Hitting that sweet spot of September 17, The Eyes of Tammy Faye starring Jessica Chastain.
THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE is an intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. In the 1970s and 80s, Tammy Faye and her husband, Jim Bakker, rose from humble beginnings to create the world’s largest religious broadcasting network and theme park, and were revered for their message of love, acceptance and prosperity. Tammy Faye was legendary for her indelible eyelashes, her idiosyncratic singing, and her eagerness to embrace people from all walks of life. However, it wasn’t long before financial improprieties, scheming rivals, and scandal toppled their carefully constructed empire.
Directed by: Michael Showalter
Written by: Abe Sylvia
Produced by: Jessica Chastain, p.g.a., Kelly Carmichael, p.g.a., Rachel Shane, p.g.a., Gigi Pritzker
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, Cherry Jones, Fredric Lehne, Louis Cancelmi, Sam Jaeger, Gabriel Olds, Mark Wystrach, and Vincent D’Onofrio
I consider Chastain one of the very best actresses of her generation and I find it ridiculous that she hasn’t been nominated for an Oscar in a decade almost even though her work would have definitely warranted such mainstream recognition (The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, A Most Violent Year, Crimson Peak, Miss Sloane, The Zookeeper’s Wife, Molly’s Game, in particular) so I hope this will be her big Oscar comeback because she sure af deserves one as soon as possible.
Having said that, the competition already looks fierce and this early on we don’t even know yet who else will emerge at one of the fall festivals as an unexpected contender. For now my strictly hunch-based guess would be :
POTENTIAL FRONTRUNNERS
1. Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye)
2. Ana de Armas (Blonde)
3. Jennifer Hudson (Respect)
4. Lady Gaga (Gucci)
5. Kristen Stewart (Spencer)
STRONG CONTENDERS
6. Frances McDormand (The Tragedy of Macbeth)
7. Marion Cotillard (Annette)
8. Cate Blanchett (Nightmare Alley)
9. Rachel Zegler (West Side Story)
10. Halle Berry (Bruised)
PROMISING DARK HORSES
11. Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho)
12. Florence Pugh (Don’t Worry, Darling)
13. Amanda Seyfried (A Mouthful of Air)
14. Jennifer Lawrence (Red, White and Water)
15. Sandra Bullock (Untitled Nora Fingscheidt Project)
P.S. Of course if ‘She Said’ pulls a “The Post” and somehow manages the rare, rather eastwoodian “Summer shoot + December release” combo, then all bets will be off and Carey Mulligan will be once again in the thick of the Best Actress race. Here is hoping.
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Don’t discount Tilda Swinton in the George Miller film
Spot-on!
I’m all in. Yes, it looks over-the-top with some tonal issues. But it also looks highly entertaining and, ultimately, pretty poignant. Too early to say how Garfield will be. I know he’ll put in the work and do what the script calls for, or more. But Chastain realllllly looks like she’s sinking her teeth in. Hope this film is a success.
I think the film is deftly hiding what I suspect is a wallop of a third act.
I’m pencilling in D’onofrio as clubhouse leader in Supporting
Best actress is loaded. Rebecca Ferguson, Dune; Jennifer Hudson, Respect; Jennifer Lawrence, Don’t Look Up or Red, White and Water (also producer). Joy or McKenzie for Last Night in Soho; Cate Blanchett, Nightmare Alley.
Like Chastain‘s performance in The Help, this might get her another Academy Award nomination. She deserves it!
That year she deserved it for The Tree of Life
Chastain is penciled in for a nom as of now. Looks good
Take note of her producing credit, I’m telling you folks that McDormand’s producing win last year could show actresses a new path to more robust projects.
You mean a path that Oscar winners Reese Witherspoon, Whoopi Goldberg or Viola Davis have already found? Even the Oscar nominated Margot Robbie knows all about it.
If I’m not mistaken McDormand was the first actress to win a producing Oscar and acting Oscar for the sane film.
Frances is. (And is also someone who couldn’t care less about making that awards history.)
But my point is that many actresses have figured out that the road to better projects often starts with producing them yourself.
There’s a reason Christine Lahti, Oprah Winfrey, Dyan Cannon, Jane Fonda and Lee Grant (among others) have been nominated as both filmmakers (directors or producers) and as actresses. And it has been going on for quite some time.
It should be encouraged now that someone broke through to Oscar
Chastain looks strong, Garfield, not so much…
Strong I, Tonya vibes. Make up looks a little rough.
I was thinking more of “Hillbilly Elegy” but you’re right, this really looks an iteration on the “I, Tonya” formula. Have really strong doubts this will be good, though, Chastain and the make up look tremendously baity but also caricaturesque.
That looks like an incredibly robust performance by Chastain. This will be a tricky sell to heartland types who will think they are being mocked and city types who might not realize how complex Tammy Faye really was. Garfield looks out of his depth, per usual, but Chastain is an easy nominee to predict now.