User reviews

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

Because first you've got some memorable actors in

>> Steve Zahn ("Joy Ride," "Hamlet"),

>> Illeana Douglas, (Action, "Next Best Thing"), and

>> Ally Walker (Tell Me You Love Me, My Wonderful Life),

and in addition to that trait, the extra polish of

>> Jeremy Northram (The Tudors, "Payback," "An Ideal Husband"),

>> William H. Macy ("Fargo," "Thank You for Smoking"), and

>> Ron Perlman ("Hellboy," "City of Lost Children").

Like "Old School," this is a movie for adults and older teens to enjoy, but unlike that movie, this one suits couples, too. You won't get the belly laughs of "Old School," but you'll look forward to seeing this little pleaser for the same reason people enjoy remakes of Shakespeare's comedies (John Boorman's "Where the Heart Is") or Jane Austin (Amy Heckler's "Clueless"): it's not only fun seeing updates on those confused identities, dawning insights, and unfamiliar settings, but it's fun too appreciating what different actors make of these. Plus these guys are always good, and Steve Zahn is inspired crazy.

Northram and Zahn are odd-couple convicts on the run and con men on the make. Zahn, all crank and id, seems to have the harder task pretending to be a gay pageant director enduring the horror of all those sweet little girls, but it's soon clearly a draw as his pretend boyfriend, Northram, smart and smooth, fends off suspicions and a gay suitor. Both men are also suffering from scam-induced blue balls from the off-limits affections of what would otherwise be their love interests.

The attraction of this movie for me is not only these amusing classic tensions, but the original way it resolves these. There's something touching in the determination of Zahn's character to work through the situation that's not like the poignancy of Macy's character or the sensitivity Northram's exhibits. But none of these guys is a wuss either, all the actors have attractive but distinctly different personalities, anyone of which can make you smile.

If you do, check out all of the movies above and then kick it up a notch by seeing "Rosecranz and Guildenstern are Dead" together with Mel Gibson's "Hamlet," or Kenneth Branagh's, or his "Henry V" or him with Emma Thompson in "Much Ado about Nothing" or her in "Sense and Sensibility" or "Gweneth Paltrow in "Emma" or "Shakespeare in Love."

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.

Not a bad film, quite funny in parts, touching in others. However, it had very little to offer after seeing the trailer. Most of the plot was either obvious because it was hinted at or actually shown in the trailer. The rest of it was just plain obvious like so many movies from Hollywood. The bits that were reasonably original and unexpected alone didn't make it worthwhile paying to go to the cinema after seeing the trailer.

Still, it did have some excellent performances from a talented cast, particularly from William H. Macy (sigh) and Steve Zahn.

If you are still interested in seeing this movie, stop reading about it now, don't see the trailer, don't ask for more opinions: just go and see it and laugh a lot for an hour and a half - otherwise you might be more than a bit disappointed by the poor plot.

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.

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.

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 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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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...

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.

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.

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.

The idea of this movie is much better than the end result. Too many items essential to the plot are unexplained - can't Northam and Zahn get a haircut, at the very least, so they don't look EXACTLY like their mug shot? The guys that had their trailer stolen - this is particularly stupid - okay, they were going to report the trailer stolen after a couple of days, to collect on the insurance, but what about the contents of the trailer? There was their sewing machine, photo album, etc., so wouldn't they have missed those items? Or is it too much to ask to have a movie actually make some sense and not have huge holes in it?

The acting is not much better. Northam has the light, comedic touch of a chainsaw. Zahn fares better but seems to be auditioning for a low-grade professional wrestling promoter. I could not hear most of Ally Walker's dialogue and Douglas was not up to her usual dependable self.

This leaves William H. Macy, who is great as he always is, but his character has to suffer an awful humiliation and that was uncalled for, shocking and inappropriate and nearly made me stop watching. He gets a happy ending, so to speak, but it was rough going there for a minute. The best scene in the movie is when Northam and Macy are dancing. It has energy and is easily the only two minutes of this that are worth anything.

I won't watch this movie again. For me that's saying a lot since 75% of all movies I've ever seen, I've seen at least four times. But it did not make me 'happy' or make me 'laugh' very much either.