Jessica Chastain is the Saving Grace of 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye'

Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye | Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

(REVIEW) The Eyes of Tammy Faye, directed by Michael Showalter, is a biopic depicting the rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. The film delivers a straightforward retelling of her story, but without Jessica Chastain cast as the lead, the movie would have been mediocre at best. 

Chastain, best known for her role as Maya in Zero Dark Thirty, won the Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, beating out a stacked line-up of actresses including Nicole Kidman, Olivia Colman, Penélope Cruz and Kristen Stewart. While she is supported by strong actors, she outshines them completely. Garfield, for instance, is underwhelming in comparison even though his recent work and nomination for Best Actor go to show his undeniable talent. 

In the 1970s and ‘80s, Jim (Andrew Garfield) and Tammy Faye Bakker (Jessica Chastain) rose from humble beginnings to create a wildly successful religious broadcasting network called the PTL Club which stood for “Praise the Lord.” Revered for their message of acceptance and prosperity, the couple reached monumental heights of fame and wealth as televangelists before Jim’s sex and embezzlement scandals brought their demise and divorce.

The biopic is unextraordinary on its own merits, often breezing over crucial parts of Tammy Faye’s life. Her most successful years from 1974 to 1979 are depicted in a two-minute-long montage with Chastain singing “We Are Blest” in the background, and seemingly any opportunity for Chastain to expand on the emotional complexity of the character is squandered with the film’s rush to get to the next big moment.

The film won the BAFTA Award for Best Makeup & Hair as well as the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling. With naturally sharp and striking features, Chastain wore prosthetics to give her rounder cheeks and a softer look for the role. Her depiction of the character’s evolution was also complemented by the gradual transition from light eyeshadow and conservative blush to the campy, drag queen-styled look for which Tammy Faye is best known.

Chastain’s most impressive moments were when she was singing, which she did live on set. Her delivery was beautiful and wrought with emotion, especially for never having performed in a singing-intensive role before. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actress said, “My preparation for singing was bourbon. I’m not even gonna lie. I was so scared.”

With six songs total, the movie concludes with a triumphant performance from the title character. With only a measly piano accompanying her, she sings the Battle Hymn of the Republic. As the song progresses and she gains confidence, she imagines (or perhaps hallucinates) an upbeat gospel choir and a shimmering American flag flying behind her. The movie ends on a glorious note and with Tammy Faye back in her element on the stage for the first time since her fall from grace.

While the story of the Bakkers is a compelling one on its own (being compared to the Watergate for televangelists at the start of the movie), it is carried by Chastain’s charm and charisma, especially for those who had little prior knowledge of the Bakkers. The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a commemoration of an American icon where viewers will come for Tammy Faye but stay for Jessica Chastain.

 ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ is available to stream on HBO Max.