Happy, Texas (1999) User Reviews

Incredibly silly, but cute and funny nonetheless.

[sublime501 · 7/10 · 11 June 2004]

HAPPY, TEXAS tells us the story of two escaped inmates, Wayne Wayne Wayne Jr. (Steve Zahn) and Harry Sawyer (Jeremy Northam). They arrive in a town called Happy in Texas and proceed to steal the RV of a young gay couple, and are later forced to assume their identities as beauty pageant experts. Wayne becomes known as David, and Harry becomes known as Steven. "Steven" works on trying to avoid his feelings for the banker Joe (Ally Walker) and "pity-dating" the town sheriff Chappy (William H. Macy) while planning to rob the city bank, while "David" works on trying to teach a group of young girls to successfully win a beauty pageant.

I expected this to be a pretty dumb film, but I was surprised in that it wasn't. It was silly, of course, but not dumb. The plotline is ridiculous in theory but is carried out quite well. In fact, I found this movie to be rather sweet and charming, and very funny in parts. Not hysterical, but entertaining.

The thing I was most surprised about while viewing HAPPY, TEXAS was how good the acting was in parts. Every actor was good in both their comedic and dramatic moments. Steve Zahn was hilarious as Wayne, while Jeremy Northam was good in a mostly dramatic role. William H. Macy was excellent as he always is, as was Ally Walker.

All in all, HAPPY, TEXAS is a pretty average comedy. There are some good humorous moments, but they come somewhat few and far between. The pacing is a little too slow and it gets a little boring at times, but it's a cute and fairly original movie. Better than most of its kind and pretty entertaining. 7/10.

Strangely unfocused movie

[allyjack · 5/10 · 7 October 1999]

The movie seems strangely unfocused, with the apparent central concept of their masquerade as gay quickly downplayed and Zahn's assimilation of the pageant-master role confined to a few montages - when he suddenly becomes a dedicated, inspirational achiever, it's a bit jarring. Instead, the film meanders through pretty conventional strands about Northam finding himself by serving as Walker's "gay" confidante (admittedly a winning plot strand), planning a bank heist, and other snippets of nothing in particular. There's a slapdash quality to the casting, with Northam ineffective as the solid centre and Zahn getting by on a weird collection of mannerisms rather than a coherent character - Macy is affecting in his role, but the film is a bit fuzzy about the details of his personal self-discovery. Even the closing pageant is barely exploited for comic value. The movie might be deliberately going against the grain of standard plotting, but it doesn't really seem so - it's a not particularly interesting mix of obvious set-ups and plot gambits and discursive if not arbitrary execution.

Funny

[AKS-6 · 7/10 · 27 January 2001]

Happy, Texas is a genuinely funny comedy. I laughed out loud many times and I smiled through the whole film. It just made me happy. The cast is great as well: Jeremy Northam, Steve Zahn and William H. Macy... need I say more? (7/10)

daft camp funny comedy

[TheNorthernMonkee · 19 April 2004]

SPOILERS

Every so often there's a film you see advertised on video/dvd or see on television which you've never previously heard of. It could be because it's a low budget piece which never made it to the cinema and if it did it was for one week, or it could be because of something else. I'm not sure why I'd never heard of this film until it was on television tonight, but what I am sure of is that it's quite good.

In "Happy, Texas" we're presented to the not so original chain gang jailbreak. Two of the three escapees are Wayne Wayne Wayne Jnr (played in usual standard by Steve Zahn) and Harry Sawyer (Jeremy Northam in an unusual comedy role). These two men steal a homosexual couples portable home and eventually end up impersonating the couple in a small town called Happy in Texas. The men are faced with the problems of keeping people believing in them, dealing with their roles as organisers of a young girls beauty pagent, and avoiding falling in love with some of the women townsfolk.

This film is as to be expected really. In Zahn it has a daft, excentric appeal to it, whilst Northam is also good as the more serious partner who falls for the bank owner. Added to these an outstanding, if light hearted, performance by William H Macy as the closet homosexual Sheriff who falls for Northam and we're presented with a happy comedy which might not win any awards, but is going to make you feel good about yourself. Happy is a place named for a purpose. If you watch "Happy, Texas", you might not laugh too often, but you'll certainly come away feeling good to be alive. One to watch when you need cheering up.

There are funny movies and there are silly movies...

[jcarey · 6/10 · 25 September 1999]

There are funny movies and there are silly movies -- this falls into the latter category.

To fully enjoy this movie you need to just-so-slightly lower your expectations concerning plot, character and outcome. If you can do that, you'll have a ball. Steve Zahn does a great unhinged-hick turn as a chain-gang con who is forced to pretend he's an expert at staging kiddie beauty pageants. And, oh yeah, he and his accomplice (Jeremy Northam) are supposed to be gay!

Lots of small-town humor abounds, with fine bits from Illeana Douglas and -- best of all -- William H. Macy as a local sheriff who develops a comic crush on someone he shouldn't.

An ill-advised chase scene (complete with plot twist) near the end mars an otherwise sweet-natured character piece set in the wilds of Happy, Texas.

Not enough Steve Zahn

[cricketbat · 6/10 · 8 January 2020]

Steve Zahn is the reason I wanted to see this movie - and I felt that there wasn't enough of him, and too much of other characters and plot lines that I didn't care about. Funny in parts, but it was a letdown overall.

Montage Masters

[tkeane-1 · 6/10 · 29 March 2006]

It seemed to me that the writers here had a decent enough idea but couldn't make it into a film with a proper narrative running through it. It's been a long time since I've seen so many montages in one film. I don't have a problem with it but the purpose of the montage is to summarise a lenght of time passing by. In this film the technique was used solely for comic effect...and it worked. The problem was that when it then came to the actual passing of time there was a lack of comic value and an inability to make it any way realistic. I know it's comedy and it's slapstick to a degree and it doesn't need to be realistic but, unless the comic elements are in place properly the lack of realism can't be ignored.

William H. Macy steals the show and really really shows the other actors up. He's got some great lines and acts the slapstick comic role really well. Steve Zahn is pretty good too. Certainly not his worst role and shines in his montages. Jeremy Northam was a bad choice for for the role of Harry / Steve. I haven't seen him in that much stuff so I wouldn't like to say he's a bad actor but, I don't think he can do comedy. It smelt like cheese every time he spoke.

If you're in a silly mood and up for a laugh this is worth watching. There is much better comedy out there though. This doesn't come close to anything from the Ben Stiller / Wes Anderson / Wilson Brothers / Will Ferrel stables.

A really bad comedy saved by William H. Macy

[toclement · 5/10 · 23 August 2000]

This very bad and unfunny comedy is almost salvaged by yet another moving performance by the wonderful William H. Macy. Two escaped convicts pose as a gay couple in a small Texas town in order to evade the law while they bide their time in order to pull off their final big heist. Their feigned homosexuality provides the premise for numerous misunderstandings and generally unfunny moments. The more "redneck" con gets roped into having to teach little girls how to dance. The possibilities for humour here exist, but unfortunately are unrealized. There's a corny romance that develops between the "good-looking" con and the town's attractive banker. This movie was a film without an identity, rotating between an unfunny farce, a cliched romantic comedy, and the more tender and interesting William H. Macy subplot of a macho but closeted sheriff coming to terms with his own homosexuality. Macy's performance alone made me glad I saw this movie, but otherwise it could have been tossed in the rubbish bin.

Happy, Texas? No, Happy Universe, this film is hilarious!

[inkblot11 · 8/10 · 8 August 2006]

Two prisoners (Jeremy Northam and Steve Zahn) escape their chain gang when a fracas starts because of a road kill armadillo! They make it to the small town of Happy, Texas where they discover that the gay beauty pageant experts everyone is waiting for, won't be coming after all. Figuring that they can hide in plain site with the right credentials, the duo steps into the world of little-girl beauty contests. Northam takes care of the behind the scenes activities while Zahn must teach the little gals their big dance number. Their methods are, to say the least, a bit unorthodox but the town embraces them mightily. However, posing as gay advisers has its disadvantages when the town's banker and the pageant assistant are both lovely ladies. How long will the convicts be able to keep up with appearances? This film is a darling and humorous gem. Zahn and Ilieana Douglas, especially, give all-out hilarious turns as the pageant advisers. Northam, a distinguished Brit in real life, charms the audience with his great looks and his commitment to his role as a "screw-up" from Texas. Ally Walker and William H. Macy, as well as the rest of the great cast, support the principals nicely. The small town Texas setting, the clever script, and the fun costumes complete one's fondest desires. Even if you've never heard of this film, don't pass it by. Although its gay undertones may be offensive to a few, its gleeful mirth and constant giggle-getting scenes mean a good time will be had by all who watch the film.

A Surprise

[HermioneO · 7/10 · 15 December 2007]

I was just watching this the other day and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I had finished watching something else on the same channel and couldn't get up the energy to change it - there was nothing on that peaked my interest. The plot synopsis didn't do much to encourage me but once I got into it I couldn't stop watching. It was a sleeper kind of movie, like Encino Man or Happy Gilmore, kind of sneaking up on you with the humor.

I love William H. Macy as an actor and seeing him in this role just confirmed for me why I enjoy him so much. Excellent performance by Steve Zahn as well, and a nice cameo for Ron Pearlman.

Comparing this to the awful remake of We're No Angels with a cast of heavy Hollywood superstars several years back, this is a much more worthy effort. Considering the talent involved, I would have to blame the writing.

Really dreary

[pip-31 · 2/10 · 12 May 2001]

Very amateur production! There is no cause and effect pattern to follow. I have never seen a film that just jumps from scene to scene in such a haphazard fashion. Bad direction, bad editing, bad writing.just bad!

Thoroughly entertaining filmette

[redkiwi · 8/10 · 17 December 1999]

This was not what I expected whatsoever - a thoroughly delightfully funny little film that kept me smiling for a long time after leaving the cinema.

Two small time criminals skip prison after their transportation vehicle crashes and steal a motor home - however the motor home belongs to a pair of pageant directors, and due to being accosted by the local sheriff they assume their identities.

There are several brilliant moments in this film - not the least of which being when the two find out they are supposed to be gay lovers, and that the beauty pageants are for children rather than the models they were expecting.

The local sheriff is the star of this film as he comes to terms with his sexuality in red neck land, but this was just a lot of fun all round.

Definitely a small time film, but one certainly worth watching.

Thesbian Carpetbagging, again

[Glesener · 7/10 · 16 August 2000]

Ordinarily, I really like Illeana Douglas. She was one of the reasons I looked forward to "Happy, Texas". Overall, I liked the film very much. But Douglas' "southern accent" was right out of acting school and a major distractant. If non-southerners must disguise their origins, it can be done. Just as in "The Gingerbread Man" where Kenneth Branagh gave Daryl Hannah a lesson in American accents, so to in this film, Jeremy Northam does a credible portrayl of a Texan although from the UK. But why go to the trouble. In today's highly mobile, cosmopolitan society, "everybody is from somewhere else and talks the same". If a geniune Texan is essential for the role, hire a Texan.

Very average

[princy · 5/10 · 8 August 2000]

Except for a couple of scenes, I found this movie rather dull. Another tale of men pretending to be gay for one reason or other, and not as well done as other movies with the same theme. The only actor that was of any note was William H. Macy, the rest weren't anything special.

Warm and funny

[Gordon-11 · 11 August 2006]

This film is about 2 straight escaped prisoners having to pose as 2 gay beauty pageant organisers to conceal their identities.

This film started a bit slow, but soon afterward it became very funny. Steve Zahn did very well in his role, and he was very convincing as a rough bandit. His solo performance on doing funny movements and pulling silly faces was fun to watch.

I also enjoyed the subplot about the sheriff (William H Macy) and David (Jeremy Northam) a lot. Wiliam H Macy gave a fine performance especially in the scene where they went hunting for hares, and in the scene where David refused him to enter the room when they were preparing for the performance. I could relate to sheriff's character so much that I felt his pain. My heart ached when I saw the sheriff crying on the hill.

I do recommend this film, it is warm and funny!

The odd couple

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 4 November 2006]

Happy, Texas, is a small whose motto could be "Tolerance". How else justify the hiring of a gay couple pageant organizers and not have the local population bash this odd duo that is going to transform the little girls competing for the title of Litte Miss Squeezed? One would only expect that Happy, Texas is a bright spot in the Southwest where gays are welcomed with open arms!

A pair of convicts, Wayne Wayne Wayne and Harry Sawyer, are lucky to be in an highway accident where the van that is transporting them overturns. The duo steal the RV, they happen to see in a shopping area. It turns out the vehicle belong to the real gay men who go around the country preparing little girls for this important event in their lives, and they decide not to report it to the police.

As it turns out, Happy, Texas, welcomes them with open arms, or so it seems. The local sheriff, Chappy Dent, of all people, is a man struggling with his own sexual identity. Wayne is put in charge of the training of the girls for the pageant. Harry sees an angle in the local bank that shows a lack of security; it's the perfect target for a robbery.

When all it's said and done, "Happy, Texas" misses opportunities, when the pageant takes second place to a car chase. Director Mark Illsley, who contributed to the screen play, probably had great ideas going for the film, which ultimately fizzled out.

Best thing in the film is Steve Zahn's Wayne, a man who can't carry a tune. Jeremy Northam, an actor more at home playing dramatic roles, makes a surprising Harry, which shows his range. The wonderful William H. Macy appears as the mixed up sheriff Chappy Dent. Mr. Macy and Mr. Northam are hilarious doing the two-step at the local gay bar. Others in the film, Paul Dooley, Mo Gaffney, Ileana Douglas, and Ally Walker.

Entertaining enough, nothing great

[MovieAddict2016 · 6/10 · 11 February 2005]

"Happy, Texas" is an entertaining enough comedy about a couple of crooks who escape jail and find themselves inadvertently stuck in Happy, Texas - where they must pose as two gay men in order to divert attention from their true identities.

This sounds like a rude and raunchy comedy but it's well-delivered and surprisingly tasteless. William H. Macy gives the performance highlight as the closet homosexual police officer. Reminded me a bit of his performance in "Cellular," only...more flamboyant.

This is a funny film with some good performances. If you don't like gay stereotypes as humor, then look elsewhere - otherwise if you have an open mind and aren't easily offended it's pretty entertaining.

I enjoyed it anyway.

3/5

I laughed.

[fiascofilmsco · 7/10 · 8 June 2003]

I saw the trailer for this film in 1999, and finally got to see it last night on DVD.

Some of the film is predictable, but all in all it is good entertainment. I enjoyed all the little plot twists involving the sherriff. His funniest bits were when he was driving thru town and discovers the bank robbery under way. Thru all of this, he is crying and sniffling. Macy is great. Steve Zahn looked like an old friend of mine before the shaving.

I think this film is well worth a look.

Tiresome

[bregund · 1/10 · 20 December 2002]

There are spoilers in this review.

Let's see, where oh where have we seen this premise before: group of misfits rides into town, shakes up the backward townsfolk, and shows them that life is worth living. Sniff-sniff…I smell another rehash of a plot older than time itself.

Happy, Texas is about two small-time crooks who masquerade as gay men to put on a `pageant' featuring little girls in a place called, improbably, Happy, Texas. Just why the town should spring for such an endeavor is never explained, and the end result is a `pageant' that only the parents of the girls would want to watch. I guess a bunch of little girls who sing off key and can barely walk, let alone dance, must be a source of civic pride somewhere in the United States. Typical of Hollywood films, there's at least one child who speaks like an adult and can throw a mean punch like a fifty-year old drunk, dropping a man ten times her weight (if you're a budding screenwriter, for God's sake please PLEASE don't ever write a character like this). There's also a masculine and forthright woman named `Joe' who runs the town bank, and by gum no one is going to tell her what to do. The prevailing notion among Hollywood screenwriters is that if you give the characters some quirky traits you can make them instantly loveable. Who cares about character development when you have a woman banker named `Joe'? The townspeople are broadly-painted caricatures of small-town bumpkins; I guess that's supposed to make them charming.

This film looks and feels so much like Raising Arizona that one wonders if there were some Coen brothers wannabes behind the production of this film, which is really sad because aside from Fargo, any Coen brothers film is largely unsatisfying. Happy, Texas, does not fail to leave the same lingering sense of unfullfillment.

There is no substance to this film. All the actors float over the scenes like two-dimensional cutouts, saying their lines and squinting as they practice their southern accents. There is no sense of urgency or habitation, and everyone seems so involved with themselves that they can barely acknowledge the existence of others. Many, many little self-involved soliloquies dot this film from start to finish as each character thinks the others want to know all about him. Someone please explain to me why Hollywood thinks that characters talking endlessly about themselves is not worse than its polar opposite: action movies where explosions occur every five minutes and the hero utters some inane catch phrase after dispatching twelve attackers.

Plot holes abound. Why did the guy go on the date with the sheriff, for instance? He could just as easily have turned him down. The dialogue is a howler. `There is nothing fuzzy about what I feel for you.' I think that line is from Shakespeare.

I recommend you avoid this tiresome video and find something else. Like the AOL disks you get in the mail, this DVD is suitable only as a coaster.

Small Texas Town Lives Up To Its Name

[fwomp · 9/10 · 28 December 2005]

Happy Texas is one of the greatest comedies you've probably never heard of. Shot in just 29 days on a shoestring budget, this film's acting, directing, script and comedic timing are so clever and incisive that it has attracted an almost cult following, especially among Steve Zahn fans.

There are plots within plots that all pull together in the end to make a perfect film. Starting with escaped convicts (Wayne Wayne Wayne played by Steve Zahn and Harry Sawyer played by Jeremy Northam) who have to hide and steal an RV belonging to two gay pageant designers, to discovering the gay lifestyle in a small Texas community (Happy), to finding love in the arms of a doe-eyed banker (Ally Walker ...sorry for the cliché, but she really does have doe-eyes), this movie hits on all aspects of life and puts a hilarious spin on them.

The greatest things about this film were Steve Zahn's acting while trying to teach pre-teen girls how to dance, and William H. Macy's stunning performance as Happy's town sheriff who comes out of the closet.

Always sharp, incredibly funny, superbly paced, this movie's small budget belies its excellent acting and directing.

Few films will tickle your funny bone as perfectly as HAPPY Texas. Watch it. Buy it. Live it!

Silly, Silly Happenings in Happy, Texas

[wcourter · 7/10 · 6 December 1999]

A cute little ditty, but silly, silly, silly! This picture misses so many opportunities to rise above its silly self. There should have been much more interaction between the little contest girls and our stars, but alas, another missed opportunity. If anything makes this worth watching, it is William Macy as the sheriff in need of some love and meaning in his life. His performance is very touching. And one other good point - the screen writers didn't revert to a string of profanity each time they couldn't figure out what the characters should say, as do many movies today. Enjoy this one as a little light-hearted fluff.... For real comedy involving a tiny Texas town, catch a performance of "Tuna, Texas" and/or "Tuna Christmas" the next time your little theatre group puts it on...

A patently unfunny sitcom episode of a film

[razasyed · 1/10 · 26 August 1999]

I didn't laugh once. Could Steve Zahn be any more overrated? Could Jeremy Northam possibly have any less charisma? Actually, the person who fares the worst in this sad, sad production is Ally Walker. Her made-for-television acting consists of eye-fluttering and grimacing. Pure, unadulterated badness. And all the stereotyping this story engages in: hick cliches, gay cliches, romantic cliches. What a stinker.

Title of film describes it; funnier than many big-budget flicks

[caa821 · 9/10 · 24 March 2007]

I saw this film recently, for the second time, with a friend who hadn't seen it before.

It has a solid cast, with roles all well-played, and all who are just a bit shy of being on Hollywood's "A" list - but not because of any lacking talent or appeal.

There are a lot of previous comments here, so I would just add that it is a thoroughly enjoyable film, all the characters likable (even the couple of "bad" guys, in their own way).

You are completely aware of the basic ending of the story from the outset, and can pretty well guess most of the exact details as it moves along. However, this isn't meant to be suspenseful, and, as a quiet, modestly-budgeted presentation, it outdoes most of the "A-list," super-budget extravaganzas by a mile.

I can recommend this movie.

[beam_er · 7/10 · 27 January 2003]

This movie had for me some very good, laugh out loud sections. The interaction between a tough (supposedly) Escaped prison inmate as he tries to teach dancing to a bunch of little girls is classic. The inmate can't dance to save his soul, but it works out ok.

I enjoyed this movie. I can recommend this movie, but I did give it a 7 / 10.

Happy just isn't funny. (spoilers)

[vertigo_14 · 2/10 · 7 January 2006]

Happy, Texas follows your standard deception comedies. Harmless deviants who assume a false identity (or some kind of false characteristic) lead on a couple of nice town residents, inadvertently bring some joy to the town solving whatever problem they have, and meanwhile, not going through with the scheme they had originally attended before they won the trust of the town, only to be exposed anyway and things ending up with a happy resolution for all. Movies like these, too, are a dime a dozen in Hollywood. Similar instances that I can think of are: 'The Experts,' 'She's All That,' '10 Things I Hate About You,' and so forth. They need not be romantic comedies, but they usually are. And Happy, Texas is just one more forgettable version to top the list.

Here, three guys are suddenly prison fugitives after the van they're riding in overturns. One goes his own way while the other two stumble upon a small Texas town, and steal the motorhome of two gay men who are notorious for their work in preparing young girls for pageants. So the two guys pose as the gay pageant duo and help out the town's pageant woe's while plotting to rob the local bank. Of course, they gain the trust of the town and both fall in love with two local women and meanwhile help out the Sheriff figure out his sexual identity. And then the first guy returns and threatens to blow their cover, especially because he wants a piece of the bank action, too.

At least Steven Zahn was a little funnier here in his ritual performance as the dimwitted spaz.