• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • today headline
  • Write for us
Today Headline
No Result
View All Result
  • breaking news today
    • Politics news
    • Sports
    • Science News & Society
  • Entertainment News
    • Movie
    • Gaming
  • Technology News
    • Automotive
  • Health News
    • Lifestyle
    • Insurance
  • Finance News
    • Money
  • Enterprise
  • Contact Us
  • breaking news today
    • Politics news
    • Sports
    • Science News & Society
  • Entertainment News
    • Movie
    • Gaming
  • Technology News
    • Automotive
  • Health News
    • Lifestyle
    • Insurance
  • Finance News
    • Money
  • Enterprise
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
TodayHeadline
No Result
View All Result

‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ review: Jessica Chastain shines

September 17, 2021
in Entertainment News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
210915133245 01 eyes of tammy faye super tease - TodayHeadline


Spanning several decades (and burying the leads under makeup before it’s over), the film begins with Tammy and Jim meeting in 1960 and follows them into the ’90s. The pair initially embark on a whirlwind romance, built around the desire to preach the gospel and make a killing doing it. “God does not want us to be poor,” a young Jim says, raising the eyebrows of his Bible teacher.

Within a few years, they discover television, taking a job working for Pat Robertson’s Christian broadcasting operation, with Jim spouting the word and Tammy beguiling kids with puppets and song.

Tammy’s approach to religion welcomes everyone, which puts her at odds with Jerry Falwell Sr. (Vincent D’Onofrio), who not only winces at a woman entering the conversation but seeks to build the religious right’s political power through condemnation of gays.

“We paid for all this,” the couple marvels upon seeing Robertson’s palatial estate, before the Bakkers launch their own broadcasting empire, the Praise The Lord network (PTL), funneling money into their lavish lifestyle almost as fast as their viewers (or “partners,” as Jim calls them) can phone in contributions.

Adapted from the 2000 documentary of the same name by director Michael Showalter (“The Big Sick”) and writer Abe Sylvia, the movie bounces along fitfully through the flush years, exposing strains in the relationship as Tammy eventually turns to pills, washing them down with Diet Coke.
Andrew Garfield and Jessica Chastain as Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker in 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye' (Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures).

Questions persist, meanwhile, about PTL’s shady finances, with Jim using what he dismisses as being “persecuted by the secular press” as another means of separating the flock from their money.

Currently in HBO’s “Scenes From a Marriage,” Chastain remarkably manages to transform into Tammy Faye — from the chirpy voice to the cartoon eyelashes — and still get beyond mere impersonation. As for supporting players, few register except for Tammy’s skeptical mother (Cherry Jones), who has the good sense to keep asking how her daughter can pay for those fabulous frocks and lakefront home.

While Showalter punctuates the movie with actual news clips and deftly recreates the Bakkers’ surreal “Nightline” interview, the malfeasance happening within PTL is handled vaguely. Jim snaps at Tammy as he obsesses over his various deals, but by sympathetically keeping the focus on seeing through her eyes the narrative becomes messy, leaving blind spots about the network’s inner workings before it all comes crashing down.

In one respect “Eyes of Tammy Faye” feels inordinately timely, with Falwell discussing the power of budding conservative media offsetting voices on the left, and the Bakkers encouraging their audience to trust them and tune out critics.

Like the documentary, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” highlights contradictions and complexity surrounding its title character largely overlooked at the time, from daring to compassionately interview someone with AIDS (prompting a rebuke from Falwell) to the misogynistic treatment she faced both within the faith community and from the media.

It’s a terrific performance — laying on all that makeup only to dig through it and find the woman within. But it comes in the service of a movie that doesn’t measure up to it.

“The Eyes of Tammy Faye” premieres in US theaters on Sept. 17. It’s rated PG-13.

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

Brockley residents raise over £100K to save ancient woodland

Should Jeremy Clarkson be sacked from ITV YOU VOTED - TodayHeadline

Should Jeremy Clarkson be sacked from ITV? YOU VOTED

Britain to be worst-performing major economy this year, warns IMF; UK mortgage approvals tumble and company insolvencies surge – business live | Business

c2a1b9bf ccda 48f0 8c3e b542fce8b8c8 - TodayHeadline

Tech Nation forced to close after losing UK government grant

PopularStories

breaking news today

Brockley residents raise over £100K to save ancient woodland

Should Jeremy Clarkson be sacked from ITV YOU VOTED - TodayHeadline
Lifestyle

Should Jeremy Clarkson be sacked from ITV? YOU VOTED

Business news

Britain to be worst-performing major economy this year, warns IMF; UK mortgage approvals tumble and company insolvencies surge – business live | Business

c2a1b9bf ccda 48f0 8c3e b542fce8b8c8 - TodayHeadline
Technology News

Tech Nation forced to close after losing UK government grant

About Us

Todayheadline the independent news and topics discovery
A home-grown and independent news and topic aggregation . displays breaking news linking to news websites all around the world.

Follow Us

Latest News

Brockley residents raise over £100K to save ancient woodland

Should Jeremy Clarkson be sacked from ITV YOU VOTED - TodayHeadline

Should Jeremy Clarkson be sacked from ITV? YOU VOTED

Britain to be worst-performing major economy this year, warns IMF; UK mortgage approvals tumble and company insolvencies surge – business live | Business

Brockley residents raise over £100K to save ancient woodland

Should Jeremy Clarkson be sacked from ITV YOU VOTED - TodayHeadline

Should Jeremy Clarkson be sacked from ITV? YOU VOTED

Britain to be worst-performing major economy this year, warns IMF; UK mortgage approvals tumble and company insolvencies surge – business live | Business

  • Real Estate
  • Parenting
  • Cooking
  • NFL Games On TV Today
  • Travel and Tourism
  • Home & Garden
  • Pets
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • About

© 2023 All rights are reserved Today headline

No Result
View All Result
  • Real Estate
  • Parenting
  • Cooking
  • NFL Games On TV Today
  • Travel and Tourism
  • Home & Garden
  • Pets
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • About

© 2023 All rights are reserved Today headline

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.