Just Because: The Proposal

'Well, now, do you prefer being called Margaret or Satan's mistress?'

Grandma Annie

Like so many of you, it seems that Betty White has always been a part of my life.  I used to love watching The Golden Girls with my mother when I was a kid.  It was one of her favorite shows, and it became a Saturday night tradition to watch together.  I think I enjoyed watching her watch the show, more than the show itself.  

I actually preferred White on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which I discovered when I got older. A retro channel used to air both MTM and Rhoda on Friday nights when I was in university.  I was rarely home to watch them, but loved getting home late, usually buzzed with some leftover Chinese food, and watch them as I feel asleep.

I wasn't really sad hearing about White's death.  In addition to being 99, she also lived a life so few achieve.  Her success, especially later in life, was as much about who she was as it was the projects she appeared in.  I loved White, but have yet to really watch a full episode of Hot In Cleveland.  I've also not seen a lot of her early work.  I did however, always try to catch her talk show appearances.  There was something always so comforting about seeing her, and the memories of watching with my  mother when I was a kid.

One of my favorite of her later roles was as Grandma Annie in 2009's  The Proposal.  The film wasn't by any means great, it was your paint by numbers romantic comedy.  What sold it was the cast.  White was adorable with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds and each of them sold every scene, no matter how formulaic the writing. 

I watched a bit of the film on-demand this past weekend and was struck by how incredibly handsome Ryan Reynolds was in the film.  Forgive the clunky  segue from Betty White to male skin, but this is FH...  For some odd reason, I wasn't really into Reynolds when I first saw this film.  Sure, I thought he was cute, but I'd mostly seen him playing goofy frat guys.  Even when he displayed a little on-screen nudity, like in Buying The Cow, I saw him more as cute and funny, more than sexy

'Why are you wet???'

Re-watching a bit of The Proposal set me straight.  Dressed or undressed, he was so hot and engaging as Andrew.  Even the clunky nude scene was sold by Reynolds and Bullock and I especially loved that 'wet splat' when their naked bodies smacked together.  Thanks Betty White for inspiring a re-watch.  Next on MTM!

Canadian Bacon

When have you ever heard anyone say, "Honey, lets stay in and order Canadian food?

Canadian Bacon, 1995

No, there may not be many restaurants specializing in Canadian cuisine, but Canada does have a few signature dishes.  Most people have heard of Poutine, but Canada is also famous for it's smoked meat, Beavertails, Tourtière, Lobster rolls, donairs and anything and everything maple.   It's also known world wide for it's bacon, specifically Canadian back bacon, made from Pork Loin, a leaner cut of meat.  Some people love it, others do not, but there's nothing better than a round slab on a breakfast sandwich! 

Martin Short

Since this is FH, and we're celebrating Canada Day, there's another slice of Canadian meat that's known world wide.  Of course, I'm talking about the meat on Canadian men, specially male actors.  When Canadian actors are wrote about, they often focus on the comedians.  The many actors of comedy who got their start on Canadian television, and then made their way to the States, or SNL, produced by Lorne Michaels, another Canadian.

SCTV

Canadians love their comedy, the SCTV alumni;  John Candy, Dave Thomas, Rick Moranis, Eugene Levy and Martin Short.  Then there's the Kids in the Hall, some of whom, (Dave Foley, Mark McKinney) also made a name for themselves on American sit-coms.  There's also Jim Carrey, Seth Rogan, Will Arnett, Tom Green, Phil Hartman, Matthew Perry, Mike Myers, Norm MacDonald, Howie Mandel, Tommy Chong, Leslie Nielson and original SNL cast member Dan Aykroyd.  

Moranis, Levy with Robin Williams (Club Paradise) 

Canadians can be serious as well, with acclaimed actors like Donald Sutherland, Kiefer Sutherland, Michael Ironside, Keanu Reeves, Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds, Victor Garber and Christopher Plummer also hailing from the Great White North.  Although a certain orange buffoon has tried to put a wedge between them, Canada and the United States have been allies and friendly neighbours going back to the early 1800's. 

Eugene Levy

It makes sense given the two countries have longest international border stretching approximately 8,893 kilometers (5,526 miles) that Canadian talent would head south for work, and international fame.  Many American actors also head north to film in Canada, with some of the world's biggest movies filmed there.  Some of the many films that were shot partially, or entirely in Canada include;  The X-Men movies, The Twilight Saga, Deadpool, Good Will Hunting, The Revenant, American Psycho, Mean Girls, Chicago, Brokeback Mountain and Titanic. 

Gosling

I've featured hundreds of thespian Canucks over the years, especially in my 12 Days series.  The majority of Hallmark films are filmed in Canada, meaning many of the leading men from the romance series are Canadian.  I've done Actors & Skin features on many, including Andrew Walker (HERE:) and Shawn Roberts. (HERE:) Below are a few other hot Canadians I've featured over the years.  Some, have shown their back bacon, a few, shared their Canadian sausages as well.

Reeves

Jim Carrey

Eugene Levy

Michael Cera

Dan Aykroyd

Michael J. Fox

Shatner

Ryan Reynolds 

Paul Gross

Keanu Reeves

William Shatner

Donald Sutherland

Carrey

Devon Sawa

Will Sasso

Hayden Christensen

Bruce Greenwood

Michael Ironside

Taylor Kitsch, (above and below) gave us a taste of his Canadian back bacon on both screen, and in modeling wok. 

Taylor Kitsch

Joshua Jackson

Nathan Fillion

Jason Priestly

Shawn & Aaron Ashmore

Reynolds

Fox

I love me some Paul Gross, especially in the 1993 drama Aspen Extreme.  If you watched the DVD, you saw a bit of Paul's posterior, but if you were lucky enough to catch it on VHS, you saw more.  Thanks to xyzpdq (SOMS) for the cap below.

I LOVE Ryan Reynolds

Just like Alanis, I must write a song about my feelings about Ryan Reynolds. (Anybody else a little worried about him with the Scarlett...)

After seeing him in Wolverine this past summer, my love, pushed down... rose again. But...last night I watched 'The Proposal' on DVD and the Ryan love rose all over again. There is something about this guy. Not sure what. Well I am actually. Ryan reminds me of the guy I first crushed over in JR HIGH. The fact that I believe Ryan would have been sweet with a guy crushing after him school only makes my crush all the more difficult to handle. Well, I will crush for a day or two then it will go away. At least til the next time I stick in Van Wilder.

Best Actor: Motion Picture, Musical, or Comedy

Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical, or Comedy

Colin Farrell, The Lobster

Ryan Gosling, La La Land

Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins

Jonah Hill, War Dogs

Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool

Colin Farrell, The Lobster

Ryan Gosling, La La Land

Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool

Favorite Hunk Of The Day: Ryan Reynolds

Who could not love Ryan Reynolds. His adorable smile, his tight cute bod. His lovely ass he has shared in a few movies. He also seems like a truly nice guy. There is something about the fact he went with Alanis Morissette for awhile that makes me think he loves the stregth in women. Here is Ryan.