The Eyes of Tammy Faye

• Directors: Fenton Bailey; Randy Barbato
• AMG Rating:
• Genre: History
• Movie Type: Biography
• Themes: Rise and Fall Stories
• Main Cast: RuPaul, Tammy Faye Messner
• Release Year: 2000
• Country: US
• Run Time: 79 minutes
• MPAA Rating: PG13

Plot

RuPaul narrates this affectionate look at everyone's favorite televangelist/living cosmetic display: Tammy Faye Bakker. The eldest of eight children in rural Minnesota, Tammy Faye married Jim Bakker in 1960, and soon they found a following on the gospel circuit. This eventually led to a gig on Christian media mogul Pat Robertson's first television shows, including the ever-popular 700 Club. Perhaps jealous of their rising profile, Robertson soon usurped the show for himself. The Bakkers went on to co-found the Trinity Broadcasting Network, until that too was wrestled away from them by investors. Riding a tide of religious fundamentalism, the Bakkers reached their gaudy heights with the PTL Network and the spinoff Christian theme park Heritage USA. Then the roof caved in. Jim was forced to pay hush money to future Playboy centerfold model Jessica Hahn and then was submitted to rival Jerry Falwell's hostile take-over of the network. Soon Jim was in jail for fraud, and Tammy was at Betty Ford for addiction to prescription drugs. This film was screened at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Review

The Eyes of Tammy Faye offers an unusual mixture of Horatio Alger fable and traffic-accident gawk-fest. The story of Tammy Faye Bakker Messner's life is so "American dream" in its arc, yet so unlikely in its details, that fans of Dolly Parton, Martha Stewart, Hillary Clinton, and Judy Garland alike should find some kind of resonance in the tales of her ups and downs. Needless to say, producers/directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato don't have to try hard to keep their snapshot vibrant. They just let the puppeteer/singer/spiritual leader be Tammy Faye for 80 minutes and keep their cameras rolling. The intertitles add color -- how can you not love sock-puppets swathed in shadows who utter phrases like "Into the lion's den...roar!" with real feeling? Yet even this kitsch detail has a dark edge to it -- just like the life of the lady herself. Messner appears on camera pitching talk show ideas to jaded network executives, discussing her makeup secrets, and picking up her new husband from prison after he's released -- all without a single hint of irony or shame. And she cries a lot. Oh, how she cries. The filmmakers intersperse old TV footage with present-day interviews and live-action footage, while drag superstar RuPaul Charles narrates respectfully and unobtrusively. Audiences may well find themselves speaking of poor, triumphant Tammy with a little more respect in their voices after they've seen this utterly entertaining piece of propaganda. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Tammy Faye Messner

Roseanne; Pat Boone; Jim J. Bullock; Pat Robertson; Jamie Baker; RuPaul - Narrator; Jerry Falwell; Roe Messner; Jim Bakker; Rev. Mel White; Tammy Sue Bakker-Chapman; Steven Chao; Greg Gorman; Charles Sheperd; James Albert

Credit

Gabriel Rotello - Associate Producer, Thairin Smothers - Associate Producer, Fenton Bailey - Director, Randy Barbato - Director, Paul Wiesepape - Editor, Sheila Nevins - Executive Producer, Jimmy Harry - Composer (Music Score), Sandra Chandler - Cinematographer, Fenton Bailey - Producer, Randy Barbato - Producer, John Hoffman - Producer, Harry Knapp - Executive in Charge of Production, Eduardo Magaña - Post Production Supervisor

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