Film: "Happy Texas" (1999).
Harry Sawyer (Northam) and Wayne Wayne Jr. (Zahn) don't know each other. They
just happen to be bound together by the ankle, part of a Texas chain gang. But
when the opportunity comes to escape, Henry and Wayne half-inch a run-down RV,
only to find themselves several miles down the road being stopped by the local
sheriff Chappy (Macy). They think the game is up, but Chappy has in fact
mistaken them for a couple of beauty pageant directors, whom the town of
Happy, Texas has been eagerly waiting on. Every year the eight year-old girls
of Happy miss out on the big pageant, but this year is going to be different -
not only do they have professionals on the job, but they're gay as well!
Despite Wayne's deep misgivings, the duo decide to go along with the mistake -
after all, it's somewhere to hide out, and the town bank looks a fairly easy
target...
Happy, Texas is a light, breezy and very amusing comedy. Its plot machinations
may veer from the deeply obvious and expected - two of the better looking
local women start to fall for the "gay" couple and much as the boys may want
to, they can't break cover - but there are also some nice unexpected routes
taken.
More than anything, Happy Texas is an extremely well-played piece - Brit
Northam is credible as an American leading man, while Macy is an understated
joy as he starts to betray exactly which way he swings. But the movie belongs
to the increasingly wonderful Steve Zahn, whose pitiful attempts to deal with
a bunch of kids provide the film's strongest and most watchable moments.
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