This hilarious, disturbing film is not exactly a mockumentary, but a strange new hybrid--a mocking documentary. Boasting faux solemn narration by the iconic drag performer RuPaul and a veritable Greek chorus of sock puppets, the filmmakers glibly attempt to manipulate and humiliate their subject. But as her tragically funny tale unfolds, something unexpected and enchanting occurs--Tammy Faye transcends our expectations.
This trembling, weeping, pill-popping housewife, along with her smirking ex-mate, Jim Bakker, founded both a multimillion-dollar television ministry and a gigantic Christian amusement park, Heritage USA. At one time, this fundamentalist folly was the third largest tourist destination in the U.S., bested only by Disney World and Disneyland. Predictably, though, financial wrongdoings and sexual shenanigans brought the whole giddy spectacle crashing down in the late '80s. Crucified in the press for her excessive lifestyle (rumored to include an air-conditioned doghouse) and made a laughingstock for the histrionics that caused her mascara to run like twin rivers of tar, Tammy Faye finally dropped off the pop-culture radar, only to be unearthed by this opprobrious film.
Whether arranging for Tammy to finally meet the reporter who broke the story of her husband's adultery or following her through the rusted gates of the abandoned Heritage USA, the filmmakers behind The Eyes of Tammy Faye seem strangely lacking in compassion for their subject. But Tammy knows where the real power lies. Looking right past them into the lens, she states brightly, "The camera is the people. And I love the people." And amazingly, ridiculously, we find ourselves once again loving her right back.
