Happy, Texas

PG-13

1999

1h 44m

Comedy

LGBTQ+

List

82%

Tomatometer

55 Reviews

55%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

When bank robbers Harry (Jeremy Northam) and Wayne (Steve Zahn) escape from prison and stumble into the tiny Texas Panhandle town of Happy, they're mistaken for the gay couple who were scheduled to help plan the town's child beauty pageant. As the criminals take advantage of the misapprehension to lie low while planning their next heist, complications include the local sheriff (William H. Macy) and his attraction to Harry, and Wayne's feelings for schoolteacher Ms. Schaefer (Illeana Douglas).

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Critics 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.

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B-

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

Variety

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.

Rated: B-

Jan 29, 2007

Full Review

Philip Kemp

Sight & Sound

...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...

Rated: 4/5

Dec 2, 2002

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a larger-than-life premise that’s employed to watchable yet decidedly forgettable effect...

Rated: 2.5/4

May 12, 2024

Full Review

Joe Leydon

The Moving Picture Show

"Happy, Texas" is a fresh, frisky and very funny feel-good comedy that delights in upending expectations by avoiding cheap shots and demeaning caricatures.

Sep 3, 2021

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

It is a film I love, a film I watch regularly, and a film that makes me laugh each and every time.

Rated: 3.5/4.0

Sep 10, 2020

Full Review

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s r

A good premise, but other than Zahn there wasn't much here and even that was a struggle. I only saw it because of my sister. It was on Vudu.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

jonathan r

Love this movie. Very funny with endearing characters

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Saw it on TV by accident years ago! Loved it ever since

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

steve d

It wasn't fun or funny.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The late 90s has some of my favorite movies . Sometimes I miss this movies before all of the cgi and special effects . The stories just seem to be better back then when times were just simpler . Not a laugh out loud comedy so don’t expect that . 3.6

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/13/20

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie is hilarious!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/13/18

Full Review

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Mark Illsley

Director

Jeremy Northam

Harry Sawyer

Steve Zahn

Wayne Wayne Wayne Jr.

William H. Macy

Sheriff Chappy Dent

Ally Walker

Josephine "Joe" McClintock

Illeana Douglas

Doreen Schaefer

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Synopsis

When bank robbers Harry (Jeremy Northam) and Wayne (Steve Zahn) escape from prison and stumble into the tiny Texas Panhandle town of Happy, they're mistaken for the gay couple who were scheduled to help plan the town's child beauty pageant. As the criminals take advantage of the misapprehension to lie low while planning their next heist, complications include the local sheriff (William H. Macy) and his attraction to Harry, and Wayne's feelings for schoolteacher Ms. Schaefer (Illeana Douglas).

Director: Mark Illsley
Producer: Mark Illsley, Rick Montgomery, Ed Stone
Screenwriter: Ed Stone, Mark Illsley, Phil Reeves
Production Co: Miramax
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.9M
Runtime: 1h 44m
Sound Mix: Surround

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