December 8, 2017
I, Tonya is a 2017 American biographical sports film directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Steven Rogers. It follows the life and career of American figure skater Tonya Harding and her connection to the 1994 assault on her rival Nancy Kerrigan. The film states it is based on "contradictory" and "totally true" interviews with Harding and her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, suggesting they are unreliable narrators. It features darkly comedic interviews with the characters, set in the modern day, and breaks the fourth wall. Margot Robbie (who also produced) stars as Harding, Sebastian Stan as Gillooly, and Allison Janney as Harding's mother LaVona Golden. Julianne Nicholson, Caitlin Carver, Paul Walter Hauser, and Bobby Cannavale also star.
Loosely based on actual events, the film depicts Harding as a victim, reframing the narrative around her implication in the aftermath of the crime and other criticism of her actions. I, Tonya premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, and was released theatrically in the United States on December 8, 2017. It grossed $53 million worldwide on an $11 million budget, and received highly positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised the performances of Robbie, Stan, and Janney.
At the 90th Academy Awards, Janney won for Best Supporting Actress, while the film also earned nominations for Best Actress for Robbie and Best Film Editing. It earned three nominations at the 75th Golden Globe Awards, winning Best Supporting Actress for Janney, who also won at the Screen Actors Guild and Critics' Choice Movie Awards. Robbie herself was nominated for Best Actress at both shows. At the 71st British Academy Film Awards, the film earned five nominations, winning Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Janney.
Storyline
In 1974 Portland, Oregon, a four-year-old Tonya Harding is forced to ice-skate by her physically abusive mother, LaVona Golden. Tonya's parents eventually take her out of school to focus on her skating career as she trains under coach Diane Rawlinson. Tonya's father leaves the family home. Tonya rapidly becomes one of the best figure skaters in the United States, but is held back by her "white trash" reputation, homemade costumes, and unconventional choice of performance music (e.g., ZZ Top). At 15, she begins dating 18-year-old Jeff Gillooly. They marry, but Jeff becomes abusive. When LaVona scorns Tonya for putting up with it, Tonya blames LaVona for raising her badly.
After a dispute with Diane, Tonya fires her and hires Dody Teachman as her new coach. Tonya becomes the first American female figure skater to complete two triple Axel jumps in competition. At the 1992 Winter Olympics, Tonya fails to stick her landings and finishes fourth. Defeated, she takes a job as a waitress, but Diane convinces her to train for the 1994 Winter Olympics. She performs well but still feels she is being underscored. She confronts a judge about her scores; he explains that Tonya's image is not wholesome enough. Tonya approaches her mother for help, but is scolded and rebuffed, leading Tonya to reluctantly ask Jeff for support. On the day of her November 1993 competition at the Northwest Pacific Regional Championships in Portland, Tonya receives a death threat and chooses not to compete. Realizing that he can sabotage Tonya's competition, Jeff instructs his friend Shawn Eckardt to send death threats to Tonya's rival, Nancy Kerrigan. Tonya makes a phone call trying to locate Nancy's training arena and her practice times. The idea of injuring Nancy to prevent her from competing is floated around by Tonya and Jeff, leading to Shawn hiring two henchmen to injure Nancy after a practice session in Detroit on January 1994. Shawn’s henchman Shane Stant strikes Nancy's knee with a police baton, leaving her unable to compete at the next day's National competition. The hired henchmen are arrested.
Shawn's bragging quickly leads the FBI to him. He blames Jeff, who is horrified that Shawn instigated the plot for bodyguard work. Tonya qualifies for the Olympic team, but realizes she will be found guilty by association. She goes to the FBI and reports what Jeff and Shawn did, but they show her interview transcript to Jeff after his surrender, and he races home to confront her. She briefly speaks to Jeff from behind a locked door, then climbs out the window, leaving him for good. Jeff later implicates Tonya by saying she knew beforehand about the attack.
LaVona visits Tonya and offers her kind words; however, when she asks if Tonya had prior knowledge of the attack, Tonya realizes that LaVona is wearing a wire and throws her out. Jeff, Shawn, and the henchmen are charged, and Tonya's hearing is postponed until after the Olympics. Tonya finishes eighth while Nancy wins the silver medal and Tonya accuses her of poor sportsmanship. Tonya avoids jail but is banned from competitive figure-skating for life. Heartbroken, she begs the judge to give her jail time instead of taking away her main livelihood, yet the decision stands.
Jeff acknowledges that he ruined Tonya's career. He changes his name, opens a hair salon, divorces, and remarries. LaVona moves to Washington and has no contact with Tonya. Tonya remarries, divorces, takes up professional boxing, then works as a landscaper, house painter, and deck builder. She now lives happily with her third husband and their seven-year-old son. Text at the end states that Tonya wants people to know that she is a good mother.
Sound Effects Used
- Hollywoodedge, Audience Applause Ch 3D062601/Sound Ideas, APPLAUSE - AUDIENCE, ROCK AND ROLL CLUB, APPLAUSE, WHISTLES, DIGIFFECTS
- Hollywoodedge, Medium Exterior Crow PE140401
- Hollywoodedge, Medium Exterior Crow PE140501
- Hollywoodedge, Stadium Crowd Cheers TE017301
- Sound Ideas, APPLAUSE, CHEERING, CROWD - LARGE CONCERT CROWD: APPLAUSE WITH CHEERING AND WHISTLING 02/Sound Ideas, CROWD, APPLAUSE - ROCK CONCERT WITH SHOUTS
- Sound Ideas, APPLAUSE, CHEERING - OUTDOOR: STADIUM, MEDIUM CROWD, APPLAUSE, CHEERING 04
Image Gallery
