The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2000)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Directors:

Fenton Bailey
Randy Barbato

Genre:

Documentary | Biography

Tagline:

She'll make a believer out of you

Plot:

A documentary look, mostly through the eyes of Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, at her rise and fall as a popular televangelist with husband Jim Bakker...

Plot Keywords:

Christianity | Televangelist | Religion | Independent Film

Awards:

3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

RuPaul	...	Himself (Narrator) (voice)
Tammy Faye Bakker	...	Herself
Virginia Fairchild	...	Herself - aunt
Johnny Grover	...	Himself - brother
Jim Bakker	...	Himself
Lori Graham Bakker	...	Herself
Mel White	...	Himself
Tammy Sue Bakker-Chapman	...	Herself
Jamie Bakker	...	Himself
Roe Messner	...	Himself
Charles E. Shepard	...	Himself
Marvin Brooks	...	Himself - doctor (as Dr. Marvin Brooks)
James Albert	...	Himself
Pat Boone	...	Himself
Jim J. Bullock	...	Himself

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content.

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:PG-13

Company:

Cinemax

Quotes:

Jim Bakker: I wanna send you this beautiful rice patty baby!

Movie Connections:

Edited from "The P.T.L. Club" (1976)

The Full Story, Quite Fascinating

First, I'm not religious and I always thought Jim and Tammy Faye were pathetic scam artists.

I knew, of course, about the scandals involving them and their ministry. What I did not know, and what this film chronicles, is how the Bakkers invented televangelism with not one but three different networks, each of which was stolen from them by other televangelists. Jerry Falwell comes across exactly as the kind of person I have always suspected him to be: a schemer, a traitor, and a con man.

Jim Bakker may not fare much better in the film's view (though Tammy still defends him). It is Tammy Faye herself who is the revelation, though. I did not know of her true compassion for groups that Christian ministries still vilify today (AIDS victims, gays, the poor, etc.).

I never expected to find myself actually sympathizing with, and even liking, the fun-loving, vulnerable Tammy Faye. This is not some propaganda film, but a warts and all profile by respected filmmakers. The narrator is famed drag queen RuPaul Charles, which underscores just how surprising this film is.

I'm not saying I'd like to hear Tammy Faye sing, but after watching this engaging film, I wouldn't mind living next door to her.