Happy. Gay. What's the difference?
In "Happy,
Texas", Steve Zahn and Jeremy Northam play Wayne
and Harry, two escaped convicts who steal an RV
and soon discover that the RV was owned by two
gay men who travel the state of Texas consulting
on beauty pageants. It is outside town that they
are pulled over, prepared to be arrested, but
instead greeted by Happy's sheriff, Chappy Dent
(William H. Macy), with a friendly "Lots of
folks are waiting for you." The two gay men had
been hired by the city of Happy, Texas to
consult on the "Little Miss Fresh-Squeezed
Preteen Beauty Pageant."
The two men follow along, then decide to stay in
Happy when they discover that the bank would be
an easy mark AND they've both fallen for women
in the town, Jo (Ally Walker) and Ms. Schaefer
(Ileana Douglas). Of course, in this sort of
film nothing ever goes as planned and Harry soon
has to deal with the flirtations of Chappy, a
discovered to be gay sheriff.
"Happy, Texas" works beautifully because of its
gentleness and its respectful way of dealing
with each and every character. Macy is a
revelation as Chappy, giving him a depth and
tenderness that is nearly heartbreaking. I have
often cried and laughed during a film, but with
Macy's portrayal of Chappy I often found myself
experiencing both emotional extremes
simultaneously. It is a performance of simple,
magnificent tenderness that truly lights up the
screen. The film itself received an Outstanding
Film Award from the GLAAD Media awards
recognizing its outstanding treatment of
gay/lesbian issues.
Along with Macy, Steve Zahn offers one of his
most memorable, again tender, performances as
the convict with a tender heart for kids who
suddenly finds he may, in fact, have skills
outside a life of crime. I have long pronounced
Zahn as one of today's leading actors with
children. His natural presence and chemistry
with young people is simply a joy to watch
onscreen. I have no idea if he actually likes
kids, but onscreen he and the children come to
life together. This performance, in particular,
is one of great joy and laughter and innocence
that had me constantly smiling throughout the
film. Zahn won the Independent Spirit Award for
Best Supporting Actor for his performance here.
As Harry, Jeremy Northam literally pounces into
this role as a Texas convict with an energy and
focus that is amazing. Considering Northam is
primarily known for his British roots and
tendency towards more esteemed film roles this
performance offered him a chance to show a side
of his acting ability that, quite frankly, I
didn't believe existed.
The entire ensemble is
marvelous, including Ally Walker, Ileana
Douglas, Paul Dooley (who plays more mayors than
anyone I've ever seen), M.C. Gainey and Ron
Perlman.
The film had a modest budget of $1.7 million
(amazing when you consider the cast), but
production design serves the film well. The film
brought in box office receipts alone of $1.9
million, and it's refreshing to see such a
unique, entertaining independent film actually
become a profitable venture.
Writer/Director Mark Illsley has directed only
one other film, 2003's "Bookies", a sad fact for
me as he clearly has a solid director's approach
and would seem to have a promising future in
film.
"Happy, Texas" is the type of film I always have
a challenge rating. It is a film I love, a film
I watch regularly and a film that makes me laugh
each and every time. Can I look at it and see
flaws? Yes, I absolutely can. However, in this
case, I can't deny the truth. "Happy, Texas" is
a film I love and sometimes being happy is the
most important thing of all.
©
Written by Richard
Propes
TC Candler's Comment
n/a
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
