Happy, Texas is a light, breezy and very amusing comedy.
Happy, Texas (1999)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
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
Reviews for Happy, Texas
Uneven in places but with a few choice hilarious moments, it is well worth the rental.
...although it reverts to slapstick for its set-piece chase finale, for most of its length Mark Illsley's debut film offers an unexpectedly gentle, even sentimental comedy of sexual identities...
Full of bumbling schemes, sexual deception and mistaken identities, the film occasionally lets some hambone moments creep in, but Zahn and the amazing Macy as the town's oddly secretive sheriff are the icing on this zany cake.
Anybody with a soft spot for fakers, who either identifies with them or just admires their chutzpah, is going to get a kick out of Happy, Texas.
Odd couple buddy picture with Rom-Com elements that work. Zhan gives one of his most hysterical performances to date. Lighthearted, watchable, and fun.
The set-up is so strong that it's impressive to see it progress so effortlessly.
A joyous entertainment, tinged with an appealing innocence both singular and welcome in contemporary American film.
Steve Zahn shines in Illsley's feature debut, elevating this eccentric small-town comedy two notches above the level of writing. Using the fish out of water format, this Sundance premiere begins well but then declines rapidly.
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Happy, Texas at Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

