The Eyes of Tammy Faye (B or 3/4 stars)
Based on the 2000 documentary of the same name, 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye' (directed by Michael Showalter) is an empathetic biopic that looks at the rise, fall & redemption of misunderstood televangelist, singer, wife & business partner of the disgraced Jim Bakker. The film presents a portrait of her in an affectionate way, thanks to a superbly authentic performance by Jessica Chastain. 'TEoTF' follows a standard biopic formula as we meet rural Minnesota girl Tammy Faye in 1952, who came from a religious home, even though her stern mother (Cherry Jones) was divorced from her father; meaning she was ostracized by a faction of her church.
At college, Tammy Faye (now Chastain) is shown as a sweetly open spirit who falls-for & marries rock DJ-turned-youth preacher, Jim Bakker (a great Andrew Garfield) in the 1960s. Tammy Faye would - over the years {as we see in plenty of montages} - join Jim in an ever-increasing role in their career venture as religious televangelists; discovering that using faith as a backdrop for a cornball-styled talk show could prove lucrative. Jim preaches, Tammy Faye sings and, they raise a ton of $$, asking viewers to double their usual donation ("God loves you. He really, really does"). Through her evolving looks {bigger hair, bigger shoulder pads, clownish make-up}, they tackled a myriad of topics; even some secular ones {penis-pumps, anyone?}.
They founded PTL (Praise The Lord) TV station, which became a hit through the 1970/80s; even launching a recording career for Tammy Faye, who had 24(!) albums & wrote 4 books. But while TF was the darling of the enterprise, Jim was greedy; even chastising his wife for not being 'TV ready'. Eventually, scandals of various types {adultery, drug abuse, & financial fraud} would force ultra-conservative Jerry Falwell (Vincent D'Onofrio) to push them out following a failed attempt at a public relations smoothing-over. Their Christian empire crumbles, Jim goes to prison, & Tammy Faye is forced to take a long look in the mirror. The Bakkers did a lot of good. He did a lot of bad. We'll never truly know how deep her willful ignorance went.
'The Eyes of Tammy Faye' dissipates in interest down the home stretch, but it is slickly watchable and, Chastain elevates every scene. There is a good deal of visual craft on display, as well. But the main reason to watch this is for Jessica Chastain and - to a slightly lesser degree - Andrew Garfield's memorable portrayals. Tammy Faye, with her caterpillar-like eyelashes, permanently-lined lips & outrageous outfits was often the butt of jokes, especially on late-night TV shows. But the reality is that she was a truly good person, opening her heart & arms to people like Steve Pieters, an openly gay AIDS victim whom she interviewed on her show; this at a time when Jerry Falwell and his conservative ilk were patriarchal homophobes.
This film exists for Chastain's humorous & endearing performance. Portrayed in the media as a helium-voiced pariah, the best moments here show Chastain's interpretation of TF as a vulnerable soul who just wanted to bring joy & God's love for all. It's an incredible feat of acting in which she pours everything into every scene. Sure, Jessica nails TF's make-up, singing, & her delirious Ativan & Diet Coke consumptions. But so, too, does she embody this woman's sunny optimism, her 'oh gee, yah' vocal inflections, & her larger-than-life persona ... while also capturing her brittle insecurities & inherent sadness as her world unravels. The performance is both physical & soul-bearing -- I don't know how she did it. And Andrew Garfield's innate charisma is well-utilized here, showing how Tammy Faye - and the world - could fall under his mild-mannered, if insidious spell. Together, Chastain & Garfield ably exhibit the kind of easy charm that captivated millions.
I also must praise the craft designers who nailed the over-the-top, pastel-colored, gold-tinged, glass-wared, gem-stoned, sequined Opulence of the time. The Bakker's mansion & Tammy's outfits were quite garish, and yet, oddly beautiful in that 1980s/early 90s kind of way. Ya know, this film is not going to win awards for direction or a substantive screenplay; veering close to satire, at times, & I felt like I didn't get a full picture of our titular subject. The film plays it safe; glossing over many personal troubles & doesn't ask us to firmly love or villainize the disgraced Tammy. But it DOES ask us to observe her faults, embrace the sweet-if-misguided person behind the facade, & cheer for a redemptive arc in light of her advocacy for ALL people.
At college, Tammy Faye (now Chastain) is shown as a sweetly open spirit who falls-for & marries rock DJ-turned-youth preacher, Jim Bakker (a great Andrew Garfield) in the 1960s. Tammy Faye would - over the years {as we see in plenty of montages} - join Jim in an ever-increasing role in their career venture as religious televangelists; discovering that using faith as a backdrop for a cornball-styled talk show could prove lucrative. Jim preaches, Tammy Faye sings and, they raise a ton of $$, asking viewers to double their usual donation ("God loves you. He really, really does"). Through her evolving looks {bigger hair, bigger shoulder pads, clownish make-up}, they tackled a myriad of topics; even some secular ones {penis-pumps, anyone?}.
They founded PTL (Praise The Lord) TV station, which became a hit through the 1970/80s; even launching a recording career for Tammy Faye, who had 24(!) albums & wrote 4 books. But while TF was the darling of the enterprise, Jim was greedy; even chastising his wife for not being 'TV ready'. Eventually, scandals of various types {adultery, drug abuse, & financial fraud} would force ultra-conservative Jerry Falwell (Vincent D'Onofrio) to push them out following a failed attempt at a public relations smoothing-over. Their Christian empire crumbles, Jim goes to prison, & Tammy Faye is forced to take a long look in the mirror. The Bakkers did a lot of good. He did a lot of bad. We'll never truly know how deep her willful ignorance went.
'The Eyes of Tammy Faye' dissipates in interest down the home stretch, but it is slickly watchable and, Chastain elevates every scene. There is a good deal of visual craft on display, as well. But the main reason to watch this is for Jessica Chastain and - to a slightly lesser degree - Andrew Garfield's memorable portrayals. Tammy Faye, with her caterpillar-like eyelashes, permanently-lined lips & outrageous outfits was often the butt of jokes, especially on late-night TV shows. But the reality is that she was a truly good person, opening her heart & arms to people like Steve Pieters, an openly gay AIDS victim whom she interviewed on her show; this at a time when Jerry Falwell and his conservative ilk were patriarchal homophobes.
This film exists for Chastain's humorous & endearing performance. Portrayed in the media as a helium-voiced pariah, the best moments here show Chastain's interpretation of TF as a vulnerable soul who just wanted to bring joy & God's love for all. It's an incredible feat of acting in which she pours everything into every scene. Sure, Jessica nails TF's make-up, singing, & her delirious Ativan & Diet Coke consumptions. But so, too, does she embody this woman's sunny optimism, her 'oh gee, yah' vocal inflections, & her larger-than-life persona ... while also capturing her brittle insecurities & inherent sadness as her world unravels. The performance is both physical & soul-bearing -- I don't know how she did it. And Andrew Garfield's innate charisma is well-utilized here, showing how Tammy Faye - and the world - could fall under his mild-mannered, if insidious spell. Together, Chastain & Garfield ably exhibit the kind of easy charm that captivated millions.
I also must praise the craft designers who nailed the over-the-top, pastel-colored, gold-tinged, glass-wared, gem-stoned, sequined Opulence of the time. The Bakker's mansion & Tammy's outfits were quite garish, and yet, oddly beautiful in that 1980s/early 90s kind of way. Ya know, this film is not going to win awards for direction or a substantive screenplay; veering close to satire, at times, & I felt like I didn't get a full picture of our titular subject. The film plays it safe; glossing over many personal troubles & doesn't ask us to firmly love or villainize the disgraced Tammy. But it DOES ask us to observe her faults, embrace the sweet-if-misguided person behind the facade, & cheer for a redemptive arc in light of her advocacy for ALL people.