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The Proposal · 2009 — Chapter 13 of 14 · 7'37" · B2

Margaret Confesses at the Wedding, Explained: get my head on straight

Everyone is at the ceremony for a wedding that is not real. Just as the officiant gets going, the bride raises her hand and turns the toast into a confession: "I forced Andrew here to marry me." What looks like a public apology is also the first honest thing she has said to this family.

What happens

At the wedding ceremony, Margaret interrupts the officiant to confess that she is a Canadian with an expired visa who blackmailed Andrew into marrying her, and that she lied to his whole family. She calls off the deal and asks Andrew to drive her to the airport. Then she tells him he was right about the manuscript and promises to buy it before she leaves.

SpeechesApologiesConfessingApologizingCoupleB2slowamericanClean
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Listen for

see eye to eyecome betweenheld up your endget my head on straight

00:00 / 07:37
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  32. ❝ MonologueMargaret's wedding confession21 linesPractice page ↗
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Phrase of the scene

get my head on straight

to clear one's mind and think properly again

Andrew asks for space to sort out his feelings before deciding what to do about Margaret.

Give me the weekend to get my head on straight before I decide.

Also in this scene

  • see eye to eye

    agree with each other

  • come between

    to harm or break a relationship between people

  • held up your end

    to do the share of a job or agreement that was yours

Everything marked in this scene

30 notes across 69 lines

Phrase · B2give something a restYou have to give the Baby Maker a rest tonight.
Phrase · B1be seatedEveryone, please be seated.
Phrase · B2be gathered here todayWe are gathered here today to give thanks.
Phrase · B2one of life's greatest ...one of life's greatest moments. To give recognition
Phrase · B1someone's hand is upYour hand is up.
Phrase · B2have an announcement to makeI, uh, have a bit of an announcement to make about the wedding.
Phrase · B2a confession actuallyA confession, actually. What are you doing?
Phrase · B1an expired visaWith an expired visa who was about to be deported.
Phrase · B1be about to be deportedWith an expired visa who was about to be deported.
Grammar · B2who was about to be deported

relative clause

With an expired visa who was about to be deported.
Grammar · B2Turns out it s not easy to ruin someone s life

extraposition

Turns out it's not easy to ruin someone's life once you find out how wonderful they are.
Grammar · C1once you find out how wonderful they are

once clause

Turns out it's not easy to ruin someone's life once you find out how wonderful they are.
Phrase · B2get one's head on straight

to clear one's mind and think properly again

Andrew asks for space to sort out his feelings before deciding what to do about Margaret.

Let me get my head on straight. OK?
Soundhead on

liaison

Let me get my head on straight. OK?
Phrase · C1a pain in the assWell, that was, uh, crazy.
Phrase · B2have the decency to do somethingWell, that was, uh, crazy.
Phrase · B2see eye to eye

agree with each other

Well, that was, uh, crazy.
Phrase · B1stand by someoneWell, that was, uh, crazy.
Phrase · A2be a part of somethingWell, that was, uh, crazy.
Phrase · B2scare the hell out of someoneWell, that was, uh, crazy.
Phrase · B2always get one's manWell, that was, uh, crazy.
Phrase · B2be cleared for takeoffWell, that was, uh, crazy.
Phrase · B1the only way to do somethingWell, that was, uh, crazy.
Phrase · B1how someone felt about someoneWell, that was, uh, crazy.
Phrase · B1a little favorWell, that was, uh, crazy.
Grammar · B2it was the only way I could

relative after 'way'

Well, that was, uh, crazy.
Soundfor takeoff

weak form

Well, that was, uh, crazy.
Soundeye to

liaison

Well, that was, uh, crazy.
Slang · C1pain in my assWell, that was, uh, crazy.
Slang · B2the hell out of meWell, that was, uh, crazy.

Margaret Confesses at the Wedding, explained

What's really going on

The ceremony is built on a lie everyone in the family believes, and the bride can't sit through it. Her speech is part apology and part confession to the room: she names the expired visa, the blackmail, the three years of watching Andrew work. "Turns out it's not easy to ruin someone's life once you find out how wonderful they are," she says — the line that turns a legal problem into a real feeling. She ends the deal on Andrew's behalf, tells the family not to let it come between them, and asks for a ride to the airport as if a favor could undo it. When she leaves, what is left is not relief but a room full of people realizing the wedding they just heard about was never going to happen.

Theme

DeceptionThe wedding is a fraud, and the bride's confession is the moment the performance ends in front of everyone.
RedemptionMargaret takes the blame publicly and lets Andrew off the hook, trading a plan that worked for a clean conscience.

What you'll learn

  • Use held up your end for keeping your promise.
  • Use turns out to introduce a surprising discovery.
  • Say get my head on straight when you need clarity.
  • Use give someone a ride for offering transport.

Listen for

  • head on — liaison
  • for takeoff — weak form
  • eye to — liaison
Turns out it s not easy to ruin someone s life once you find out how wonderful they are

Margaret's admission that getting to know Andrew changed the plan she came here to carry out.

Well it was the only way I could get you two to shut up and get us to the airport

The explanation for a blunt tactic: it was the only way to stop the arguing and get everyone moving toward the airport.

I used to dream about you getting hit by a cab Or poisoned

A joke about how badly the two of them got along before, with the old hostility played for laughs.

I m not asking your permission here

A declaration that this decision is not up for discussion or approval.

Questions about this scene

Why does Margaret confess at the wedding instead of going through with it?

She can't watch Andrew lie to his family any longer, and the fake marriage would keep hurting people she has come to care about. So she takes the blame herself.

What does Andrew do after the confession?

He asks for time to clear his head, tells the family he will explain later, and then follows Margaret to the dock to drive her to the airport.

What did Margaret mean about the book?

Andrew had argued the manuscript was worth publishing. At the dock she admits he was right, says she lied because publishing it meant losing him as an assistant, and promises to buy it before she leaves.

Is Margaret's confession selfish or brave?

It ends the immigration plan she needed, so it costs her, but it also spares Andrew's family a longer lie. The film plays it as both a sacrifice and a relief.

What does 'get my head on straight' mean?

It means to calm down and think clearly. Andrew asks for that after the confession, which is why he wants to explain later rather than right away.

The Proposal · 14 chapters

All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 14dawned on meAndrew Proposes to Margaret
Chapter 1let someone goMargaret Fires BobChapter 2turn operations over toMargaret Announces a Fake EngagementChapter 3out of your hairMargaret Fakes a Marriage InterviewChapter 4with cherries on topAndrew Makes Margaret ProposeChapter 5a meal ticketMargaret Meets the Paxton FamilyChapter 6pulling your legAndrew Brings Margaret Home to SitkaChapter 7from the ground upAndrew Turns Down the Family BusinessChapter 8called it offMargaret Meets Andrew's ExChapter 9take this the wrong wayMargaret and Andrew Trade SecretsChapter 10a shamThe Paxtons Plan a Barn WeddingChapter 11burst into tearsAnnie Gives Margaret the Heirloom DressChapter 12off the hookThe Sham Marriage ExposedWatching · Chapter 13get my head on straightMargaret Confesses at the WeddingChapter 14dawned on meAndrew Proposes to Margaret
Chapter 13 of 14 · about 3 min to go