trained eyes, it is surprisingly easy to forget they're not actually in Sitka.

So what if they made up an airline called "Sitka Skyways"! It was cool just to hear the flight attendant announce, "We'll now be beginning our descent into Juneau." Who cares if there is never a hint of rain in "Sitka" during the entire film? It's fun to pretend it's nice all the time here, right? And yeah, it's weird they shot a sequence involving a puppy and an eagle and the eagle is... well... not a bald eagle. Let's not forget, either, the awkward scene in the woods with Grandma (Betty White) dancing around a fire in Tlingit fashion, allegedly.

The rom-com formula is in effect. So if that irritates you just thinking about it, the giant robots are downtown. If, however, you like the formula or just want to try and find errors in "Sitka," "The Proposal" is an enjoyable way to kill 90 minutes.