Cast: Jeremy Northam, Steve Zahn, William H. Macy, Ally Walker, Illeana Douglas, M.C. Gainey, Ron Perlman
Director: Mark Illsley
Producers: Mark Illsley, Ed Stone, Rick Montgomery
Screenplay: Ed Stone & Mark Illsley & Phil Reeves
Cinematography: Bruce Douglas Johnson
Music: Peter Harris
U.S. Distributor: Miramax Films
The first half of the title of Happy, Texas represents how most viewers will feel when leaving the theater after watching director Mark Illsley's delightful debut feature. The film offers a break from the seriousness of so many of the Fall's releases. Not that a grim motion picture is necessarily a bad thing (in fact, three of my top picks for the year - Xiu Xiu, The War Zone, and Fight Club - pretty much have the entire dark terrain of the human experience covered), but every now and then even the most somber movie-goer needs to sip a lighter brew. And that's exactly what Happy, Texas provides - a wellspring of sweet, effervescent humor that reminds us that comedies don't have to be all about fart jokes and bathroom humor.
Every year at the Sundance Film Festival, there is at least one motion picture that sparks a bidding war. This year, it wasn't The Blair Witch Project, which was snapped up unchallenged by Artisan Entertainment. Nor was it the award-winning Three Seasons, which was already owned by Fine Line Features before the start of its Park City odyssey. Instead, it was Happy, Texas, arguably the funniest film to surface at Sundance. After entertaining bids from nearly every indie distributor at the festival, Illsley settled on Miramax, claiming that the Disney-owned company had presented the best marketing strategy. Of course, the reputed $2.5 million deal (which, with a sizable backend, could be worth up to $10 million) surely didn't hurt. (It should also be noted that the theatrical release differs from the Sundance cut - edits and re-shoots affect about 20% of the final version.)
The film doesn't exactly shatter expectations by breaking new cinematic ground, but that's part of its charm. Astute viewers will make immediate connections with the likes of Some Like It Hot, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and Waiting for Guffman. We're on a road that has to conclude with a happy ending; the fun is in the trip, not at the destination. A pair of escaped cons, the laconic Harry Sawyer (Jeremy Northam) and the dimmest bulb in the pack, Wayne Wayne Wayne Jr. (Steve Zahn), are looking for a place to lie low while the police are scouring the countryside for them. When they arrive in the small hamlet of Happy, Texas ("the town without a frown") in a stolen Winnebago, they are mistaken for the pair of gay beauty pageant consultants who have been hired to help the little girls of Happy win the 18th annual "Little Miss Fresh Squeezed" talent contest. Since this kind of impersonation seems like a great way to steer clear of the cops, the pair decides to play along with the town's enthusiastic residents. So, while Wayne, under the watchful eye of the local school teacher, Ms. Schaefer (Illeana Douglas), ineptly tries to instruct his charges on the finer points of winning a pageant, Harry plans a robbery of the local bank. But there are two complications - he is falling for the bank president, Josephine McLintock (Ally Walker), while being courted by the sheriff, Chappy Dent (William H. Macy), who thinks he finally has found a soul mate.
Jeremy Northam (An Ideal Husband), as suave as always even out of period costume, gives a low-key rendering of Harry - he's the prototypical "likable crook" because, deep inside, he has a heart of gold, no matter how much he likes to pretend otherwise. Despite his dastardly plans, it's hard to imagine him hurting a fly, especially considering that he can't figure out a way to inform the sheriff that he's not really gay without ruining the man's self esteem. Northam and Ally Walker make an affable couple - there's not a lot of heat, but there is some chemistry. With Northam playing the straight man, that leaves it up to Steve Zahn (Out of Sight, You've Got Mail) to generate most of the laughs - a task for which he is eminently suited. Zahn, who has been funny in almost every role he has slipped into, is essentially portraying the same kind of ill-tempered, not-to-bright stoner that is his forte. He may not display much range, but few can do this part better. His comic bits include teaching the kids to sing "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall", practicing a unique brand of child discipline, and introducing a new approach to the power of prayer.
The only actor who stands a chance of upstaging Zahn is William H. Macy. For most of the film, Macy's reserved sheriff is content to remain in the background (except for those occasions when he steals a scene or two), but, as events shift into high gear, he emerges from the closet to add a dash of pathos to the proceedings. Chappy's reaction to being romantically rebuffed is genuinely wrenching, and this opens a new dimension to a seemingly straightforward character. Additional effective support is provided by Illeana Douglas, Ally Walker, and M.C. Gainey as a homicidal sadist who was involved in the escape that set Harry and Wayne free.
If there's a down side to Happy, Texas, it's that the ending doesn't deliver the expected comic punch line - instead, it gets stuck incorporating a little too much action. That's really a minor quibble, however, and it doesn't do much to detract from the movie's ability to satisfy viewers of all types. The real pleasure of this film isn't that many of the jokes work, but that Illsley's affection for the characters carries over to the audience. The movie also rejects a homophobic view of gay men. Like Prisicilla, it doesn't resort to crudeness and stereotyping to garner laughs. Happy, Texas may not be the funniest or most daring comedy of the year, but it is one of the most congenial. And, if you're looking for two hours of pure entertainment, there's a lot to be said in favor of that particular quality.
© 1999 James Berardinelli