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Happy, Texas

Happy, Texas

Escaped convicts disguised as beauty pageant experts? This could get ugly.

19995.71h 38m

Overview

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.

Directed by Mark Illsley
Written by Ed Stone, Mark Illsley, Phil Reeves
Produced by Mark Illsley, Rick Montgomery, Ed Stone
Box OfficeBudget: $1.7MRevenue: $1.9M

Top Cast

Jeremy Northam

Jeremy Northam

Harry Sawyer

Steve Zahn

Steve Zahn

Wayne Wayne Wayne Jr.

William H. Macy

William H. Macy

Sheriff Chappy Dent

Ally Walker

Ally Walker

Josephine "Joe" McClintock

Illeana Douglas

Illeana Douglas

Doreen Schaefer

M.C. Gainey

M.C. Gainey

Bob Maslow

Ron Perlman

Ron Perlman

Marshal Nalhober

Mo Gaffney

Mo Gaffney

Mrs. Bromley

Paul Dooley

Paul Dooley

The Judge

J

Jillian Berard

Madison

Themes & Keywords

small towntexascon manfraudbeauty contestmistaken identityescaped convictthiefin the closetfish out of waterstolen identitysmall town sheriffruseconfidence manpretending to be gaygay theme

About Happy, Texas

Happy, Texas is a comedy, crime film released in 1999 exploring themes of small town, texas, con man, fraud, beauty contest, mistaken identity. Directed by Mark Illsley, it stars Jeremy Northam, Steve Zahn, William H. Macy. 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.

Movies Similar to Happy, Texas

Discover titles like Happy, Texas — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to Happy, Texas

If you enjoyed Happy, Texas, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of Happy, Texas.

I Love You Phillip Morris
26% Match

Steven Russell leads a seemingly average life – an organ player in the local church, happily married to Debbie, and a member of the local police force. That is until he has a severe car accident that leads him to the ultimate epiphany: he’s gay and he’s going to live life to the fullest – even if he has to break the law to do it. Taking on an extravagant lifestyle, Steven turns to cons and fraud to make ends meet and is eventually sent to the State Penitentiary where he meets the love of his life, a sensitive, soft-spoken man named Phillip Morris. His devotion to freeing Phillip from jail and building the perfect life together prompts him to attempt (and often succeed at) one impossible con after another.

Miss Congeniality
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When the local FBI office receives a letter from a terrorist known only as 'The Citizen', it's quickly determined that he's planning his next act at the Miss America beauty pageant. Because tough-as-nails Gracie Hart is the only female Agent at the office, she's chosen to go undercover as the contestant from New Jersey.

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New Yorkers Skip Donahue and Harry Monroe have no jobs and no prospects, so they decide to flee the city and find work elsewhere, landing jobs wearing woodpecker costumes to promote the opening of a bank. When their feathery costumes are stolen and used in a bank robbery, they no longer have to worry about employment — they're sent to prison.

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When a mild-mannered businessman learns his identity has been stolen, he hits the road in an attempt to foil the thief -- a trip that puts him in the path of a deceptively harmless-looking woman.

Big Stan
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A weak con man panics when he learns he's going to prison for fraud. He hires a mysterious martial arts guru who helps transform him into a martial arts expert who can fight off inmates who want to hurt or love him.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
22% Match

Con artist Lawrence Jamieson is a longtime resident of a luxurious coastal resort, where he enjoys the lavish fruits of his deceptions -- that is, until a competitor, Freddy Benson, shows up. When the new guy's lowbrow tactics impinge on his own sophisticated work and believing him to be the infamous conman 'The Jackal', Lawrence resolves to get rid of him. Confident of his own duplicitous talents, he challenges Freddy to a winner-takes-all competition: whoever swindles their latest mark, American heiress Janet Colgate, out of $50,000 first can stay, while the other must leave town.

Dumplin'
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To prove a point about measuring up and fitting in, Texas teen Willowdean “Dumplin’” Dickson enters a local pageant run by her ex-beauty queen mom.

Paper Moon
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During the Great Depression, a con man finds himself saddled with a young girl who may or may not be his daughter, and the two forge an unlikely partnership.

Bernie
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Bernie(2012)

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In small-town Texas, affable and popular mortician Bernie Tiede strikes up a friendship with Marjorie Nugent, a wealthy widow well known for her sour attitude. When she becomes controlling and abusive, Bernie goes to great lengths to remove himself from her grasp.

Drop Dead Gorgeous
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In a small Minnesota town, the annual beauty pageant is being covered by a TV crew. Former winner Gladys Leeman wants to make sure her daughter follows in her footsteps; explosions, falling lights, and trailer fires prove that. As the Leemans are the richest family in town, the police are pretty relaxed about it all. Despite everything, main rival (but sweet) Amber Atkins won't give up without a fight.

The Wolf of Wall Street
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A New York stockbroker refuses to cooperate in a large securities fraud case involving corruption on Wall Street, corporate banking world and mob infiltration. Based on Jordan Belfort's autobiography.

My Cousin Vinny
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Two carefree pals traveling through rural Alabama on their way back to college are mistakenly arrested and charged with murder. Fortunately, one of them has a cousin who's a lawyer - Vincent Gambini, a former auto mechanic from Brooklyn who has just passed his bar exam after his sixth try. When he arrives with his leather-clad girlfriend to try his first case, it's a real shock - for him and the Deep South!