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Happy, Texas (film)
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Wikipedia article
'Happy, Texas' is a 1999 American comedy film directed by Mark Illsley and starring Steve Zahn, Jeremy Northam and William H. Macy.
It was a positively reviewed film, and was a box office hit, grossing $3.7 million against a $1.4 million budget.
Plot
Three prisoners escape from a chain gang, and two of them, Wayne and Harry (Zahn and Northam) run away to Happy, Texas, where they pose as the gay organizers of a beauty pageant. They put on a show with the small girls of the town while hiding from the law and waiting for the opportunity to rob the local bank.
Their scheme is complicated by the fact that the local sheriff (Macy) is gay, and he is attracted to the prisoner Harry. Straight Harry, on the other hand, is attracted to local lady banker Josephine (Walker). Meanwhile, "gay" David, also actually straight, gets it on with the local pageant coordinator, Doreen (Douglas).
By the pageant day, the third convict has appeared, and makes Wayne and Harry organize a break in during the show. Harry calls in more police, and in the process, all three are apprehended. In the last scene, the pageant group that Wayne helped train came to the prison to show them the closing number, in the costumes he made.
Cast
*Steve Zahn as Wayne Wayne Wayne Jr. (David)
*Jeremy Northam as Harry Sawyer (Steven 'Steve')
*William H. Macy as Sheriff Chappy Dent
*Ally Walker as Josephine 'Joe' McClintock the Banker
*Illeana Douglas as Doreen Schaefer
*M. C. Gainey as Robert 'Bob' Allen Maslow
*Ron Perlman as Marshal Nalhober
*Mo Gaffney as Mrs. Bromley
*Paul Dooley as The Judge
*Kim Story as Guard
Production
With the exception of a few scenes, the film was shot entirely on location in Piru, California. One scene was filmed at Oil Can Harry's in Studio City, Los Angeles.
Release
The film was shown at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired for distribution by Miramax Films who released the film in the United States on October 1, 1999 in 8 theaters.
Box office
The film grossed $72,056 in its opening weekend and went on to gross nearly $2 million in the United States and Canada.Critical reception
The film received a rating of 81% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 52 critics, stating "'Happy, Texas' is a simple, funny romantic comedy that benefits from a very talented cast and a good soundtrack." Roger Ebert of the 'Chicago Sun-Times' gave it 3/4.Soundtrack
The soundtrack album for 'Happy, Texas' features a mix of mostly country music by such artists as Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Lee Roy Parnell, Pam Tillis, Brad Paisley and BR5-49. There are also bits of Tejano (Flaco Jimenez) and exotica (Yma Sumac).
Track listing
#"Passin' Through" (Randy Scruggs and Joan Osborne) 5:16#"Good at Secrets" (Kim Richey) 4:20
#"This Little Light of Mine"/"Fort Davis Contestant" (Carly Fink) 0:17
#"Are You Happy Baby?" (Lee Roy Parnell and Keb' Mo') 2:27
#"Ordinary Heart" (Emmylou Harris) 2:58
#"Baila Este Ritmo" (Flaco Jimnez) 3:17
#"After a Kiss" (Pam Tillis) 4:10
#"Me Neither" (Brad Paisley) 3:22
#"Stay" (Alison Krauss) 3:26
#"Half a Man" (Shannon Brown) 2:35
#"Gopher Mambo" (Yma Sumac) 2:17
#"Honky Tonk Song" (BR5-49) 2:38
#"That Buckin' Song (Saddle Sore Mix)" (Robert Earl Keen) 3:51
#"Hurdy Gurdy Monkey Shine" (Road Kings) 2:17
#"Happiness" (Abra Moore) 4:28
#"It's Oh So Quiet" (Happy Girls) 1:29
#*Cover of song popularized by Bjrk
See also
* List of American films of 1999
References
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