After spending two weekends in a row on top of the box office, The Hangover was dethroned by Disney's The Proposal, which was able to slightly exceed expectations.

According to studio estimates, Proposal will finish with $34.1 million this weekend, which makes it the strongest debut of any Sandra Bullock film. Proposal may also help star Ryan Reynolds define himself as a more viable leading man in romantic comedies.

"I think Anne Fletcher directed a movie in a such way that the word of mouth has spread so quickly and therein lies the success of our movie," says Chuck Viane, president of distribution for Buena Vista Pictures. "The chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Sandra is off the charts."

While Proposal obviously appeals more to female demographics, Viane is quick to note that the film's audience was about 37% male this weekend. That was thanks in no small part to Reynolds, who carries with him a strong male following thanks to Van Wilder and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

The Hangover still managed to finish in second, and it dropped only 18% from last weekend. Such a modest drop in the summer months is very healthy.

UP is also maintaining its audience very well. After reaching the $200 million plateau last week, the Disney/Pixar collaboration dropped only 31% during its fourth frame. This weekend, the film passed the total domestic haul of 2008's WALL-E.

"I don't think there's any question anymore that it'll be the second-highest grossing Disney/Pixar film ever," says Viane. The top position still belongs to Finding Nemo.

Year One debuted in fourth place with an estimated haul of $20.2 million. According to Sony, 57% of the opening weekend audience was male and 47% was under 21.

Overall box office receipts should total around $147 million this weekend, which means that 2009's haul is currently 10.2% ahead of 2008's at the exact same point in the year.

Check back tomorrow for weekend actuals