A Union of Like Minds Leads to Riches, Then a Fall from Grace

Jessica Chastain in "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Over the last few years, director Michael Showalter built up a filmmaking résumé that’s noted for his romantic-comedies, having directed “Hello, My Name is Doris,” “The Big Sick,” and “The Lovebirds.”  Because of this, it was enticing to see how he would handle a true-story subject that covers a decades-long scandal by one of the most prominent American couples in the latter half of the twentieth century.

In his latest film, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Showalter wades into intriguing material to bring us the saga of two people who found love in each other, and then saw their empire come crumbling down.

In 1960, bible-college student Tammy Faye LaValley (Jessica Chastain) falls in love with classmate Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield).  Later on, they marry and go on a road tour to spread their religious teachings.  After their popularity lands them on their own television show, the fame and money that the televangelist couple enjoys soon lead to their undoing.

Chastain gives one of the most committed performances of the year, diving into a role where she barely looks recognizable as the movie goes on, but never relying on the costuming and makeup to do the heavy lifting.  With her character’s midwestern accent and folksy mannerisms, Chastain channels Tammy Faye’s persona to an astonishing degree.  Some of the finest acting that Chastain accomplishes in the film is when she exhibits Tammy’s acceptance of individuals who her church looks down upon.  Such a scene comes later in the film where Tammy interviews Steve Pieters, a gay Christian minister with AIDS, and the amount of love that Chastain has Faye pour forth is a heartwarming display of emotion.  This is a performance that refuses to be a caricature, and is instead a three-dimensional portrayal where Chastain shows Tammy’s commitment to showing people how much she cares for them, no matter who they are.

Garfield is every bit as transformative as his costar.  He embodies the shyness that Jim feels around Tammy when getting to know her, but also the charisma that he exudes whenever he gets the attention of an audience.  Garfield’s expert depiction of Jim’s preacher personality shows the liveliness that Jim’s viewers saw in him.  As the film goes on, Garfield does superb work as we see that energetic exterior slowly slip away as his character becomes more and more tangled in financial straits that threaten what he’s built.  The panic and uncertainty that Garfield exhibits in his character is a total change from Jim’s self-assuredness from earlier on, and he shows the inner turmoil of what excessive extravagance and do to a person.

The screenplay by Abe Sylvia, which is based on Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato’s 2000 documentary, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” follows the blueprint of a typical biopic, but the script counteracts that by including many important sections of Tammy and Jim’s lives without being rushed.  Within the film’s two hours, we see much from their rise to their downfall, and Sylvia evokes the dramatic weight of the time that goes by for Tammy and Jim.  The movie covers their time together from 1960 to 1994; and, even with the many years that are examined, Sylvia is still able to spend enough time in each of these decades to show what Tammy and Jim experienced both behind and in front of the camera.

As a director, Showalter doesn’t just give us a feel for the different time periods with the costumes, makeup, and production design, but also uses those aspects to act as windows into Tammy and Jim’s personal lives.  Between Tammy’s clothing and makeup, and the extravagant house that she and Jim share, we see the opulence of their lives and two individuals who are far from the people to whom we’re introduce in the beginning of the movie.  And, with the help of Mary Jo Markey and Andrew Weisblum’s editing, the film is able to maintain a swift pace, even with all of the material that it has to spotlight.

Despite the movie’s title, not only do you see the world through Tammy’s eyes, but you’re also given a view into her heart and soul.

Grade: A-