Review of The Eyes of Tammy Faye

It's hard to pin down the tone of this documentary by filmmakers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato; there are some serious issues served up here rather hastily and quasi-comically, and too many wacky montages of the subject herself yukking it up/crying/being cute. Yet, this brief, fast-paced film is more than just filler, it surprisingly does have some resonance as well as a colorful star. Tammy Faye, born the eldest of eight children, married preacher Jim Bakker and eventually became Queen of the Christian Ministries. The couple's early beginnings are the most interesting, as is the fact they practically created tele-evangelism but were usurped in power time and again after getting a program off the ground. The marriage was bound to suffer, and the middle portion (the downfall and divorce which has been well-documented) isn't anything special. However, one may be unprepared for Tammy Faye's moxie in the third act--going to Hollywood as a solo for another shot or pitching herself to an indifferent TV executive. The most evocative moment comes when T.F. revisits Heritage U.S.A., a would-be Christian theme park, once Jim Bakker's dream and demon, now an abandoned circle of lawns and buildings. Tammy Faye has the wisdom to see how it represents everything of the rusty past, an era gone sour. Jerry Falwell makes for an intriguing villain of the piece, and there's an emotional yet light-hearted showdown between Tammy and a reporter who originally broke her Praise The Lord Ministries' misfortunes. I don't know if the two directors meant to mine such deep or meaningful moments from a woman many don't consider too deep or meaningful, but they got some fascinating bits and pieces on film. I just could've done without the montages; the theme here is worth more than a kissy-face collage.