A woman’s life takes more twists and turns than you can imagine in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, the latest from director Michael Showalter.
Based on the real rags to riches to rags life of televangelist Tammy Faye, the movie appears to take in a huge sweep of her life, starting with her first marriage to Jim Bakker. They were regular folk when they met, but their passion for Christianity and flair for preaching made them perfect candidates for the burgeoning televangelist scene in the ’60s and ’70s. They would go on to become some of the most powerful people in the movement, some of the most progressive, and some of the biggest to fall apart in scandal.
Translating real life to the big screen is a specialty of Showalter’s, having steered The Big Sick to the surprising box office and critical success. The real-life figure here comes with much more baggage than those two lovebirds, though, and he’ll have to navigate a minefield of preconceived notions to make the movie sing.
Taking on the potentially controversial title role is the great Jessica Chastain, but you’ll be forgiven if you didn’t recognize her under her character’s signature caked makeup. Co-starring with her as her reviled first husband Jim is Andrew Garfield.
This a big, glitzy swing at a complicated figure, but the assembled team is strong enough to pull it off (maybe).
The Eyes of Tammy Faye is directed by Michael Showalter and stars Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, and Vincent D’Onofrio. It will be released in the US on September 17th, 2021. For international release dates, click here.
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