I finally got the DVD of Happy, Texas, and it lived up to expectations. Two convicts (Steve Zahn and Jeremy Northam--yes, that Jeremy Northam) inadvertently escape, steal an RV belonging to a gay couple who train girls for beauty pageants and are, inevitably, mistaken for said couple. They must train the little girls of Happy in order to maintain their cover--and while they're in town, why not rob the bank? And it's probably not spoiling anything if I tell you that things don't quite work out the way they're planned.
I'm a sucker for the gentle, goofy, character comedies, but even without my bias there's no question this is a superior entry. Among the unlooked for surprises--the convicts don't really object to having to play gay, and apparently even Texas chain gang members don't think that all gay men are limp-wristed swishes these days. The movie has a healthy respect for both law & order and homosexuality, and real affection for its characters--the cruelest, most difficult moment in this movie is not funny at all, and the pain is genuinely affecting.
The direction isn't particularly innovative, and the story isn't as well-constructed as some. But the characters and performances are top-notch. Zahn is simply wonderful as the convict who is stuck training the girls, and Bill Macy, the town's straight-arrow sheriff, is adorable, sweet, sad, and very, very funny. Northam has it tough playing, er, straight man to these two, and does very well. I was also pleasantly surprised by Ally Walker (Profiler) as the bank owner and one of several love interests. Ron Perlman is priceless in a few brief scenes.
Don't miss it. Great for kids, too.
