Movie audiences accepted a proposal from Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, who scored the summer’s first big romantic comedy hit.

Bullock and Reynolds’ “The Proposal” took in $34.1 million to open as the weekend’s No. 1 movie, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Disney flick delivered the biggest opening ever for Bullock, nearly double that of her previous best of $17.6 million for the 2007 paranormal thriller “Premonition.”

Bullock stars as Margaret, a ruthless publishing executive who coerces Andrew, her put-upon assistant (Reynolds) into a fake marriage so she can avoid deportation back to her native Canada.  He agrees to participate in the charade, but with a few conditions of his own.  The unlikely couple heads to Alaska to meet his quirky family and the always-in-control city girl finds herself in one comedic fish-out-of-water situation after another.  With an impromptu wedding in the works and an immigration official on their tails, Margaret and Andrew reluctantly vow to stick to the plan despite the precarious consequences.

“I think the market was ready for a really fun, broad romantic comedy,” said Mark Zoradi, president of Disney’s motion-picture group.

“The Proposal” took over the top spot from the Warner Bros. bachelor-party comedy “The Hangover,” which slipped to second place with $26.9 million. A surprise smash hit, “The Hangover” raised its total to $152.9 million.

Disney’s animated adventure “Up” was No. 3 with $21.3 million, lifting its total to $224.1 million and following Paramount’s “Star Trek” as the second movie of 2009 to cross the $200 million mark.

Debuting in the fourth spot with $20.2 million was Sony’s caveman comedy “Year One,” starring Jack Black and Michael Cera as Neanderthals on a road trip after they are banished from their village.

“June is officially comedy month at the theaters. Comedy is really ruling things,” said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.

(Opening soon across the Philippines, “The Proposal” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.)