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The Proposal · 2009 — Chapter 12 of 14 · 5'43" · B1

The Sham Marriage Exposed, Explained: off the hook

The boat ride is supposed to be a break, not a reckoning. Margaret is furious, Andrew is hurt, and the sham marriage collapses into the open when the deal is named: confess, or go to prison. "You tell the truth, you're off the hook."

What happens

Out on the water near Sitka, Margaret and Andrew argue on a boat. Margaret admits she misses having a family; Andrew says their engagement is a lie they're both telling. When the boat drifts off, Margaret falls overboard and Andrew pulls her back in. Back on shore, the father and a lawyer confront them about the sham marriage.

Confessing feelingsArgumentsConfessing loveConfrontingCoupleB1mediumamerican
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Listen for

off the hookscrewing it upcheck up onon your behalf

00:00 / 05:43
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  9. ❝ MonologueMargaret on family6 linesPractice page ↗
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Phrase of the scene

off the hook

free from blame, punishment, or an obligation

父亲带来移民官做交易：只要安德鲁声明婚姻是假的、说出真相，他就能脱身，而玛格丽特会被遣返加拿大。

The witness lied, so the real suspect got off the hook.

Also in this scene

  • screwing it up

    ruining or messing something up

  • check up on

    to make sure someone is behaving or doing well

  • on your behalf

    as your representative or for your benefit

Everything marked in this scene

27 notes across 77 lines

Phrase · B2mind telling me ...Mind telling me what the hell's wrong?
Phrase · B2would you mind telling me ...Would you mind telling me what's happening now, Margaret?
Phrase · B1what it was likeI forgot what it was like to have a family.
Grammar · B2what it was like to have a family

embedded question

I forgot what it was like to have a family.
Phrase · B1come for the holidaysWe'd love to come down for the holidays.
Phrase · B2screw something up

ruining or messing something up

and you have Gertrude, and I'm... I'm just screwing it up.
Phrase · B2put someone through somethingI know that. Yes, you know that. And you're still willing to put them through this?
Phrase · B1find outThey're not gonna find out.
Soundfind out

liaison

They're not gonna find out.
Phrase · B1have a heart attackIf Gammy finds out, she's gonna have a heart attack.
Phrase · A2calm downShe's gonna have a heart attack. Will you calm down? Hold on.
Soundcalm down

elision

She's gonna have a heart attack. Will you calm down? Hold on.
Phrase · C1hijack a boatWhoa. I don't think that hijacking a boat is a proper way to express your frustration.
Phrase · B2express one's frustrationWhoa. I don't think that hijacking a boat is a proper way to express your frustration.
Phrase · B1shut upNow you decide to shut up, Margaret.
Slang · B1shut upNow you decide to shut up, Margaret.
Phrase · A2give someone your handAll right, come on. Give me your hand.
Phrase · B1got youCome on, come on. I got you. I got you.
Soundgot you

flap

Come on, come on. I got you. I got you.
Phrase · C1get oneself killedCould've gotten yourself killed.
Grammar · C1Could've gotten yourself killed

could have + past participle

Could've gotten yourself killed.
Phrase · B1check up on someoneTold you I'd check up on you.
Phrase · B2on someone's behalf

as your representative or for your benefit

The father claims he struck the deal for his son's benefit, without asking him.

Dad! Luckily for you, your father negotiated a deal on your behalf.
Phrase · A2go to prisonYou're gonna make a statement admitting this marriage is a sham, or you're gonna go to prison.
Grammar · C1make a statement admitting this marriage is a sham

participial phrase

You're gonna make a statement admitting this marriage is a sham, or you're gonna go to prison.
Phrase · B2be off the hook

free from blame, punishment, or an obligation

You tell the truth, you're off the hook.
Phrase · B1Take the dealAh, well. Take the deal.

The Sham Marriage Exposed, explained

What's really going on

On the surface this is a fight about a boat and a lie, but both of them are circling something they can't say out loud. Margaret is used to being alone and calls herself the one who is "screwing it up"; Andrew keeps pointing out that his family would be humiliated by the deception. The scene turns when the father, who has been investigating, lays out the legal reality: "You tell the truth, you're off the hook." The offer is built to split them, because only Andrew gets the soft landing. Andrew's answer, that he asked her to marry him, is the first time either of them chooses the other over self-interest, even if it may still be part of the lie.

Theme

DeceptionA fake engagement is pushed toward marriage until the lie starts to sound sincere.
Family loveBeing welcomed by a real family makes the lie feel like a betrayal of them.

What you'll learn

  • Use off the hook to describe escaping blame
  • Understand sham as fake or deceptive
  • Ask politely with Would you mind
  • Use calm down to soothe a tense scene

Listen for

  • find out — liaison
  • calm down — elision
  • got you — flap
You tell the truth, you're off the hook.

Confess, and you walk away with no charges. The deal only covers Andrew, so it turns the confession into a test of loyalty.

You'd do the same for me.

He claims she would sacrifice herself for him too, turning a business arrangement into something that sounds mutual.

I forgot what it was like to have a family.

After years alone, she admits the family reminds her of everything she has been missing, and it hurts.

Whoa. I don't think that hijacking a boat is a proper way to express your frustration.

A dry joke while she is at the wheel: taking the boat is not the way to show how upset she is.

Questions about this scene

Why does Margaret panic about Gammy finding out?

Gammy is the grandmother who took Margaret in, and Margaret says "if Gammy finds out, she's gonna have a heart attack." She is more afraid of hurting the family than of the legal trouble.

Does Andrew mean it when he says he proposed?

In this scene he stands up and tells the room, "I asked her to marry me. She said yes." It reads as both a defense and a confession, which is why the film keeps it ambiguous.

What deal is offered to Andrew?

Confess that the marriage is a sham and Andrew goes free, while Margaret is sent back to Canada. "You tell the truth, you're off the hook" is the offer, and it is meant to test whether he will turn on her.

Who is Gilbertson and why is he there?

He is the official who called the father after suspecting the marriage was fake. He is flown to Sitka to force a statement, even though the family already seems to know the truth.

The Proposal · 14 chapters

All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 13get my head on straightMargaret Confesses at the Wedding
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 DressWatching · Chapter 12off the hookThe Sham Marriage ExposedChapter 13get my head on straightMargaret Confesses at the WeddingChapter 14dawned on meAndrew Proposes to Margaret
Chapter 12 of 14 · about 10 min to go