Rating: 
Summary: Eyes - The Windows to the Soul
Review: "I think the eyes are so important. I believe they are truly the windows of the soul," says Tammy Faye Bakker-Messner. Since Tammy Faye wears a mask of make-up, including her cherished L'Oreal Waterproof Lash Out Mascara, one finds a soul once you move beyond her eyelashes. Her soul is apparent along with her faith.
Twelve years after the dramatic collapse of the Christian empire of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" tells, for the first time, what really happened. Tammy Faye Bakker explains what really happened to her and her husband when they lost control of the first and most successful television ministry of its kind.
PTL was the first network to launch its own satellite - "broadcasting 24 hours a day until the Second Coming", and the first - and only - to build a theme park, a huge Disney style Christian retreat that Jim built from donations from his loyal viewers. It was called Heritage USA. It's attendance was behind Disneyland and Disney World.
Their fall was as spectacular as their rise. It was the biggest scandal of its day, and one of the big crashes of the late 1980s. The Bakkers found themselves crucified in the court of public opinion for their greed and supposed corruption. Tammy Faye ended up at the Betty Ford Clinic, and Jim was imprisoned.
"The Eyes of Tammy Faye" explores the dark workings of the televangelist industry and shows how Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker were tricked out of their ministry by rival televangelist Jerry Falwell, leader of the moral majority. Falwell, it is claimed, promised help and support, then denounced them, staged a coup, and needlessly forced their ministry into bankruptcy.
From the trailer and teaser, I thought "The Eye's of Tammy Faye" would be humorous and poke constant fun at Tammy Faye. To the contrary, I wasn't sure if it was a documentary or not.
According to Fenton Bailey, director of "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," "Well no documentary is objective; the notion of 'fly on the wall' filmmaking is a contrived pretense because it is a scientific fact that the moment one observes something, the thing that is observed changes. Once you put a camera in the room, the room changes. The camera is less a fly on a wall than it is an elephant in a room, and anyone who pretends or acts as if a camera is not there is doing just that; they are pretending and acting. Therefore the very notion of objective filmmaking is a nonsense. Especially when you get into an edit room and start cutting because then - like it or not- a point of view is determining what is excluded and what is included." "Most award winning documentarians have a definite agenda, and/or point of view, this is rarely challenged because their agenda or point of view aligns with the politically correct opinions of their audience and their critics," explained Bailey. "This is perhaps, where we have failed and hopefully we will continue for the rest of our careers." Besides her eyelashes and make up (which most of it is permanently tattooed on), Tammy Faye's faith is the makeup of her life. If more so-called Christians would follow the scripture in Luke 6:37 like Tammy Faye, "Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you. If you forgive others you will be forgiven," we would have a truly spiritually diverse world. Tammy Faye shares with the audience her favorite scripture, which is Psalm 91. "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the Shadow of the Almighty. This I declare of the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from the fatal plague. He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor feel the dangers of the day, nor dread the plague of the day, nor dread the plague that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday..."
"The Eyes of Tammy Faye" is not a right-winged religion focused documentary. It is not meant to converge the gay community to Lake Washington for a Sunday afternoon baptismal. It is meant to inform and share Tammy Faye's life.
Tammy Faye has put her life back together. She even plays the organ every Sunday at her Palm Springs church. As "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" concludes, you her Tammy Faye singing, "Don't give up on the brink of a miracle." After watching this documentary, I believe there are miracles.
Rating:
Summary: Eyes - The Windows to the Soul
Review: "I think the eyes are so important. I believe they are truly the windows of the soul," says Tammy Faye Bakker-Messner. Since Tammy Faye wears a mask of make-up, including her cherished L'Oreal Waterproof Lash Out Mascara, one finds a soul once you move beyond her eyelashes. Her soul is apparent along with her faith.
Twelve years after the dramatic collapse of the Christian empire of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" tells, for the first time, what really happened. Tammy Faye Bakker explains what really happened to her and her husband when they lost control of the first and most successful television ministry of its kind.
PTL was the first network to launch its own satellite - "broadcasting 24 hours a day until the Second Coming", and the first - and only - to build a theme park, a huge Disney style Christian retreat that Jim built from donations from his loyal viewers. It was called Heritage USA. It's attendance was behind Disneyland and Disney World.
Their fall was as spectacular as their rise. It was the biggest scandal of its day, and one of the big crashes of the late 1980s. The Bakkers found themselves crucified in the court of public opinion for their greed and supposed corruption. Tammy Faye ended up at the Betty Ford Clinic, and Jim was imprisoned.
"The Eyes of Tammy Faye" explores the dark workings of the televangelist industry and shows how Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker were tricked out of their ministry by rival televangelist Jerry Falwell, leader of the moral majority. Falwell, it is claimed, promised help and support, then denounced them, staged a coup, and needlessly forced their ministry into bankruptcy.
From the trailer and teaser, I thought "The Eye's of Tammy Faye" would be humorous and poke constant fun at Tammy Faye. To the contrary, I wasn't sure if it was a documentary or not.
According to Fenton Bailey, director of "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," "Well no documentary is objective; the notion of 'fly on the wall' filmmaking is a contrived pretense because it is a scientific fact that the moment one observes something, the thing that is observed changes. Once you put a camera in the room, the room changes. The camera is less a fly on a wall than it is an elephant in a room, and anyone who pretends or acts as if a camera is not there is doing just that; they are pretending and acting. Therefore the very notion of objective filmmaking is a nonsense. Especially when you get into an edit room and start cutting because then - like it or not- a point of view is determining what is excluded and what is included." "Most award winning documentarians have a definite agenda, and/or point of view, this is rarely challenged because their agenda or point of view aligns with the politically correct opinions of their audience and their critics," explained Bailey. "This is perhaps, where we have failed and hopefully we will continue for the rest of our careers." Besides her eyelashes and make up (which most of it is permanently tattooed on), Tammy Faye's faith is the makeup of her life. If more so-called Christians would follow the scripture in Luke 6:37 like Tammy Faye, "Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you. If you forgive others you will be forgiven," we would have a truly spiritually diverse world. Tammy Faye shares with the audience her favorite scripture, which is Psalm 91. "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the Shadow of the Almighty. This I declare of the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from the fatal plague. He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor feel the dangers of the day, nor dread the plague of the day, nor dread the plague that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday..."
"The Eyes of Tammy Faye" is not a right-winged religion focused documentary. It is not meant to converge the gay community to Lake Washington for a Sunday afternoon baptismal. It is meant to inform and share Tammy Faye's life.
Tammy Faye has put her life back together. She even plays the organ every Sunday at her Palm Springs church. As "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" concludes, you her Tammy Faye singing, "Don't give up on the brink of a miracle." After watching this documentary, I believe there are miracles.
Rating: 
Summary: An affectionate portrait of the Queen of Make-Up Excess
Review: "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" covers the rise, fall and attempted comebacks of the former evangelist and talk show host. This 2000 documentary by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato is certainly an amusing look at its subject, but there is undeniably a sense of affection towards Tammy Faye Bakker Messner. If anything, the villain in the piece turns out to be Jerry Falwell, who took over the Bakker empire when it was on the verge of collapse. Narrated by RuPaul, this documentary covers not only the celebrated PTL scandal but the other public and private crises that made Tammy Faye the darling of the tabloid press. All of these events are clearly seen through Tammy Faye's eyes, where she and her dreams are always being betrayed by someone else. Ultimately this becomes rather fascinating because letting Tammy Faye make her own defense is going to convince her critics that she is a pathetic clown, it is also going to allow her defenders to see her as a persecuted martyr. Clearly "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" is not going to change your mind. Whatever you think of her, this documentary is simply going to reinforce those beliefs.
Rating:
Summary: Tammy is the all time best
Review: After watching this documentary, I was left thinking that there should be more people in the world like Tammy Faye. I love her irreverence and contradictory personality. There is just so much more to this woman than the surface nuttiness and the praise the lord shtick. I'd have lunch with her any time.
Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly Good Documentary, But. . .
Review: Browsing through Rotten Tomatoes one uneventful evening, I was jolted momentarily when I stumbled upon this movie. "An 88 percent approval rating?", I pinched. "Were Jim and Tammy Bakker perhaps judged too quickly during the collapse of their massive empire? Is it possible that Tammy Faye actually has some cognitive activity working upstairs after all?" Nah. I soon realized that the quality of this flick lay in the production of the documentary itself, not the human product involved. Barbato and company paint a cute and somewhat naive televangelist caught up in a host of scandals, none of which she ever saw coming. True to its title, the movie is based on Tammy Faye's side of the story from beginning to end with little or no options for other possibilities. There is a fundamental problem with Tammy Faye and those of her ilk. The woman reveals no knowledge or even a faint curiosity of the ancient ancestors, culture, or documents of her own proclaimed faith. Scripture is something to exploit as needed, not research as necessary. She's not a minister but a celebrity. The Bakkers never revealed anything otherwise. That whole crowd, commonly known as "televangelists," practice a kind of top-40 version of Christianity. It's as plastic as their imaginations, and their TV circus performances are an embarrassment to humankind. Tammy Faye certainly has nice qualities about her as a person and is clearly quite likeable in her own way. The movie delivers that trait well. But many people throughout the world possess wonderful qualities without ever getting a crack at the big screen. The movie impressively unfolds the horrors and tragedies Tammy endured during her career, and certainly no one deserves such torment. But there are many good people who have been through much worse. Hollywood has not brought them to the cinema so that we might share in their grief as well. No one even knows who they are. They are in fact you and me, and others we all know in our personal lives. So what exactly is it that makes Tammy Faye worthy of the special attention? The movie is silent on this point. It's quite a privilege to casually rake in millions for singing rudimentary ditties and shedding superficial tears. Ministers? How realistic is it to identify the Bakkers as some sort of link between human consciousness and sacred deity? The movie focuses too much on the trees and forgets the forest. The documentary highlights some of the details of the PTL exploitation by Jerry Falwell. But anyone familiar with this man will find no surprises here. Anytime this guy enters a scene, nearly anyone else looks better by default. According to the report, the Bakkers were blackmailed into turning the empire over to Falwell's rat pack because he got word of Jim's sideline fling with what's-her-name. This is some crowd we have here. In his predictable manner, Falwell inserted a dagger into the Bakkers' empty skulls and thanked God for the opportunity. Isn't he the suave one? Falwell never fails to leave the kind of sick feeling one gets from a dead-baby joke. I soon realized that this flick has no protagonist. One important point in favor of the movie is noteworthy. The Bakkers' ministry was active during the outbreak of the HIV virus. With the exception of Billy Graham, most conservative televangelists responded with bitter judgments of condemnation toward the gay community. Some are well known today for the massive hatred they drilled into the minds of their congregations. Tammy Faye was one of the very few to insist on reaching out to AIDS victims with genuine compassion. She stressed that believers needed to embrace and love the gay community rather than condemn them. But more to the point, Tammy Faye practiced this sermon. She visited AIDS victims and spent valuable time with them. For this reason many in the gay community have grown to respect Tammy Faye. This is perhaps the one quality that makes her different from others of her ilk, and it is a quality worthy of both recognition and respect. The movie is well made. It succeeded in gripping my emotion, but not with any earth-shattering revelations of the woman. Tammy Faye simply is what she is. The movie suggests that Tammy Faye deserves another chance at fame. This viewer does not agree that she does. Nonetheless, The Eyes of Tammy Faye is just possibly her best achievement in the entertainment industry to date. Believe it or not, there's a real woman underneath all that makeup.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Good Documentary, But. . .
Review: Browsing through Rotten Tomatoes one uneventful evening, I was jolted momentarily when I stumbled upon this movie. "An 88 percent approval rating?", I pinched. "Were Jim and Tammy Bakker perhaps judged too quickly during the collapse of their massive empire? Is it possible that Tammy Faye actually has some cognitive activity working upstairs after all?" Nah. I soon realized that the quality of this flick lay in the production of the documentary itself, not the human product involved. Barbato and company paint a cute and somewhat naive televangelist caught up in a host of scandals, none of which she ever saw coming. True to its title, the movie is based on Tammy Faye's side of the story from beginning to end with little or no options for other possibilities. There is a fundamental problem with Tammy Faye and those of her ilk. The woman reveals no knowledge or even a faint curiosity of the ancient ancestors, culture, or documents of her own proclaimed faith. Scripture is something to exploit as needed, not research as necessary. She's not a minister but a celebrity. The Bakkers never revealed anything otherwise. That whole crowd, commonly known as "televangelists," practice a kind of top-40 version of Christianity. It's as plastic as their imaginations, and their TV circus performances are an embarrassment to humankind. Tammy Faye certainly has nice qualities about her as a person and is clearly quite likeable in her own way. The movie delivers that trait well. But many people throughout the world possess wonderful qualities without ever getting a crack at the big screen. The movie impressively unfolds the horrors and tragedies Tammy endured during her career, and certainly no one deserves such torment. But there are many good people who have been through much worse. Hollywood has not brought them to the cinema so that we might share in their grief as well. No one even knows who they are. They are in fact you and me, and others we all know in our personal lives. So what exactly is it that makes Tammy Faye worthy of the special attention? The movie is silent on this point. It's quite a privilege to casually rake in millions for singing rudimentary ditties and shedding superficial tears. Ministers? How realistic is it to identify the Bakkers as some sort of link between human consciousness and sacred deity? The movie focuses too much on the trees and forgets the forest. The documentary highlights some of the details of the PTL exploitation by Jerry Falwell. But anyone familiar with this man will find no surprises here. Anytime this guy enters a scene, nearly anyone else looks better by default. According to the report, the Bakkers were blackmailed into turning the empire over to Falwell's rat pack because he got word of Jim's sideline fling with what's-her-name. This is some crowd we have here. In his predictable manner, Falwell inserted a dagger into the Bakkers' empty skulls and thanked God for the opportunity. Isn't he the suave one? Falwell never fails to leave the kind of sick feeling one gets from a dead-baby joke. I soon realized that this flick has no protagonist. One important point in favor of the movie is noteworthy. The Bakkers' ministry was active during the outbreak of the HIV virus. With the exception of Billy Graham, most conservative televangelists responded with bitter judgments of condemnation toward the gay community. Some are well known today for the massive hatred they drilled into the minds of their congregations. Tammy Faye was one of the very few to insist on reaching out to AIDS victims with genuine compassion. She stressed that believers needed to embrace and love the gay community rather than condemn them. But more to the point, Tammy Faye practiced this sermon. She visited AIDS victims and spent valuable time with them. For this reason many in the gay community have grown to respect Tammy Faye. This is perhaps the one quality that makes her different from others of her ilk, and it is a quality worthy of both recognition and respect. The movie is well made. It succeeded in gripping my emotion, but not with any earth-shattering revelations of the woman. Tammy Faye simply is what she is. The movie suggests that Tammy Faye deserves another chance at fame. This viewer does not agree that she does. Nonetheless, The Eyes of Tammy Faye is just possibly her best achievement in the entertainment industry to date. Believe it or not, there's a real woman underneath all that makeup.
Rating:
Summary: There's Something About Tammy!
Review: Directors Bailey and Barbato have crafted an amusing and startlingly informative documentary on the famous Tammy Faye - she of the 'religious make-up'. The complete history of Tammy is resurrected from her childhood to first meeting with Jim Bakker to her current limbo status. The most fascinating aspect of this woman is her resilience. Starting from a scrappy beginning as TV evangelists, Tammy and Jim rose quickly and famously to the top of the religious networks. The PTL recreational park is second to Disneyland! It's not an intentional site gag to watch her makeup grow more intense with the years. She has survived failure after failure and still keeps on going, running on her fuel from God. Her attitude is nearly obnoxiously upbeat and her refusal to be vindictive is impressive (or is denial a big part of her survival)? Note that the "Reverend" Jerry Falwall is shown as more than a villain here, which makes Tammy all the more precious. Regardless, she proves to be a remarkable study and a compassionate person as well. It's difficult to not be impressed by her stamina, but her cheerfulness can be near manic. The directors have introduced a nice spin by having high-voiced hand puppets introduce each segment. The pitch of their voices is not far from Tammy's. This film makes for a nice 'rent', but to own it might be considered sociopathic! Note: Theatrical trailers, but no extras and that's just sinful!
Rating:
Summary: I'm Converted!
Review: Enter the wild and wacky world of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's "Electric Church", and believe it or not it all started with puppets. Tammy and Jim Bakker are certainly colorful characters, but what makes this movie essential viewing is it shows what a duplicitous slime Jerry Falwell is, as he takes over the PTL Club. This makes perfect viewing after Falwell's flap about who may really have been responsible for the September 11th terrorist attack on the World Trade Center (I laughed when I heard it. Oops the mask slips!). Verification of his most despicable acts comes down to his word against the Bakkers, but all the on-tape evidence doesn't make a strong case for Ol' Jerry. One has to wonder why at a press conference he states, after smearing Jim Bakker, that it's for the best that he not return the PTL Club to the Bakker's if, as he claims, they freely gave it to him? He makes accusations about Bakker being homosexual (no evidence, only Falwell's word) to augment Bakker's shame of getting caught in some not very homosexual acts with Jessica Hahn. Speaking of which, Jessica Hahn gives her side of the story in, yes, a Playboy Centerfold video. She seductively gyrates in lingerie while telling us we should appreciate her personality and not think of her as an object. It's great. Through out the movie we see Tammy Faye continuously reaching out and being supportive to people "other televangelists wouldn't even go near", as well as repeatedly forgiving those who have wronged her. Comparing these acts with Falwell's words and deeds will hopefully give viewers thought as to who are the real Christians. As Falwell stated, "She's a loonie" (he can't deny it, it's on record), but better a kind-hearted loonie than a lying, back-stabbing, power hungry, hate-mongering, monster,...say.
Rating:
Summary: Thank God For Tammy Faye
Review: Having a huge love Ms. Faye before seeing the movie, I left with stronger love for her than ever. She is unlike any other person God put here on this earth. She is compassionate, lively, and has one heck of a sense of humor. Granted the movie was pure classic camp, but what about Tammy isn't? The movie is very similar to Madonna's "Truth Or Dare", except it doesn't try to be more than it is. "The Eyes Of Tammy Faye" doesn't take itself too seriously(any movie with sock puppets and drag queens is pure fabulousness). And the movie doesn't attempt to make Tammy Faye into something she is not. She is fierce and strong-just a like a lioness. Some parts are hilarious and some parts of devastingly somber. But Tammy Faye never fails to smile and giggle...and that is something to thank God for.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as I'd heard
Review: I did come away from the film with new respect for Tammy Faye's strength and integrity, if not for her fashion- or common-sense, but I felt that the filmmakers had already said all they had to say long before the film was over. The filmmakers were obviously quite taken with their subject, which gave me some doubts about their objectivity in such matters as Jerry Falwell's role in the downfall of PTL (although I have no trouble seeing Falwell as a villain). The hand puppets were a bit too precious for my taste, and the reunion with Jim J. Bullock was so awkward that I'm surprised that the filmmakers didn't edit it out.
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