“Are you both committing fraud to avoid her deportation?”
Por qué es buena
One flat question names the crime and puts them both on trial.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
Are you both lying to avoid the fine?
00:00 / 04:23
00:00 / 04:23
Margaret Fakes a Marriage Interview, Explained
The Proposal · 2009
Capítulo 3 de 14 · 4'23"
Margaret and Andrew are at an immigration interview to sell a fake engagement, but the officer has already received a tip. He asks the question no one prepared for: "Are you both committing fraud to avoid her deportation?" Margaret tries to take control, Andrew improvises a love story, and the couple discovers that the lie now has rules.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:47–1:23
Margaret Turns the Tables on the Investigator
36s - 1:46–2:47
❝ Monólogo · 9 frases He Turns a Deportation Warning Into a Love Story
60s
Margaret Fakes a Marriage Interview, explained
What happens
Margaret Tate, an editor facing deportation, walks into an immigration office with her assistant Andrew to file a fiancé visa. The officer, Mr. Gilbertson, has already gotten a phone tip. He lays out the process, then accuses them of fraud. Cornered, Andrew invents a romance and promises a weekend trip to his parents in Alaska.
What's really going on
On the surface this is a routine immigration interview, but it is really a power struggle over who controls the story. The officer has the facts—a tip, a promotion, a convenient engagement—and keeps interrupting to remind them he does. One of them, used to winning with charm, snaps back, "Where did you hear that?" The other, the one with the most to lose, finally takes over and starts inventing. His "we weren't supposed to fall in love" is not just a defense; it is the first time either of them treats the fake relationship as something with a history. The scene turns when the officer calmly accepts the lie and schedules the interview, instantly converting their bluff into a deadline.
Key lines & what they mean
- “Are you both committing fraud to avoid her deportation?”
- The officer's blunt accusation: he thinks the engagement is fake and exists only to stop her from being sent out of the country.
- “And you, young man, will have committed a felony,”
- A warning aimed at the younger man: if the marriage is a sham, helping her is not just unethical but a serious crime.
- “I have a bad feeling about this.”
- A quiet aside that signals dread right before the interview turns hostile—classic movie shorthand for trouble ahead.
- “If your answers don't match up at every point, you will be deported indefinitely.”
- The stakes made explicit: any inconsistency between their separate answers will end in deportation, with no set return date.
Theme
- Deception — Two people at a government office are selling a lie, and the tension comes from how quickly an official can turn that lie into a legal trap.
- Romance — Andrew's improvised love story is the first moment the fake relationship is spoken about as if it were real.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel0/4
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
Puntos de lengua
Toca una tarjeta para saltar a ese momentoFrases de oro
Una gran frase en sí misma: por qué y cómo usarla“And you, young man, will have committed a felony,”
Por qué es buena
The cost of the lie is spelled out in law, not in feeling.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
And you will have committed a serious offence.
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
Por qué es buena
A one-line warning that names no reason, just instinct, and instantly darkens the room.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
I have a bad feeling about this meeting.
“If your answers don't match up at every point, you will be deported indefinitely.”
Por qué es buena
The condition allows zero mismatch, and the punishment has no end date.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
If your story doesn't match up at every point, the claim is rejected.
Monólogo
Un personaje sostiene la escena: practícalo entero❝ The process about to unfold
Let me explain to you the process that's about to unfold. Step one will be a scheduled interview. I'll put you each in a room and I'll ask you every little question 19945325. that a real couple would know about each other. Step two, I dig deeper. I look at your phone records. I talk to your neighbors. I interview your coworkers. If your answers don't match up at every point, you will be deported indefinitely. And you, young man, will have committed a felony, and a stay of five years in federal prison.
He numbers the steps, names the felony, and never raises his voice. The trap is the calendar.
Siguiente · 04with cherries on topLa escena: Andrew Makes Margaret ProposeIdeas clave
Lo que te llevas- Use “on such short notice” for last-minute arrangements.
- “Match up” means details agree with each other.
- “Out of your hair” politely means no longer bothering you.
- “Fall in love” describes developing romantic feelings.
Preguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhy does the officer suspect their engagement is fake?
He has a phone tip and a convenient timeline: she is about to be deported, and marrying her assistant would let her stay. He treats the whole relationship as a legal arrangement rather than a romance.
Who tipped off the immigration office?
A man named Bob Spaulding, described in the scene as a disgruntled former employee. Margaret guesses the name before the officer finishes, which suggests the two of them have history.
What happens if their answers don't match?
The officer says she will be deported indefinitely and Andrew will have committed a felony, facing up to five years in federal prison. That is the threat hanging over the rest of the film.
Why does Andrew invent a trip to Alaska?
Pressed for proof that the relationship is real, he claims they were going to surprise his parents this weekend and names his hometown. It is an improvised story meant to buy them time.
What does the officer schedule at the end?
A scheduled interview where the couple will be questioned separately about each other. The officer warns that their answers had better match, turning their bluff into a countdown.