Jessica Chastain offers the performance of her career as Tammy Faye, the tragic celebrity wife of fallen televangelist Jim Bakker, played by Andrew Garfield in an equally-compelling performance. Chastain found a nearly perfect balance between what had become almost a caricature of Faye, the constantly emotional and overly made-up celebrity, and the real person behind the makeup, satin and mink.
On PTL, Tammy often wore lots of makeup and expensive and eye-catching clothes, such as satin blouses and mink coats, which seemed a far cry from the Jewish preacher and aesthetic of 2000 years ago who challenged the spiritual and secular authority of Palestine and was crucified as a result. Jesus died for an alternative message of spirituality and questioned Roman authority. The Bakker's lived in a lavish house and owned many cars while donning expensive clothes to appear in an elaborate studio set.
What I gleaned from this film was that Tammy Faye Bakker, and eventually Tammy Faye after her divorce from Bakker, simply wanted to be loved and accepted. According to the film, her fundamentalist parents, particularly her mother, were so wrapped up in worrying about whether certain behavior would cause salvation or damnation, they didn't really offer her the love and support she craved. In a scene at the dinner table, her mother says that God will damn liars to Hell which doesn't leave much room for error. (So I guess if I told someone their outfit was attractive, but inside I didn't think so, this would be grounds for God's wrath.)
Since she couldn't find love in her home, Tammy found it in church, and later in Jim Bakker, a rising evangelical preacher who had a different message to American Christians: the point was to be happy in this life and the seeking of comfort, happiness, and material wealth were not taboo to being a good Christian. This was what Tammy was looking for. Eventually, through their television shows, the Bakker's offered a much more accepting view of the Christian message: that all people were accepted of God's love and shouldn't feel guilty about desiring the good things in life. Unfortunately, the Bakker's desires for the "good things", by using money from religious donations to fund a lavish lifestyle, ended up being their own downfall.
For about 14 years, from 1974 to 1987, the Bakker's built a media empire trading on their version of the Christian message, called PTL (Praise the Lord Network), one of the largest religious networks in the United States. Unlike other preachers who propagated fire and brimstone for failing to worship God and Jesus, the Bakkers' message of acceptance was well-received, and at one point had as many as 20 million viewers. Their set looked like a cozy home, rather than a church stage, and they would bring other preachers and pastors to their show as well as people having life problems who had found "Jesus". Much of the show included discussions about God and Jesus, and Tammy and others would sing new gospel songs. However, during all episodes they had a constant 800 number onscreen for devout viewers to call in and make pledge donations.
However, Jim Bakker became too ambitious, even by the standards of televangelists of the time. Aside from his extramarital affairs with both men and women, Bakker decided to create an imagined Disneyland for Christians, called Heritage USA. Unfortunately, the kind of money it would take, like trying to create Disneyworld in a couple of years without large investments, required huge fundraising. Instead of getting legitimate investors, the Bakker's called on their viewers, who became "business partners" by putting up certain amounts of money through their donation network. But it was basically a fraud. The Bakker's used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle of fancy homes, cars, and beautiful clothing and jewels for Tammy. Thousands of television investment-viewers believed they were investing in Heritage and were promised free excursions to the resort, even though it could only accommodate a few dozen people at any given time. It was more akin to a Holiday Inn with a couple of attractions than anything close to a Disneyland.
A great cast and one of the most searing exposures of American religion on television gone awry. While they used the names of God and Jesus in much of their broadcasts, they didn't really know who Jesus was, his message, and why he was executed by local authorities in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. To their credit they also spoke with people outside the evangelical sphere, such as a gay man suffering from Aides which is reproved by more traditional Evangelical leaders such as Jerry Falwell. Not to be missed, especially for those interested in America's brand of Christianity.
On PTL, Tammy often wore lots of makeup and expensive and eye-catching clothes, such as satin blouses and mink coats, which seemed a far cry from the Jewish preacher and aesthetic of 2000 years ago who challenged the spiritual and secular authority of Palestine and was crucified as a result. Jesus died for an alternative message of spirituality and questioned Roman authority. The Bakker's lived in a lavish house and owned many cars while donning expensive clothes to appear in an elaborate studio set.
What I gleaned from this film was that Tammy Faye Bakker, and eventually Tammy Faye after her divorce from Bakker, simply wanted to be loved and accepted. According to the film, her fundamentalist parents, particularly her mother, were so wrapped up in worrying about whether certain behavior would cause salvation or damnation, they didn't really offer her the love and support she craved. In a scene at the dinner table, her mother says that God will damn liars to Hell which doesn't leave much room for error. (So I guess if I told someone their outfit was attractive, but inside I didn't think so, this would be grounds for God's wrath.)
Since she couldn't find love in her home, Tammy found it in church, and later in Jim Bakker, a rising evangelical preacher who had a different message to American Christians: the point was to be happy in this life and the seeking of comfort, happiness, and material wealth were not taboo to being a good Christian. This was what Tammy was looking for. Eventually, through their television shows, the Bakker's offered a much more accepting view of the Christian message: that all people were accepted of God's love and shouldn't feel guilty about desiring the good things in life. Unfortunately, the Bakker's desires for the "good things", by using money from religious donations to fund a lavish lifestyle, ended up being their own downfall.
For about 14 years, from 1974 to 1987, the Bakker's built a media empire trading on their version of the Christian message, called PTL (Praise the Lord Network), one of the largest religious networks in the United States. Unlike other preachers who propagated fire and brimstone for failing to worship God and Jesus, the Bakkers' message of acceptance was well-received, and at one point had as many as 20 million viewers. Their set looked like a cozy home, rather than a church stage, and they would bring other preachers and pastors to their show as well as people having life problems who had found "Jesus". Much of the show included discussions about God and Jesus, and Tammy and others would sing new gospel songs. However, during all episodes they had a constant 800 number onscreen for devout viewers to call in and make pledge donations.
However, Jim Bakker became too ambitious, even by the standards of televangelists of the time. Aside from his extramarital affairs with both men and women, Bakker decided to create an imagined Disneyland for Christians, called Heritage USA. Unfortunately, the kind of money it would take, like trying to create Disneyworld in a couple of years without large investments, required huge fundraising. Instead of getting legitimate investors, the Bakker's called on their viewers, who became "business partners" by putting up certain amounts of money through their donation network. But it was basically a fraud. The Bakker's used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle of fancy homes, cars, and beautiful clothing and jewels for Tammy. Thousands of television investment-viewers believed they were investing in Heritage and were promised free excursions to the resort, even though it could only accommodate a few dozen people at any given time. It was more akin to a Holiday Inn with a couple of attractions than anything close to a Disneyland.
A great cast and one of the most searing exposures of American religion on television gone awry. While they used the names of God and Jesus in much of their broadcasts, they didn't really know who Jesus was, his message, and why he was executed by local authorities in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. To their credit they also spoke with people outside the evangelical sphere, such as a gay man suffering from Aides which is reproved by more traditional Evangelical leaders such as Jerry Falwell. Not to be missed, especially for those interested in America's brand of Christianity.