THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2000 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): ***
Tammy Faye Bakker, "the First Lady of Christian broadcasting," was at the center of the biggest real-life soap opera of the 1980s. THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE, directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato and narrated by none other than RuPaul Charles, is a mesmerizing and insightful look into her life and the whole PTL (Praise The Lord) network scandal involving her husband, Jim Bakker.
The documentary argues convincingly that the only sin of Tammy Faye, a likeable little dynamo, is her unquestioning naiveté. It suggests that her husband's problems come down not to greed but to mismanagement and that his infamous one-night stand with a playboy centerfold represents a momentary lapse in judgment. The villain of the piece turns out to be Jerry Falwell. Whether this represents the ultimate truth or not may never be known, but the documentary offers compelling evidence to support its case.
All of the above notwithstanding, the reason to see the movie is to meet a fascinating and resourceful woman with a very interesting background. Although the title refers to Tammy's signature heavy eye make-up, it could be titled THE EYES OF THE VIEWERS since your eyes will be glued to the screen in this intriguing tale. In an age in which reality programming is popular, this movie would seem to have arrived at just the right moment in time. Forget daytime soaps, none could be better than this movie.
Each of the story's chapters is introduced by puppets who like to giggle as they read titles like "Things Can Only Get Worse." These humorous puppets are appropriate since Jim and Tammy's first television show was a Christian broadcast done Howdy Doody style. Tammy Faye, like a little girl who never grew up, loves her dolls and puppets even today. The remarkably good-spirited documentary offers up lots of opportunities to laugh but none are at Tammy Faye's expense.
After the Christian kids' show, Jim and Tammy went on to form the famous 700 Club and their own network. Intrigue followed them wherever they went, and, like all of the major televangelists, they lived a lavish lifestyle. The internecine warfare among the leaders of the Christian broadcasting community is shown to be much more vicious than outsiders would ever imagine.
An unabashed believer in the importance of happiness in worship ("We believe that we were one of the first people to put fun and joy in religion."), she works so hard that she appears in constant danger of a complete meltdown. Overuse of prescription drugs proves to be her undoing.
Meanwhile her husband, Jim, is busy launching a satellite and building the third biggest recreational attraction in America, the Heritage USA theme park. All along, he is blasting across the airways trying to raise money while harping on his theme of "God loves you, he really does." If he isn't shown to be quite as likeable as Tammy Faye, Jim still comes across as an ambitious man with a good heart who made some mistakes. In short, he just appears human, and high profile political figures guilty of much more than he have thrived.
Most of all, Tammy Faye is a survivor. Jim J. Bullock, a gay comedian and, at one time, Tammy's television talk-show host, says it best about Tammy Faye's skills. "After the Holocaust, there will be roaches, Tammy Faye and Cher," he gives as his list of the top survivors of the twentieth century.
THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE runs a fast 1:19. It is rated PG-13 for some sexual content and would be acceptable for any kids old enough to be interested in the material.
Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com
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