Film Review – The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

The thought of evangelism and all its iterations is something that was a little foreign to us in Old Blighty back in the 1970s and 1980s, even though many existed and had their successes in helping to bring communities together. But seeing them not just on television but on their own network? That was something very different for us, yet in the US the union of television and religion was rife and no one personified the polarising opinions on the subject like Tammy Faye (Jessica Chastain) and Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield) who were the Sonny and Cher of evangelists. Their network – PTL – blossomed and at one point they were generating around $120millon annually. It was inevitable, then, especially after they were hit by financial and abuse scandals, that their lives would be brought to the big screen sooner rather than later, especially after a documentary of the same name was released to much acclaim in 2000. There was more to see than met the public eyes.

The idea for the film came to Chastain – producer through her Freckle Films company – when she caught the documentary one jet-lagged night whilst promoting Zero Dark Thirty in 2012 and immediately saw potential to not only put the record straight for some of Tammy Faye’s extraordinary work but that it would present her with some unique challenges as an actor that she hadn’t faced before. Covered in make-up around those precious eyes, morphing her deep California accent to that of the exceedingly tricky Scandinavian-influenced Minnesotan and facing her long-held fear of singing, Chastain follows through with her meticulous planning to produce arguably her finest turn.

The film rests on her shoulders primarily and nails all the trademarks of Tammy Faye as well as her unique energy and effervescence that many of us haven’t seen and elevates her beyond the caricature of nails, lips, and hair that many have unfairly bestowed upon her. She is dynamite throughout, as too is Garfield, who continues his ascent into the upper echelons of the Hollywood lists with another superb turn as Jim Bakker. Like his co-star, Garfield has always been fastidious and immersive with his planning, and it’s no different here, brimming with both confidence and agony in equal measure as Bakker did, and soaring alongside his leading lady.

It’s a shame, then, that outside of their performances, the film only does a decent job of telling their remarkable story alongside the stellar work from its leads (as well as excellent support from Cherry Jones and Vincent D’Onofrio). Abe Sylvia’s safe yet unfocused screenplay only really scratches the surface of both the lives of our protagonists and their journeys, even less so when compared to the documentary which provided far more scope and substance to the inner workings of Bakkers’ world, its messy politics, and scandalous dealings. Michael Showalter, who brought his energetic flourishes to 2017’s The Big Sick, manages to bring some flashes of similar effervescence to proceedings here but he struggles to penetrate in ways he has before despite some moments of real brilliance. But for all its faults, this is an actor’s dream and both of its stars shine under the same bright lights that made the subjects such fascinating if illusive personalities.

★★★

Biopic, Drama | Cert: 12A | Cinemas | 4th February 2022 | Searchlight Pictures | Dir. Michael Showalter | Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, Cherry Jones, Vincent D’Onofrio