Tammy Faye Bakker: The Televangelist LGBTQ+ Ally

In case you haven’t watched the recent announcement for this years’ Academy Awards nominations, one of the contenders for the ‘best actress in a leading role’ award is Jessica Chastain, who plays the protagonist in Michael Showalter’s The Eyes of Tammy Faye, a biographical drama that has been attracting a lot of attention since its release in the autumn of 2021. The movie focuses on the ups and downs of Tammy Faye’s life, a promoter of Christianity, who went from preaching in local churches to becoming a religious television star. There have, in fact, been two other documentaries about her, one in 2000, also entitled The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and another in 2005, called Tammy Faye: Death Defying. Therefore, you might be wondering: why is Tammy Faye such an interesting figure and why have directors though her story to still be relevant in 2021? To be able to answer this question, let us take a closer look at the latest of the films and gather enough information to paint a realistic portrait of the personality that was Tammy Faye Bakker.

To go back to the beginning, in one of Tammy Faye’s autobiographical books, I gotta be me, she tells the story of the starting point of her strong religious beliefs, when she was just a little girl living under poor conditions in International Falls, Minnesota. She claims to have discovered her connection to divinity through an out-of-body experience while attending church on Sunday at the age of ten. Whether Jesus actually entered her being in order to send her a message, as she sustains, is up to each of us to judge. The truly relevant matter here is the fact that, from then on, she made a purpose out of preaching God’s word. However, what sets her apart is her open-mindedness and understanding nature, which allowed her to regard every person equally, in spite of their race, gender or sexuality, a crucial step for the society of her time. As Tammy Faye began to transition towards the world of television, she continued to express her belief that “God loves everyone”. One of the most well-known acts of kindness, which took place during the AIDS crisis, as the films depict, was her interview with an openly gay church pastor with HIV. Having this reality portrayed on television was highly necessary, especially since, in churches, the common belief was that such a disease acted as a punishment from God. Tammy Faye’s actions in this difficult timeframe to gain a lot of popularity amongst members of the LGBTQ+ community. Moreover, the first documentary about her life was narrated by drag performer RuPaul Charles, who even held an interview with her on his talk show in the ‘90s.

 

“You know, we’re all just people, made out of the same old dirt” (The Eyes of Tammy Faye, 2021)

This first documentary is the main source of inspiration for the 2021 biographical movie, both being entitled The Eyes of Tammy Faye. The title choice is highly relevant as a primary element in the portrayal of Tammy Faye and it can have multiple interpretations. The eyes were a central feature to Tammy, as she liked to believe there is a strong connection between them and the soul, the spirit. This might be why, throughout her life, she chose to accentuate this physical feature with a generous amount of makeup, which soon became her trademark. Acknowledging this essential aspect, all three main posters for the films succeed in giving credit to the eye-catching makeup that Tammy wore, focusing especially on the eyes. Although the first two documentaries have the advantage of using real footage of Tammy, as she was still alive during the shooting process, the latest movie also doesn’t disappoint in terms of visual representation. Not only did the makeup team do an amazing job at enhancing the eyes through a fair amount of mascara, but the prosthetics they used also helped Jessica Chastain resemble Tammy Faye considerably more.

Another central element to Tammy Faye’s life is her love for music and art in general, as this is how she first started preaching with her husband. She would include Christian songs and puppet shows, showcasing inclinations towards the artistic domain early on. Showalter’s The Eyes of Tammy Faye manages to integrate a few puppeteering scenes, including an exact replica of one of the dolls she would bring to their kids show. As for her music, the film makes use of it in the best way possible. The songs are never intrusive or uncalled for, they complement the scenes beautifully, adding an even more emotional layer to the story due to the powerful, encouraging lyrics.

 

“Don't give up, you're on the brink of your miracle

Don't give up, remember you're not alone”

(Don’t Give Up, Tammy Faye Bakker)

 

Moreover, the performances unravel a different side of the character, allowing the audience to see the joy this form of entertainment brings to her, but also the sadness and regret that lie behind her smile and her desire to make the audience laugh. This makes it even more important to acknowledge how great of a portrayal Jessica Chastain did, as she never brought her performance to the level of a caricature, maintaining a balance between the comedic and the emotional.  The singing was also ingeniously done, as it can be observed especially in the last scene of the film. While Jessica Chastain doesn’t showcase a perfect vocal technique, the impact she has on the audience is a greater achievement. Through her trembling voice, she manages to leave the audience with a beautiful image of the heart-warming woman that Tammy Faye was.

In the end, regardless of any personal preferences, we have to admit that Tammy Faye Bakker makes for a complex and captivating character, becoming more and more interesting as we discover her many facets. This is precisely what Michael Showalter’s movie has to be given credit for – allowing the audience to know another Tammy, to add another layer to the portrait they had constructed, to differentiate the image mass media had created from the reality. From a young Christian girl to a fierce woman, Tammy Faye never apologised for who she was or what she believed in, being entirely deserving of her title as a queer icon.