As sweet-natured and likable as it is, Happy, Texas still falls short in the one department that really counts for a movie comedy — real, honest-to-goodness belly laughs.
Happy, Texas (1999)
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Reviews Counted:49
Fresh:40
Rotten:9
Average Rating:6.8/10
Consensus: A smart, light-hearted romantic comedy, Happy, Texas uses its well-written script and exceptional cast to prove there's still life left in the fish-out-of-water caper genre.
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Harry Sawyer (Northam) and Wayne Wayne Wayne Jr. (Zahn) are two escaped convicts who find themselves in Happy, Texas. When they are mistaken for a gay couple who are in town to host a local beauty... Harry Sawyer (Northam) and Wayne Wayne Wayne Jr. (Zahn) are two escaped convicts who find themselves in Happy, Texas. When they are mistaken for a gay couple who are in town to host a local beauty pageant, they use the opportunity to slip into character and avoid the authorities. Obviously, the bumbling, heterosexual criminals don't have a clue as to what they're doing, and when romance appears in the form of a distraught banker (Walker) and a tacky teacher (Douglas), their real personas threaten to emerge and blow their cover. Zahn's hysterical performance won him a Special Jury Award at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. [More]
Starring: Steve Zahn, Jeremy Northam, William H. Macy, Ally Walker
Starring: Steve Zahn, Jeremy Northam, William H. Macy, Ally Walker, Illeana Douglas, M.C. Gainey, Ron Perlman, Paul Dooley, Tim Bagley, Michael Hitchcock, Mo Gaffney
Director: Mark Illsley
Director: Mark Illsley
Screenwriter: Mark Illsley, Phil Reeves, Ed Stone
Producer: Mark Illsley, Rick Montgomery, Ed Stone
Composer: Peter Harris
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Reviews for Happy, Texas
Happy, Texas is a good, winning combination of imitation and inventiveness.
...if the world is not exactly aching from a lack of fish-out-of-water criminal capers, Happy, Texas nevertheless pleasingly proves that even a shtick we've seen before can charm when it's done well.
This is one of those comedies that doesn't pound us on the head with the obvious, but simply lets us share vast amusement.
Almost everybody in this not-so-funny comedy is giddy and cuddlesome with a gosh-oh-gee enthusiasm that is at first engaging but quickly becomes a sign of a desperation to be liked.
For those of us that could use a little mirth in our lives, the good-spirited Happy, Texas with its silly script and adorable antics is just what we need.
Northam provides low-key comic counterpoint to Zahn's hilariously manic turn. Macy's deadpan, earnest sheriff is the one to watch, though.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 90% 90% | District 9 |
| 86% 86% | 500 Days of Summer |
| 63% 63% | Extract |
| 06% 06% | All About Steve |
| 78% 78% | It Might Get Loud |
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