The Eyes of Tammy Faye trailer is here, presenting Jessica Chastain as the famous televangelist who saw her empire rise and crumble following fraud investigations and sexual scandals. The impressive transformation of Chastain into Tammy Faye is followed by Andrew Garfield disappearing into the part of Jim Bakker, Tammy’s husband.
The trailer presents us to Tammy Faye, an ordinary faithful Christian who becomes the leader of a multi-million dollar empire and a pop-culture symbol, using television both to spread the word of God and to get rich. In the middle of the glitter and glamour, the biopic’s trailer shows that the true story of the famous televangelist couple is not as cut and dry as one might think, as Tammy really sees her fame as a way to really spread Christian love, even if she’s not against getting her pockets filled in the process.
From the looks of the trailer, The Eyes of Tammy Faye will explore the complexities of televangelism, both as a means of reaching the masses and as a tool for unscrupulous people to profit from other people’s faith. It’s definitely a controversial subject, and the human way as the trailer presents Tammy Faye’s story, without reducing her to the part of a villain, is already worthy of praise.
The biopic is inspired by the 2000’s documentary of the same name, made by RuPaul's Drag Race executive producers Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey. Co-starring Cherry Jones and Vincent D'Onofrio, The Eyes of Tammy Faye is directed by Michael Showalter from Abe Sylvia’s script.
Here’s the official synopsis for The Eyes of Tammy Faye:
"THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE is an intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. In the 1970s and 80s, Tammy Faye and her husband, Jim Bakker, rose from humble beginnings to create the world’s largest religious broadcasting network and theme park, and were revered for their message of love, acceptance and prosperity. Tammy Faye was legendary for her indelible eyelashes, her idiosyncratic singing, and her eagerness to embrace people from all walks of life. However, it wasn’t long before financial improprieties, scheming rivals, and scandal toppled their carefully constructed empire."
The Eyes of Tammy Faye will hit theaters on September 17. Check the trailer below.