The Eyes of Tammy Faye Review: An Energetic Look At This Polarizing Figure

Release date: September 17, 2021
Running time: 126 minutes
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, Cherry Jones, Frederic Lehne, Louis Cancelmi, Sam Jaeger, Gabriel Olds, Mark Wystrach, Vincent D’Onofrio

THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE is an intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. In the 1970s and 80s, Tammy Faye and her husband, Jim Bakker, rose from humble beginnings to create the world’s largest religious broadcasting network and theme park, and were revered for their message of love, acceptance and prosperity. Tammy Faye was legendary for her indelible eyelashes, her idiosyncratic singing, and her eagerness to embrace people from all walks of life. However, it wasn’t long before financial improprieties, scheming rivals, and scandal toppled their carefully constructed empire.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye seems like an irreverent look at this Christian power couple's rise and fall, but the film is much more than that.  It starts with Chastain and Garfield's transformative performances as Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, the main subjects of the story and the recognizable, polarizing figures that they are.  The celebrities are almost unrecognizable as these characters, they change so much.  And we get to see them progress throughout this film; as time moves on their personalities and motivations change as well.  Some of it is good change, much of it is bad, but it definitely feels like we go on a journey with these characters.

But The Eyes of Tammy Faye also has a definite style to it as well.  It has a 70s style text that evokes the bright, positive, old school style of Tammy Faye.  And the film also has a bright look with deliberate colors that also call to her indelibly bubbly personality.  But the style also evokes other emotions; during scenes with some of the other players in the tele-evangelical circles, the film shows them almost as mob bosses living lavish lifestyles and meeting in secret.  Despite the shared goal of spreading the Word, it seems like these meetings are there to increase profit or spread a political agenda.  And the Bakker's aren't immune from this, they are just much more charismatic about it.  

But the film is a celebration and an indictment of organized religion.  Seeing the faith and what they were able to accomplish is inspiring, but then seeing how that money was spent and the justifications for it was sickening.  But the film does seem to focus on Tammy Faye's genuinely good nature and the fact that she did seem to be preaching the gospel, despite some of her faults.  The Eyes of Tammy Faye paints a stylized picture, but it is still a flattering one.  I loved seeing how Tammy Faye was more of a firecracker than those around her wanted to be, how she spoke her mind, and how she embraced all people.  It is a very interesting, conflicted view of this person and like all people, shows someone who has virtues and flaws.  

The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a stylish look at this complicated person, with transformative performances, wonderful music, and a painfully honest peek behind the eyes of this influential figure.

Watch it.

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The Eyes of Tammy Faye is in theaters on September 17, 2021.  For showtimes, click here.

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