Two escaped convicts roll into the village of Happy, Texas, where they're mistaken for a gay couple who work as beauty pageant consultants. They go along with it to duck the police, but the local sheriff has a secret of his own.
Acting
Steve Zahn's committed, glorious physical comedy.
Writing
Sharp script that earns its heart legitimately.
Direction
Illsley balances farce with genuine small-town soul.
Director
Mark Illsley
Jeremy Northam
Harry Sawyer
Steve Zahn
Wayne Wayne Wayne Jr.
William H. Macy
Sheriff Chappy Dent
Ally Walker
Josephine "Joe" McClintock
Illeana Douglas
Doreen Schaefer
M.C. Gainey
Bob Maslow
Ron Perlman
Marshal Nalhober
Mo Gaffney
Mrs. Bromley
Paul Dooley
The Judge
Scarlett Pomers
Jency
Cassie Silva
Other Happy Girl
Tim Bagley
David
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Steve Zahn reportedly did all his own 'pageant coaching' scenes with the child actors, spending weeks learning actual choreography to sell the bit.
Released in 1999, the film walked a tightrope with its gay themes—played for laughs but ultimately sympathetic, which was genuinely progressive for a mainstream comedy of its era. William H. Macy's Sheriff Chappy was quietly revolutionary.
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