The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Those too young to remember "Pearl-gate" or were living under a rock during the whole PTL scandal may be inclined to believe that the filmmakers have exaggerated the people portrayed here and made up the shenanigans that occur. But this is my favorite scandal of all time, and take it from me, if anything things are a little toned down compared to real life. This movie has received mild reviews and horrible box office, so I can't help but wonder if the Bakkers are even remembered. That's a shame, because I was surprised and delighted at how much I enjoyed this movie and how well the performances capture the spirit of those involved. Chastain has received the bulk of the notices as hers is certainly the flashier character and the heart of the story. And she deserves the accolades - she is transformative, particualrly as the film goes on. But I found myself even more impressed with Garfield, who nails Jim Bakker to an almost eerie degree. Garfield is cursed (blessed?) with one of those eternally young faces, so the aging process doesn't look particularly believable on him. I would also like to highlight Vincent D'Onofrio who nails homophobic Baptist pastor Jerry Falwell wonderfully well. I recently rewatched on YouTube a lot of the news coverage concerning the Bakkers and the PTL scandal, and these people nail it! I would have liked a little more in-depth focus on Jim's issues that cemented the demise of his ministry, but the filmmakers definitely wanted to concentrate on Tammy Faye, as this was based on a same-titled 2000 documentary about her (also very good and worth watching).

I really liked this movie. It completely changed my opinion of Tammy Faye Bakker for the positive. Jessica Chastain's portrayal was touching and enlightening. No matter what your view of organized religion, this movie will tell you things you didn't know. Tammy Faye was a flawed human like we all are, but never lost her ability for empathy and love.

Chastain truly disappears into this role and I really think that a sympathetic portrayal of Tammy Faye is appropriate especially when the intended audience for the movie would prefer to simply sneer at her earnestness.

I'm shocked the professional critics gave this less than 70%. Jessica Chastain transforms herself into Tammy Faye and remains likeable throughout. This film also tells an eye-opening story and shows how far right the right has actually moved since the 70s and 80s. This is a fantastic film.

Great performance by Chastain! Good supporting performances as well. I appreciate how the film delves into the hypocrisy. Definitely worth watching!

A movie that is all about the performance of Chastain as Tammy Faye, a controversial and perculiar evangalist in the 1970-80's. As hard as this movie tries it's hard to feel to sorry for a woman involved in the scheming and impropierty of the PTL.

Putin prea cautat retro

Garfield and Chastain are absolutely magnetic. The voices, the styles, and the storyline bring you in. This movie artfully stays respectful while telling a story of corporate religion and hypocrisy. You will want to look up the story of the real life Bakers afterwards.

Who would have thought Jessica Chastain could play Tammy Faye? She did a great job.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a riveting, uncomfortable tragic-comedy about Tammy Faye Messner nay Bakker and that bucket of chum-I mean charm her husband Jim and what it's like to be suffocating and perpetually sickened in a flaccid marriage hooked on Diet *Coke. It can't help but venture into beats where it finds the comedy in this living nightmare of Propsperity Gospel in part because the director Michael Showalter comes from that background (from Wet Hot American Summer to The Big Sick), but also because there are times if you don't have a laugh at the absurdity and near surreality that Tammy has found herself in and can't escape, because you know Patriarchy (and of course the scene where she pulls up the chair to the All-Men table is with as loud a chair as can be and only "Jerry" responses instead of Reverend, and dog bless her for that) you could right well explode. It should be awkward to be in these spaces some/most of the time. I'd feel awkward if you weren't feeling that way. There are at times the movie can't not escape some moments or scenes where surely one thing happened in the real story and then a thing concurrently didn't (ie Tammy Faye talking to the Steven the AIDS guest on TV as Falwell happens to be visiting that day and tales umbrage with what he's seeing), and once the fall-out happens and Jim goes to prison the movie feels like it's going too long most in those last twenty or so minutes when up until then the pace has been terrifically jumping but connecting from one time to the next. It's also hard not to wish a few details were kept in that strangely got left out either due to its already long runtime or who knows what - and I don't even mean Jessica Hahn, that's fine as it's ultimately Tammy Faye's story and that matters mostly inasmuch as what it does to drill the final nail in the coffin like a thunderbolt, I mean that Tammy Faye actually *married another PTL head honcho (the one we see briefly flirting with her in the golf cart) who ALSO went to jail for crimes while at the company. Sweet Jebuz! But ultimately this is a film for an actor to sink his/her/their entire solar plexus into, and Chastain (also producer) never makes Tammy Faye's faith a butt of a joke. That's remarkable because the film could have made it a mockery and her belief and prayer is played and written completely sincerely, and yet at the same time she understands that this was a simultaneously someone who could fill a room with her presence while being the most chipper and wholesome thing this side of Mr. Rogers (she even had the puppets!) Every note she's give to play she performs it like she's trying to find a deeper level to tap into, and importantly she understands too when moments behind the scenes and on TV take on this heightened pitch-black comic state all on behavior. As for Andrew Garfield, it's his best performance yet. He makes Jim Bakker into, well, what if Ned Flanders happened to get injected with a bit of the spirit of Jordan Belfort? A seemingly wholesome guy who actually is a total fraud in his beliefs as well as his practices, and every grimace and tightening of the face muscles is communicated loud and clear, not to mention how he pitches his voice which is a significant part of Chastain's work too. He makes Jim Bakker so pathetic and yet he never feels like he will slip totally into self parody, like as awful as he is he is still a human being and those faults are what makes him who he is. These are BIG personalities and Garfield, who I've found in so many roles to have this knack for creepy, makes him someone you can't stop looking at. This turned out as good as I was expecting as far as the story (want more check out the You're Wrong About which I might add Chastain did in preparation, too), and my only other hope is it doesn't get buried too far come awards time.