The trailer is really well done, and appears to show a movie that may be part satire, part biting commentary, and all retro. Well, they got the retro part right. But the movie, is a pretty basic, color-by-numbers production. It feels like they had a check-list of the key moments of Tammy's life, and made sure those were in the film. But there wasn't really much of a 'story', or even a message. By the end of the film, you're feeling 'okay, so what was this movie trying to say?'
The acting is okay. I'd say Andrew Garfield's acting is great, while Jessica Chastain's singing is great. What I really really hate, is the prosthetics. I haven't been so distracted since Looper. I get it, the actors don't look exactly like the people they are portraying, so don't force it. Maybe when they were older, it would have been okay to do. But in their younger selves, who cares. They both looked like they were infected with the mumps. And Jessica Chastain in that final scene looked like Jay Leno in drag, it was so bad.
This movie not only doesn't say anything, it pretty much just skims the surface of everything. Yes, you see the scandals and the troubles in Tammy Faye's life, but there is very little emotion behind it. I didn't feel any empathy for the characters, not even for Tammy Faye. Perhaps it was confusing that they had her seem naive on the one hand, but assertive on the other.
Vincent D'Onofrio's Jerry Fallwell seems almost unnecessary. He appears here and there, but really doesn't command a presence or really feel like a key player in their lives, even though he kind of was. I like D'Onofrio, but this was pretty unremarkable.
This won't be getting Oscar noms, and no, 'These Eyes' is not used in the film.