Happy, Texas

Miramax Films | Release Date: October 1, 1999

CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION

62	METASCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 31 Critic Reviews

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

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Critic Reviews

Critic score Publication By date

Mr. ShowbizKevin Maynard

Zahn's dazed and confused, droopy-mustached dude steals every scene he's in...a movie that will make you smile and put a lump in your throat.

Rita Kempley

Along with a lot of 10-gallon laughs, Happy, Texas rustles up plenty of goodwill for its larcenous, sexually ambiguous leading men. Read full review

Walter Addiego

It's soft-edged fun that loses direction (or, given the scattershot plot, directions). Read full review

Mary Elizabeth Williams

So full of winning performances and so disarmingly uncynical in its affection for its characters, it manages to leave you with a Texas-size grin on your face anyway. Read full review

Mike Clark

Neither the actors nor their characters engender much affection.

Emanuel Levy

Steve Zahn shines throughout Mark Illsley's feature debut, Happy, Texas, elevating this eccentric small-town comedy a notch or two above its level of writing. Read full review

Lisa Schwarzbaum

A comedy of '90s sexual inclusiveness as effervescent as a cold sody pop -- and about as intoxicating. Read full review

100

Bob Graham

Anybody with a soft spot for fakers, who either identifies with them or just admires their chutzpah, is going to get a kick out of Happy, Texas. Read full review

Paula Nechak

A fresh, well-written comedy that doesn't lag, casts its actors against type and has a real love for its characters. Read full review

TNT RoughCutBill McLochlin

Zahn, however, is definitely the star of the film, with his quirky portrayal of Wayne Wayne Wayne Jr. getting all of the laughs, and none of the credit.

Lisa Alspector

Its charm and humor will be overshadowed for some by the exploitation of gay stereotypes--which is ironic, since their arch usage ultimately allows the movie to be progressive, if only slightly. Read full review

Film.comGemma Files

Sweet and hilarious, a classic crowd-pleaser which elevates rather than eviscerates the homespun eccentrics who make up its cast of characters. Read full review

Kevin Thomas

A hoot, a hilarious comedy that's smart and caring, yet sexy and ingenious enough that it just might stir up some of that elusive "Full Monty"-style box-office appeal. Read full review

Dennis Lim

Sputters to a dead halt right out of the gate. One labored scenario follows another. Read full review

Michael Wilmington

Don't expect a lot, and you'll probably enjoy Happy, Texas, as I did -- mostly. At the very least, Steve Zahn will make you laugh. Read full review

Peter Travers

Keeps the laughs coming, and a dynamo named Steve Zahn is the cheif reason why. It's a one-joke movie, but the cast knows how to sell it.

Ernest Hardy

A very cynical exploitation of the current Hollywood vogue for things queer. Still, the film is a must-see. Read full review

Desmond Ryan

Illsley's fine cast, with a riotous contribution from William H. Macy as the sheriff who falls for Harry, plays out the comedy without condescension.

Jack Mathews

The performances are first-rate, with the always inventive Macy a standout as the hopeful, tormented Chappy, and Zahn a scream as the lovably imbecilic Wayne. Read full review

Stephen Holden

So soft-hearted it wouldn't hurt a fly. Read full review

Dallas ObserverScott Kelton James

Screwball mistaken-identity crapfest...it's just utterly plain, a confection so bland you don't even care that it doesn't really make any sense at the end. Read full review

Lawrence Toppman

If we had a story we could believe, we'd be in stitches. Read full review

Roger Ebert

This is one of those comedies that doesn't pound us on the head with the obvious, but simply lets us share vast amusement. Read full review

Film.comPeter Brunette

What makes the film ultimately successful, though, is the outstanding comic talents that inhabit it, especially Zahn and Macy. Read full review

Jonathan Foreman

It's a funny and occasionally poignant movie.

TV Guide MagazineKen Fox

A wonderful premise that delivers solid laughs and has a heart as big as the state in which this farce unfolds. Read full review

Sarah Hepola

A humble comic fable, puttering along with a sunny grin, a goofy sentimentality, and not much else. Read full review

Rene Rodriguez

All the right elements for a rollicking farce, except one: The movie isn't funny.

Richard Corliss

An easy charm, a cleverly unforced sense of humor and a benignity toward all its genially oddball characters. If moviegoers skip this one, they'll be missing a real treat.

Jay Carr

I can't imagine anyone not feeling entertained by Happy, Texas. Read full review

Ann Hornaday

Thank heaven for William H. Macy, whose portrayal of Happy's sheriff strikes the only honest note in a film that earns its laughs the cheap way.