# Happy, Texas (1999)

### reviewed by
Homer Yen

    Come on Get "Happy"
    by Homer Yen
    (c) 1999

Somewhere nestled in the heart of the Lone Star state is a small town where the citizens are as close to one another as they are to their own families. This place (and the film's title) is Happy, Texas. It's the typical postcard-pretty, one-sheriff town where everyone knows each other's name. One of the biggest events for this charming community is the Little Miss Fresh-Squeezed Pre-Teen Beauty Pageant. Every year, Happy's adorable little girls compete for the right to represent their town in a statewide competition if they can win. But year after year, the little girls aren't up to snuff. This year, Happy will be the host town of this year's pageant. Knowing how well they've performed in the past, the local community leaders decide that they need some professional help to ensure a good showing. They anxiously await the arrival of two men, who are just as well known for their success at pageant consulting as well as their outwardly gay lifestyle. What they unknowingly get instead are two on-the-run escapees from a local prison. How does this happen?

Prisonmates Harry (Jeremy Northam) and Wayne (Steve Zahn) escape from their prison van and manage to steal a beat up RV. What they don't know is that the RV belongs to the two previously mentioned pageant consultants. Though Harry and Wayne try to drive as far away as possible, their van breaks down nearby Happy. Chappy Dent (William F. Macy), the town's sheriff happens upon them saying, ‘we've been looking for you.' They are escorted back into town where the two think that they are being arrested. Totally clueless about what's really going on, they soon learn that they are actually being hired and are supposed to be a gay couple. This strikes them as totally shocking. They want to escape, but Harry notes that the town's bank would be an easy target, so they devise a plan to stay. Harry will befriend Jo, the bank's president (Ally Walker), as he figures out how to execute the heist. Meanwhile, Wayne will take on the responsibility of training the girls for the pageant.

This wild setup starts off a very funny movie that mixes elements of mistaken identities and ‘fish out of water.' Zahn is extremely funny as the loony convict, Wayne, who can barely keep himself from screaming. To start the little girls' training, he sings `99 Bottle of Beers on the Wall.' Harry's job is perhaps not as difficult because Jo needs a friend that she can confide in. She takes comfort in the fact that she's gay. She speaks her mind and lets him explore her house, which is his opportunity to learn the combination of the safe. It is not surprising that Harry begins to fall for Jo or that Wayne begins to fall for one of the teachers. But because everyone thinks that they're gay, Harry and Wayne must be very careful not to give away their true identities. This situation becomes painfully funny as the two continue to mingle with the various townsfolk and push through with their tasks.

"Happy Texas" is a good-natured story that puts two completely unprepared people in a situation totally beyond their control. They wrestle with the absurdity of their predicament and squirm with agony. The result is a film that is funny and amusing and one of the real comedic gems of the fall season.

    Grade: B+

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