The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Michael Showalter, 2021)
A 2021 American biographical drama film directed by Michael Showalter, based on the 2000 documentary of the same name by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato of World of Wonder. The film tells the story of Tammy Faye Bakker (played by Jessica Chastain), from her humble beginnings growing up in International Falls, Minnesota through the rise and fall of her televangelism career and marriage to Jim Bakker (played by Andrew Garfield). Cherry Jones and Vincent D'Onofrio also star. The screenplay is written by Abe Sylvia, while Chastain is also one of the film's producers.
Why make this again when there's already a doco? Jessica Chastain is tipped to win Best Actress Oscar for this in 2022.
I doubt I'll see this, so here's a bit of Simran Hans's review in The Guardian (and that's a link to the whole thing) instead.
Simran Hans:
Superstar televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker was a queer ally; with her tattooed lip liner and drag queen makeup, she was a queer icon too. Disappointingly, Michael Showalter’s biopic couldn’t be straighter. ... Chastain, ordinarily so good at projecting innocence, is unable to imbue the character with a sense of inner life. Beneath the prosthetics, she’s simply a collection of tics and mannerisms, all pawing hands and Betty Boop giggle.
Metascore: 55
88
USA Today Brian Truitt
Entertaining and surprisingly funny given the subject matter, the movie’s also an exquisitely acted affair paced by Chastain (who also produces), turning in a career-best effort as the complex Tammy Faye.
75
Entertainment Weekly Leah Greenblatt
Comes drawn in bold, broad strokes — a fond treatment of a flawed but fascinating American icon whose revelations feel mostly cosmetic in the end.
75
The A.V. Club Katie Rife
If Showalter resists a cartoon takedown of Tammy Faye Bakker, he also hasn’t made a very deep look at her life, either.
70
TheWrap Robert Abele
That blend of tones is not always smoothly handled, but there’s enough heart in its express train of ambition, flaws and fallout to allow its leading lady wide berth for a wonderfully committed, soulful, even sexual turn admirably devoid of caricature.
70
Variety Owen Gleiberman
Chastain and Garfield give performances that are brashly entertaining but also canny and layered, as the characters get caught up in something far bigger than themselves. The Bakkers were hucksters of a grand order, and the film uses their spectacular greedhead soap opera to tell the larger American story of how Christianity got turned into showbiz.
60
The Guardian Benjamin Lee
The Eyes of Tammy Faye’s focus might be all over the place, but our eyes remain trained directly on Chastain.
58
IndieWire Kate Erbland
For better or worse, we’re on Tammy Faye’s side, but the film often embraces the worst bits of a complicated story in order to make Tammy Faye look better. Why not make her look more real, makeup and all? Chastain is always able to find that humanity, but The Eyes of Tammy Faye too often turns its attention to the wrong places.
50
The Playlist Rodrigo Perez
Despite the oh gee golly wiz Midwestern yokel-isms and the aforementioned cartoonish makeup she wears—historically accurate, yes, but still bordering on the ludicrous in reality— Chastain manages to bring such dignity to the character, really plumbing the depths of her soul for the moments of pathos, heartbreak, and despair. Much of this comes to an incredible crescendo in the third act, when Tammy Faye is tragic, washed-up, but never willing to give up or radiate compassion, even when she’s being mocked.
50
RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico
As a performance piece, The Eyes of Tammy Faye connects. But is that enough?
30
The Hollywood Reporter David Rooney
The movie, with its numbing overload of pastels and prayer, is too tonally uncertain to yield any fun. It’s a depressing window into the worst excesses of faith racketeering that has little to offer in the way of commentary.
Garry Gillard | New: 10 March, 2022 | Now: 10 March, 2022