ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Jessica Chastain

TIFF ’21: The Eyes of Tammy Faye

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Andrew Garfield as “Jim Bakker” and Jessica Chastain as “Tammy Faye Bakker” in the film THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

Beginning in the late 1950s, The Eyes of Tammy Faye follows the rise and fall of Tammy Faye Bakker and her husband Jim. Though their lives began in humble beginnings, they gradually rose through the ranks to create the largest religious broadcasting network in the world. Marked by their smiling faces and charming demeanour, the couple’s ministry sprawled around the globe and touched the lives of many. However, as their financial improprieties caught up with them, their ministry crashed with a mighty force, leaving their family scarred by scandal for years to come.

Tightly written and anchored by a stellar cast, The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a soulful and scathing look at the destructive allure of power in the world of faith. Directed by Michael Showalter, the film emphasizes the disconnect between authentic religious zeal and the systems that exist to monopolize upon it. With each potential stepping stone in their career, Showalter always manages to emphasize the potential for ‘more’. More money. More power. More… everything. Whether it’s the bright lights of television or massive mansions to which they’re invited, Showalter dwarfs Jim and Tammy by the lucrative aspects of success that surround and call them. Despite their initial passion, the lure of success’ proverbial apple becomes too great and they are ensnared by their decisions.

Jessica Chastain as “Tammy Faye Bakker” in the film THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

As Jim Bakker, Garfield manages to balance a heart of corruption and one of passion. Instead of fully demonizing him, Garfield’s initial desire and double-speak reveal the charisma of a man that fooled millions. In many ways, he is the villain of the piece, yet there is a sympathetic aspect to this performance that somehow makes him likeable. However, the true star of the film is Chastain herself. Here, Chastain is utterly transformative in the role of Tammy Faye, portraying her as never complicit in Jim’s crimes yet never fully innocent either. With humility and love, Chastain never demonizes her character, despite giving her an eye that is ever-seeking approval, be it from her family or her audience. Together, the couple have wonderful chemistry as a pairing who begin with genuine care for their spiritual mission yet gradually compromise themselves into evil. 

At no point in the film is faith judged in and of itself. Instead, the film highlights the dangers and toxicity of those who control it. Whether it’s the self-approval sought by Jim Bakker or the toxic nature of power that we see in someone like the ever-menacing Jerry Falwell Sr. (Vincent D’Onofrio), the genuine face of its leadership is what’s on trial. These are broken people who refuse to accept their brokenness. To Falwell and the other white men in control, the Evangelical system is one of order and power. [Even Pat Robertson is viewed as a man who is willing to slit your throat if it helps his career.] All are willing to twist scripture to fit their own agendas, arguably except Tammy Faye. 

Jessica Chastain as “Tammy Faye Bakker” and Andrew Garfield as “Jim Bakker” in the film THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

As such, the most fascinating aspect of this film is that it’s scathing conversation about faith feel feels so honest. Led by Falwell, the organized Christian church is portrayed as an exclusive club where those that do not fit into the box are unwelcome unless they conform. Tammy Faye is one who did not fit into those boxes, and she is reminded of this constantly. From the very beginning of the film, Tammy Faye is seen as kept on the outside looking in. As a child, she is shown as staring from outside the window due to the shame thrown upon her mother. As an adult, she is left out in the cold based on the shame that her husband threw upon her (and himself). 

Held up against the toxic masculinity of the Evangelical leadership, Tammy Faye is seen as a (mostly) genuine person within the film, despite her flaws. For her, the purpose of the ministry is to show the love of Jesus to as many people as possible. She is consistently and constantly opening the doors to the disenfranchised, especially the LGBTQ+ community. She views people as deserving of God‘s love as opposed to focusing on an overall agenda. However, this same openness is what makes her a threat to that system. Because of her willingness to embrace those that the organized church was unwilling to reach, Tammy Faye is kept at a distance (or worse, ostracized). 

Randy Havens as “Steve Pieters” and Jessica Chastain as “Tammy Faye Bakker” in the film THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

Similarly (or perhaps because of this), Tammy Faye is also a woman who wants to experience love. She views the camera as a person, which also ties into the theme of her eye. Tammy Faye understands that she has a unique connection with her audience (parishioners?) because they give her a chance to speak and feel loved themselves. To her, this is a genuine relationship that it worth taking seriously. On the other hand, Jim abuses the power of the camera’s eye. Although he claims to have vision, his soul is weak and he views his ‘partners’ as means to support his fame and lifestyle. Their great value lies in their wallets and he gradually begins to lose sight of what he has been called to do. (One can almost hear the serpent whispering in the background, ‘Did God really say that you should build a Christian waterpark?’) 

Backed by an Oscar-worthy performance by Chastain (yes, I’m calling the shot), The Eyes of Tammy Faye is poignant, potent and one of the best films of the year. Dissecting the poisonous nature of power and its relationship to fame and faith, the film holds its leads accountable yet also offers them grace when needed. This is a story that focuses on the consequences of allowing one’s eyes to wander from the mission to the money and the destructiveness that one’s fall from grace can have on others. At the same time however, it also recognizes the humanity of its subjects and, potentially, offering them a road to redemption as well.

Jessica Chastain as “Tammy Faye Bakker” and Andrew Garfield as “Jim Bakker” in the film THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE. Photo by Daniel McFadden. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

The Eyes of Tammy Faye premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and is currently in theatres.

The Zookeeper’s Wife – Providing Sanctuary

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“I don’t belong here. They don’t belong here. You don’t belong here.”

The Zookeeper’s Wife opens in an almost Edenic world. Jan (Johan Heldenbergh) and Antonina (Jessica Chastain) Zabinski live on the grounds of the Warsaw Zoo, where Jan is the head zookeeper. Their son sleeps with lion cubs. When Antonina bicycles around the zoo, a young camel runs along with her. It is a happy and carefree existence. Not quite carefree, because war is looming. The serpent of this Eden is Lutz Heck (Daniel Brühl), the visiting head of the Berlin Zoo. He is obviously taken with Antonina, but claims he isn’t involved in politics.

When Germany invades on September 1, 1938, beginning the Second World War, the zoo is bombed with the rest of Warsaw. Animals are loose and in fear. Many are killed. Soon Heck is back, in an SS uniform, to take control of the animals, to ship the best to Berlin (for “protection”) and to try to use the zoo’s bison to breed long extinct aurochs (a reminder of the Nazi’s concern with eugenics and scientific exploitation). But soon, the Germans are forcing Jews into the Ghetto, and perhaps worse fates await.

The Zabinskis at first secretly harbor Antonina’s best friend, but as the world inside the Ghetto gets worse, they ask the Germans for permission to use the zoo as a pig farm to feed troops, and to feed the pigs with garbage from the Ghetto. Each day Jan goes to pick up the garbage, and smuggle out some of the Jews who are given refuge in the zoo. Through the years, over 300 persons made their way to the safety of the zoo. The Zambiskis, of course, are risking their lives by doing this. They not only provided safety; they provided friendship and even a bit of culture. Each night after the German guards left the zoo, Antonina would play the piano to let those in hiding know they could come out. That time became almost like an evening salon of conversation and companionship.

The film is based on a book by Diane Ackerman, which is a more extensive telling of the Zabinskis’ true story. As is often the case, time constraints require that things are often left out in adaptations of books. Here, we get very brief glimpses of parts of the story, such as Antonina’s pregnancy and Jan’s going off to fight with the Resistance, leaving Antonina alone to deal with their guests.

The Zabinskis’ decision to harbor as many Jews as they could was a courageous act—and a very illegal one. They were well aware of the threat that the Germans represented—both to the Jews and to those who harbored them. Yet, for them, the humanity of their neighbors took precedence over the laws that history has shown to be abhorrent. The idea of offering sanctuary to those in danger has a long history—and continues to be a valid question for people today. We live in a world filled with refugees of various kinds. Many have a difficult time finding a safe and welcoming place. More and more nations are closing their borders to those in need—or seeking to deport those already here. Some—including many churches—are seeking ways to provide a haven for those in need and fear. Stories from the Holocaust, like this one, are a reminder of how important those havens are.

Available July 4 on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand; available now on Digital HD. Special features include deleted scenes, the making of the film, and a look at the Zabinski family. 

 

 

Miss Sloane – Politics behind the curtain

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“You cross the line when you don’t treat people with respect. You’re smart enough to know that. You just don’t care.”

What an amazing political year this has been! One of the things that have led to the strangeness of this election cycle is a mistrust in the very institutions that make up the political landscape. We suspect that legislation gets passed more because of money and lobbying than because of the will of the people or even because of ideology. Miss Sloane takes us into that world of lobbying, persuasion, and corruption. Does that make this sound like a cynical film? You may need to withhold judgment until it all plays out.

Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain) is a one of the most successful lobbyist at a high-power firm in Washington, DC. She is known not only for her success rate, but for her thoroughness and scrupulousness. She does not just present information, she manipulates people and issues. She knows all the ways to bend the rules—even how to break them without getting caught. When she is approached by the gun lobby to help get women to oppose a bill that would add restrictions to gun sales, she not only refuses, she quits the firm she works at and hires on to a boutique firm with various young idealists to fight for the passage of the bill. This is a game of moves and countermoves that Elizabeth orchestrates. She only cares about winning. She doesn’t care who she steps on in the process—even those she works with may only be pawns for her to sacrifice.

But the opposition at her old firm knows her well. They can anticipate her moves. Worse, they know where all the skeletons are hidden. They are not above throwing her to the wolves to neutralize her. When the film opens, she is taking the Fifth in front of a Senate committee investigating her corrupt practices. Her reputation for good or ill becomes the key to whether this bill will pass or not. But she always saves her “trump card” until after the opponent has played their trump. Will she have what it takes to pull off a win this time?

While the film deals with the always present issue of guns in America, that is really only the setting for the personal story of this ethically-challenged woman and the industry she is a part of. It does present arguments about the gun issue, but that really isn’t the point of the film. It is really about what lengths Elizabeth will go to in order to achieve her goal. In fact, we don’t really know what motives her. Is it the issue, or just the chance to prove she can beat the most powerful lobby in the country?

Jessica Chastain is the real power that drives this film. The supporting cast (including Sam Waterston, Alison Pill, John Lithgow, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Mark Strong) all add depth to the story, but this really is Chastain’s film, and she carries it extremely well. The intensity of her character, and at times her vulnerability, are what really draw us into the story.

German statesman Otto von Bismark told us, “Laws are like sausages. It’s better not to see them being made.” That reflects the messiness inherent in the political process—a messiness that can easily lead to a cynicism that makes us doubt the whole process, and those who are part of the process. Elizabeth Sloane has a ready answer that she can quickly recite when someone accuses her of cynicism. She doesn’t so much deny the charge as dismiss it as irrelevant. But do we think cynicism is the way we should look at the political process? Have we assumed that approach, even though in a less obvious intensity? What about idealism? Should it have a role in the way politics plays out? Amazingly, for all the cynicism that seems to permeate the story, in the end we discover this really is an idealistic film in disguise.

Photos courtesy EuropaCorp – France 2 Cinema

The Huntsman’s Nicolas-Troyan on Cooking, Charlize Theron, & Highlander

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cedricCedric Nicolas Troyan, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects on Snow White & the Huntsman, directed The Huntsman: Winter’s War out now on Digital HD (and on Blu-ray on August 23). After directing Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt, and Charlize Theron in his debut, Troyan shared his thoughts on conveying strong visuals, and the challenges of showing audiences something new.

As a first-time director, Troyan found himself leading a group of A-listers into a new enterprise, but after initial jitters, Troyan said he was unfazed. “When you do visual effects, you’re there from inception, working beside the director. It’s a grew school to learn from them. So, I figure in twenty years, I have put in my share of set time,” the director said with a chuckle. “But you ask yourself, how will you interact with the cast? Will they get what they need from me? Will I flounder around like a bowling ball? I was confident that I had the knowledge necessary. And in the end, I could see that these people were all great.”

Troyan’s confidence was potentially bolstered by (in his mind) the surprise nomination for the Academy Award, because he was so focused on creating what he needed to. “At the end of the day, you try to make something you think people will like, something cool. That’s the job: trying to take the ingredients and make something great, like cooking up a dish for your guests. But there’s no full-on recipe for success. There are just things you think are good, and you hope people will share your enthusiasm.”

While The Huntsman varies in tone from the original in the series, Troyan saw the way that the characters were influenced by a variety of backgrounds in legend and style. The director was focused on telling those stories, and making sure that it looked cool (a regular adjective for Troyan’s understanding about the way things would appear). But he admitted that a different take on an old story can be tricky.

“You have Hans Christian Andersen’s Snow Queen not exactly but inspired. You have the Snow Queen in Narnia or Elsa, the queen in Frozen. You’re mixing the different worlds but trying to stay in the same world as Snow White & The Huntsman.”

“It’s like most people when they wake up in the morning; they don’t stay in the same mood all day long. When you explore the world [of these fairy tales] mixed with changing emotions, it’s kind of cool. Some people like the way we presented that and some people don’t. You flavor it thinking it will fit but the important part is that you’re trying.”

cedric2Troyan’s path continues to draw him into stories (like Maleficent) where female characters show us more than we had seen before. It’s clearly of interest to Troyan as he creates these ‘meals’ for us to enjoy, and he warmed to the subject, especially when it came to Theron.

“I’m definitely more interested in female characters in my life. I tend to sway toward those females. It’s not that male characters aren’t interesting but I think there’s more variation in female characters. There’s a broader spectrum. We need to hear those different voices.”

When the subject of the hyper-visual Mad Max: Fury Road was broached, Troyan admitted that he hadn’t seen it in theaters because he was filming. “I told Charlize I was sorry. I wasn’t sure I’d like it because I’m not a huge Mad Max fan. But because of Charlize I went to see it. As soon as I got home, I emailed her that I absolutely loved it – especially her portrayal of Furiosa. It was just so rock’n’roll! The most rock’n’roll thing I’ve seen in a long time.”

As our time drew to a close, I had to ask: what could Troyan tell us about the Highlander remake that has been rumored about for the last few years? Troyan laughed, and measured his response. “Highlander was always supposed to be my first film, never my second. Now that’s my first has already been done, I just can’t say too much.”

Ah, the heart of a fan. We must wait to see what Troyan is cooking, and then dig in. Each meal won’t be for everyone, but this chef is cooking a buffet of visual and storytelling delight.

The Martian: Survive or Die (Oscar Spotlight: Best Picture)

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The MartianHumans have, ingrained in their DNA, a desire and longing for community. It started when God realized that it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone—his response was to create Eve as a companion and helper (see Genesis 2:18). But what happens if, by some unfortunate series of events, you’re the only one left on the planet—or worse, another planet? You really have two options—survive or die. This is part of the reason why the The Martian is up for a Best Picture nomination at this year’s Academy Awards. Based on the book by Andy Weir, it chronicles the harrowing adventures of astronaut Mark Watney on the planet Mars.  The film is actually up for seven different Oscars (including Matt Damon for Best Actor), but I’m going to focus on the Best Picture award.

First, a reminder of the plot. The Martian begins with an emergency escape from the planet when a massive storm appears at base camp. Five of the six astronauts make it onboard the rescue rover, with Watney left behind for dead after he’s speared by a communications antenna. Miraculously, he survives, but is in a world of hurt as the next mission to the Red Planet isn’t scheduled to arrive for another four years. With a limited supply of food and water, he has to decide what to do.  Watney’s decision: “I’m not going to die here.” Thus, he sets about trying to make life happen, all while recording his escapades via video journals.  His saving grace is that he’s a botanist and knows how to grow things. But that won’t last forever, and when the habitat depressurizes, destroying his crop, the fight for survival becomes more acute.

Watney and his plantsMeanwhile, NASA finally discovers he’s alive (after announcing his death) and sets out creating a plan to get him back, helped by scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Rushing things doesn’t work, as they find out the hard way on their next launch.  Director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Bridges) has to try something, and when out of options, gets help in the form of China’s space program. When an astrodynamics student named Rich Purnell (Donald Glover) comes up with a faster way to get Watney—but one that will keep the rescued astronauts in space for another year—the idea is dismissed.  But when it’s covertly shared with the crew, they agree to try it—risking their own lives in the process.  The world holds its collective breath as an unheard of rescue is attempted.

So what makes The Martian worthy of Best Picture status? First off, the landscape and set design is exquisite and conveys a planet of extreme isolation, complete with unpredictable storms and unforgiving terrain. The attention to detail even extends to the scientific terminology used, conveying the possibility that an event like this could feasibly occur.  Dialogue is realistic and doesn’t seem to be forced (outside of a) the constant references to Commander Lewis [Jessica Chastain] and her love of disco and b) the relationship between Johanssen [Kate Mara] and Beck [Sebastian Stan]). Speaking of music, the soundtrack is refreshingly sparse.

Tension is controlled by director Ridley Scott in ways that make the viewer experience a range of emotions—from shock to euphoria. Finally, the acting is on point, with believable and convincing characters (none moreso than Damon’s intriguing portrayal of Watney). As a result, the viewer is transported from the theater into a very delicate situation where one wrong move could mean a loss of lives.

The crew of the HermesOutside of the earlier reference to community, there are also many references to faith found in the film (not that they have any bearing on making a film Best Picture-worthy, but are still nice). The concept of mission is found as Watney emails Commander Lewis a note with the charge to tell his parents, “I’m dying for something big and beautiful and greater than me.” That sure sounds like something the apostle Paul would’ve penned—and probably the other apostles to boot. The ending also allows for the concept of complete trust to have someone save you when you have no ability to do it yourself (see Romans 5:8).

In the end, The Martian is a worthy film to be considered for this year’s Best Picture nomination. Will it win?  I’m not certain, as there are a number of films that take that title as well. But if it succeeds, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. With a compelling story, great acting, and fantastic visuals, you should give this one a viewing if you haven’t already. You’ll understand what it means to truly survive—as well as a few other things along the way.