When Tammy Faye was a young girl, she felt like an outcast. In a deeply religious family, she was the sole daughter of a divorced woman; her mother and stepfamily believed she would soil their name if she even stepped foot into church on Sundays. But Tammy Faye believed in the power of Jesus and sought religion with an obsessive zeal. All she wanted to do was spread the word.
And so, we learn the catalyst and deep-seated beliefs that launched both Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker into the world of televangelism and their eventual fall in the face of scandal. The Eyes of Tammy Faye explores how a well-meaning girl became a whirlwind of a woman whose popularity transformed what religion meant to millions and changed the course of history. Of course, there’s also that scandal of defrauding her followers that brought the downfall of their empire.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye stars Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield (who are both nothing short of brilliant). The film was written by Abe Sylvia based on the documentary of the same name by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. It is directed by Michael Showalter.
Here are five screenwriting takeaways from The Eyes of Tammy Faye:
1. What motivates your characters?
Tammy Faye (Chastain) believed in the word of God and wanted to spread his love. What motivates her though is finding a way to combine her talents of singing and her motivation to be in the spotlight with her desire to preach and her desperation to live a lavish lifestyle. The audience sees this play throughout the film in myriad ways.
Writers can see how these clashing motivations cause serious internal and external conflicts. It’s also one of the reasons that make Tammy Faye so compelling. With each scene, the audience all but wonders what decisions she will make, which motivation wins the day, and how it impacts her and those in her environment.
This holds true for Jim Bakker (Garfield). His motivation, we find early on, stems from a deal he made with God when he accidentally hit a boy with his car: save the boy and he will dedicate his life to Him. Jim wants to do good but has the same issues as his wife: how to be a good Christian, preach the gospel and help others while also struggling to maintain a luxuriant life.
The motivations and wants of the lead characters, as well as their foils, helps drive the story and keeps the audience engaged and on the side of the protagonist.
2. What’s the basic story?
At the basic level, The Eyes of Tammy Faye is about a marriage and a dream, and how both fall apart. It’s important for writers to find the universal truths in their story. In regards to this film, according to Abe Sylvia (who recently discussed this film on the Final Draft "Write On" podcast), "With these two, you have a wonderful canvas that gives the audience enough distance so they can enjoy the fact that they’re watching their own story."
Audiences can relate to marriage problems and the conflicts that happen behind closed doors, even public versus intimate personas. Viewers also have dreams and are naturally curious about how people achieved what they sought out to do in life.
Sylvia adds, "The televangelistic aspect, the prosperity doctrine, the clothes, the hair, the makeup — I think gives the audience enough distance to let it seep in later that 'oh, that film was actually about my parents.'"
3. Find a character’s voice of reason
Whether fiction or based on a true story, the lead character needs someone to keep them grounded. These characters are the ones whispering in the lead’s ear that they have gone a little too far and need to be set right; oftentimes they won’t heed the advice anyway.
In The Eyes of Tammy Faye, that character is Tammy’s mom, Rachel Grover (Cherry Jones). Although early in Tammy’s life her mother was a force who prevented her from being a part of the church, as she grows older, she becomes a mother looking out for what she believes are the best interests of her daughter. This in turn creates another level of conflict as children often want to please their parents.
When Tammy wants to broadcast to the world her love of Jesus, her mother thinks this goes against the meaning of religion and wants her to tone it down. When her lifestyle becomes increasingly extravagant, her mom insists that it’s not what God wants.
What makes this relationship interesting though is how there isn’t any overly combative language. Their relationship is rather cordial and it gives the audience a view of the discomfort her mom feels in what Jim and Tammy Faye are doing without the confrontation. Not every conflict needs to be a fight and writers can see how to build a cordial relationship filled with love and a level of conflict without it ever blowing up.
4. What’s the reference to today?
For anyone writing a history-based screenplay, it’s important to know why this story is relevant today. A story can’t just be interesting; it must tie into the culture and thoughts of today’s world. At minimum, it must show how it impacts the current time.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye hits on several points. Sylvia, in his "Write On" podcast interview, discusses his belief that Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker literally changed politics and religion in the country, including possibly electing George H. W. Bush president in 1988 and the evolution of the Republican party.
The movie also hits on many common themes, such as marriage and ambition, creating enemies to get people onto your side, and manipulating mass audiences through media.
5. The rise, fall and redemption of the hero
It was in one of the Batman movies that stated the reason we fall is so we can rise again.
Heroes must fall.
They must reach low points and, when it doesn’t seem they will recover, they need to be knocked down a few more pegs.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye follows that theory and writers can see how the film slowly builds the arc of our protagonist rising and then shares with the audience their descent. It’s only toward the end of the film that we see the hero of the film slowly redeem themselves. The movie is a great study on how storytellers can build the journey of the character and get the audience on board for the ride.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye is currently in theaters.