The Eyes Of Tammy Faye (2021)

A look at the rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker (Jessica Chastain) and her husband Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield) in the 1970s and 80s. Based on the 2000 documentary and directed by Michael Showalter (THE BIG SICK). One could ask if this film was necessary since the documentary film did a pretty good job of examining its central subject. The screenplay is crammed with the usual movie biography cliches and often seems to skim the surface rather than penetrate deeper into the Bakkers history and the scandal that destroyed their empire. But, and this may be a minority opinion, I think the movie is justified because of Chastain's terrific performance which allows a fascinating portrait of a woman whose persona hides a more complex human being than one would have thought based on her public image. As Jim Bakker, Andrew Garfield is also good but make no mistake, this is Chastain's movie all the way. With Vincent D'Onofrio as Jerry Falwell, Gabriel Olds as Pat Robertson, Cherry Jones, Sam Jaeger and Mark Wystrach.