Rating: 
Summary: A Ming Vase - that is a WyoMing Vase
Review: What a delightful movie. I heard about this when it was released at the theatre and I was expecting something quirky and zany. It is testament to the direction of Illsley and to the great acting that the story is really brought to life.A simple story: prison breakout, the fugitives are mistaken for gay children's pageant organisers, they plan a bank robbery but are changed by the charm of the inhabitants of Happy, Texas. This is real laugh out loud stuff: Steve Zahn trying to teach kids to dance (based on an MTv video), Jeremy Northam (in a character that is a million miles from An Ideal Husband) as the subject of the local sherrif's affections (played by an always brilliant William H Macy), the theft of the RV (which gets the main characters into the fix in the first place) and the car chase (with a tow truck). The DVD allows you to see the scenes Illsley deleted and listen to his reasoning. It is easy to see just from this how much effort went into story and character development. It has certainly paid off. These are people you meet for 98 minutes but they are formed well enough for you want to meet them in real life. I highly recommend watching this movie and I guarantee you will get one of the best renditions of Bjork's "Its so quiet" you are likely to see.
Rating: 
Summary: Happy Texas
Review: I 'd passed this movie on the shelves of movie rental stores for some time now and I just want to kick myself for not renting it sooner. After I saw this movie, I just had to have it for my movie collection. The box cover isn't a natural "attention grabber", but don't underestimate this movie's quality because of that. Happy Texas packs tons of laughs. This movie was well put together and the story line is definitely unique. Steve Zahn is one hilarious character. The scene where he tries to teach a group of young girls how to dance for a local children's pageant makes Happy Texas worth buying in itself. There's plenty more to this gutbusting comedy, but I'll let you judge for yourself. I think you'll find this one handsdown, 'No Contest'. And remember...." the light is green!" Check this one out!
Rating: 
Summary: hilarious
Review: this is hilarious, theres no denying its story about a couple of convicts who escape and then go to Happy,Texas where they pose as a couple of gay/talent show teachers. Zahn is hilarious as Wayne Wayne Wayne Jr. and his moments include where he helps the kids rehease for their talent show. though the violence and gunplay shorta warp it alittle bit and the bit at the end with the 2 gay guys stuck at a beach resort is just uproarous
Rating:
Summary: Macy Makes Happy!!!!!!!!
Review: Happy Texas is one GREAT movie!!!!
I remember standing in line for HOURS to see it at Sundance!!! Happy is a wonderfully sweet, totally odd little ditty of a film. A FIRST rate cast with an easy directing style filled with very real, funny, quirky and off the cuff characters that well ALL know. Just look around your own hometown....You know people just like those in Happy....We all do!!
Macy really makes Happy, TX-------William H. Macy is one of our most talented actors working today. I was really hoping for an Oscar nod for his work. Macy's character "Chappy" is his finest to date. As you watch his character, one tends to forget that you are watching "an actor". "Chappy" becomes totally real!!! Witness the "Proper Date" and the " Rejection" scenes if you have any doubts. Happy is really much better after 2 or 3 watchings. Small little details surface that are easily missed the first time. Example: Check out the photo on Sheriff Dent's desk!!!
Also some of the characters odder than normal mannerism become more visible and more funny!!! Happy is a quiet, gentle little movie------It doesn't shout at you. It makes you laugh---BUT---It REALLY makes you smile. Which is PRETTY cool!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Texan Madness good in the rainy Vancouver winter
Review: I never thought I'd want to see, much less enjoy, a movie called Happy, Texas, but the trailer didn't lie this time, and I've now seen it three times. It's not a perfect, movie, and the viewer who complained that it was a bit disjointed is right, but there are so many good moments and appealing characters that it is impossible not to enjoy yourself.
Small time crooks Harry Sawyer (Brit Jeremy Northam, who actually does a not bad job with the accent, and anyway is Jeremy Northam, so who cares?) and Wayne Wayne Wayne Jr. (Steve Zahn, hilarious as "the other one") escape their prison van and end up hiding out in the small town of Happy, posing as gay beauty pageant organizers. And there they meet Jo...sephine McClintock,(Ally Walker, warm and funny and appealing) the perpetually stressed Miss Schaefer (Illeana Douglas) and "Chappy" the sherrif (William H. Macy, a real standout), while teaching some little girls to throw punches and bop to Bjork, and trying to decide whether or not to rob the bank.
It's bizarre and great, perfect winter entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: A little bit cheesy, but still side-splitting hilarious
Review: The small town of Happy, Texas is a quiet little place. It's more like a big family than a town, really. For the past seven years, they've been shamed at the annual Little Miss Fresh Squeezed beauty pageant. This year, however, it's their turn. They're going to make Happy proud. To aid in their efforts, they hired Steven and David, a pair of traveling pageant professionals, who drive from town to town in their dilapidated motor home, teaching little girls to be beauty queens. Little do the town's residents realize, though, that instead of the homosexual couple they were expecting, they got a pair of escaped convicts (Jeremy Northam and Steve Zahn), who stole the motor home -- and its owners' identities. The cons, too, have no idea what they've gotten themselves into. So while they try to keep their cover, David (whose name is really Wayne Wayne Wayne, Jr.) teaches a handful of little girls to sing and dance. And Steven (actually Harry Sawyer), tries to figure out how they can rob the local bank -- all the while falling in love with the banker (Ally Walker) and attempting to escape the advances of the town's sherrif, Chappy (William H. Macy). Happy, Texas is a little-known film, but it's definitely worth seeing. It's absolutely side-splittingly hilarious. Sure, it's a little cheesy sometimes, but what do you expect? It's a comedy.
Rating:
Summary: Great Characters, Funny Story
Review: A case of mistaken identity causes concern, conflict and consternation among the residents of a small town in Texas, the results of which are often unexpected but always hilarious, in "Happy, Texas," directed by Mark Illsley. A comedy of incidents and errors, it illustrates what can happen when trust is placed in the wrong quarter; and interestingly enough, the good things just may outweigh the bad, depending upon which side of whose fence you're standing on at the time. One thing is certain, before it's all over there are those who will know a lot more about themselves, as well as some of the others in town, and one way or another Illsley makes sure that there's plenty of laughs in it for his audience along the way. Harry Sawyer (Jeremy Northam) and Wayne Wayne Jr. (Steve Zahn) escape from a Texas chain gang along with killer Bob Maslow (M.C. Gainey), to whom they just happen to be shackled. When Maslow takes it on the lam, Harry and Wayne steal an RV that belongs to a couple of gay entrepreneurs, David (Tim Bagley) and Steven (Michael Hitchcock), who are en route to Happy to produce a beauty pageant. For personal reasons, the couple do not report the theft of their vehicle. Meanwhile, as this pageant is a big event in Happy, the local sheriff, Chappy Dent (William H. Macy), is on the lookout for David and Steven, and when he spots their RV, he personally escorts them into town, where Harry and Wayne (who quickly catch on and become "Steven and David") are welcomed and handed some money. It doesn't seem like a bad gig considering the alternatives, so they take the money and go along; after all, how hard can producing a beauty pageant be? Suffice to say, being perceived as "gay" is going to be the least of their problems over the next few days. And with that, the merriment begins. Humor is the main course served up by Illsley in this rather off-beat and quirky feast of funniness, which often takes the road less traveled to come out a winner. It's a comedy with a twist rarely associated with the prevailing attitudes among the folks residing in the good state of Texas, wherein "macho" holds sway and those who wear a badge must necessarily conform to the shadow cast in the image of no less than John Wayne. With Illsley's offering, however, we get to see the other side of the coin, and it's refreshing, as well as funny. In the end we realize that "nature" will have it's way in every conceivable way, shape and form, and there's no getting around it; it's a little thing called "life." Illsley, though, is not attempting to make a statement with his film, or even send a message of any kind. This is first and foremost a comedy; Illsley's intent is clearly to entertain and to make his audience laugh, and in this he succeeds. He begins with an interesting concept, builds a good story and populates it with some bona fide "characters," brought to life by a solid cast of talented actors. William H. Macy just may be the best character actor alive, and his portrayal of Chappy helps to make the case even stronger. His resume reads like a who's who of a cross section of the earth's population: From his memorable turn as Jerry, in "Fargo," to "Mystery Men's" Shoveler, Walt the director in "State and Main," Lawrence in "Focus" to his poignant and unforgettable performance as Bill in "Door To Door" and everything in-between, Macy makes whatever character he's playing unique, perfect and interesting. He's a star who can carry a film on his own, or give the kind of support in a smaller role that elevates whatever project he's working on to a higher level; and there are very few actors around who can lay claim to that kind of range and success. As he does with Chappy, he has the ability to make his characters convincing and entirely real, bringing them to life without any discernible trace of Macy the actor to be found. Chappy Dent, for example, is a sheriff in Happy, Texas, with no connection whatsoever to a guy named William H. Macy. It's the highest compliment one can pay an actor, and Macy deserves it tenfold. In the realm of character actors, it must be noted, too, that Steve Zahn is well on his way to establishing himself among the best of the best. Like Macy's Chappy, in Wayne Wayne, Zahn creates a character with a decidedly unique perspective on the world and his own place in it. And, like Macy, Zahn has the ability to disappear into a role. Consider some of his characters, from Lenny in "That Thing You Do," to George in "You've Got Mail," Fuller in "Joy Ride," to his role here of Wayne, and you would be hard put to find any semblance of the "real" Steve Zahn. He has yet to establish his ability to carry a film on his own, but he has certainly demonstrated how invaluable his presence can be to any film. Of the entire cast, in fact, it is leading man Jeremy Northam, known predominately for period piece dramas (Mr. Knightly, "Emma," Sir Robert, "An Ideal Husband" and Ash, "Possession," for example), who seems to be the fish out of water here. As Harry/Steven, however, he rises to the occasion and gives a convincing performance that is yet another "plus" to the film. it's a role somewhat against type for him, but he pulls it off nicely. The supporting cast includes Ally Walker (Josephine), Illeana Douglas (Doreen), Ron Perlman (Marshal Nalhober), Jillian Berard (Maddie) and Paul Dooley (The Judge). A feel-good film made for fun and frolic, "Happy, Texas" may take a side door to the humor, but it finds it and makes good on the promise of what "comedy" is all about: Plenty of laughs.
Rating:
Summary: More Dry Humor In The Spirit Of Bottle Rocket
Review: Steve Zahn and Jeremy Northam play two escaped convicts who get mistaken for a gay couple in the town they're hiding out in. The situations get more ridiculous as the movie progresses, and the humor is very dry at times. You'll see them get in a bizarre situation and wonder if you're supposed to be laughing or not. I didn't think this movie was as good as Bottle Rocket, but I am always pleased to watch movies that make a joke out of crime. Steve Zahn was in another great crime comedy called Safe Men which is a whole lot funnier than this. If you thought this movie was not as good as you hoped, give Safe Men or Bottle Rocket a try, because they are very much similar movies.
Rating:
Summary: Its a Tornado
Review: I must say that this has to be the funniest movie I have ever seen. Anyone looking for some fun light humor that willhave you rewinding and rewatching, this is the movie for you. I love this show, I have rented it at least 20 times, I know every word and I still laugh. I have told all of my friends, and they love it too. I highly recommend this movie to everyone!!!!
People seem to really like Macy, and I do inthis movie, but I think that Steve Zahn, and the other one :), are funnier.
Get this movie and enjoy 1.5 hours of nonstop laughing.
Rating:
Summary: Texas friends for life
Review: Ok, let me say that 10 years ago I moved from Colorado to FT Worth Texas and each is a big city with its own problems....
Visit slightly either side of the city and you find some of the most unique and genuine people in the world....The people of Texas...I learned to keep my mind and my eyes and ears open and have found a little of HAPPY TEXAS in all of us...From the people who work the ranch to the business leaders of the city these people in the movie are right out of the real Texas small town areas...Trusting...loving...and above all "Dont ask Dont Tell...Wherein lies the reality of Texas, I have heard many great stories about the "Boys who live down the street" and the real genuine relationships between neighbors...Where being a good neighbor is all that matters and your identity is not important as long as your "Good People".
For Those of you who have not seen this movie it is very funny and the cast genuine...William Macy steals the show with his honest and masculine character the local town sheriff who needs to talk about his own secret...I bought copies for all my family in Colorado..to show how the real people of Texas treat each other with respect and acceptance of differences...
|
