Happy, Texas (1999)

Director:

Mark Illsley

Writers:

Ed Stone (writer) &
Mark Illsley (writer) ...

Release Date:

3 December 1999 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Romance

Tagline:

Escaped convicts disguised as beauty pageant experts? This could get ugly.

Plot:

Two escaped convicts arrive in the town of Happy, Texas, where they are mistaken for a gay couple who...

Plot Keywords:

Texas | Gay | Teacher | Escaped Convict | Beauty Pageant

Awards:

6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Steve Zahn	...	Wayne Wayne Wayne Jr., aka David
Jeremy Northam	...	Harry Sawyer, aka Steven 'Steve'
William H. Macy	...	Sheriff Chappy Dent
Ally Walker	...	Josephine 'Joe' McClintock the Banker
Illeana Douglas	...	Doreen Schaefer
M.C. Gainey	...	Robert 'Bob' Allen Maslow
Ron Perlman	...	Marshal Nalhober
Mo Gaffney	...	Mrs. Bromley
Paul Dooley	...	The Judge
Jillian Berard	...	Madison 'Maddie'
Scarlett Pomers	...	Jency (Flaming Batons)
Melissa Arnold	...	Another Happy Girl
Cassie Silva	...	Another Happy Girl
Tiffany Takara	...	Another Happy Girl
Tim Bagley	...	David, Pagent Professional

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language, sexual content and some violence.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:6 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Piru, California, USA

Company:

Marked Entertainment

Trivia:

William H. Macy's character has a discussion on the phone where he complains he cannot read a smudgy fax, and the message should be mailed, not faxed. This is exactly like a conversation his character has in Fargo (1996).

Goofs:

Continuity: The hotdog that Jo was eating at the auction.

Quotes:

Josephine McClintock: The last man in that safe who didn't work here, my Daddy shot in his tracks.
Harry Sawyer: I understand that's the most painful place to be shot in.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 2000 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Gopher Mambo

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

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.