Boy, do I have a completely different opinion of Tonya Harding after seeing Craig Gillespie’s (Lars and the Real Girl, The Finest Hours) I, Tonya. The movie revolves around the 1994 Winter Olympics when her main competition for a gold medal that year (Nancy Kerrigan) had her knee taken out after a 1993 skating session in Detroit, MI, by someone on Harding’s payroll. Kerrigan’s recorded screams of “Why?! Why ?!” that were then shown in media outlets throughout the world still resonate in our heads. Harding became the punchline of every late-night talk show host’s monologue and, unlike any time other time in history, we had a physical, life-altering altercation between two of the very best competitors in their sport. Even without all of the facts, we identified Kerrigan as the protagonist and Harding as the antagonist. And rightfully so. However, though it is made clear from the film’s first scene that what we were about to see was a “mostly true, wildly contradictory” account of what happened. Yes, Gillespie only gave us one side of the story. Still, it’s a side that makes us think of Harding as an extremely sympathetic, misinterpreted, and even likable character who was, perhaps, as much a victim as Kerrigan was. Personally, I have a newfound affinity towards Harding that I hadn’t had in the 24 years since the near 25 years since the incident happened.
This movie certainly will amass some Academy Award nominations. And it will win at least one award (Allison Janney for Best Supporting Actress). As I’ve mentioned quite a few times, 2017 is definitely the worst year for movies since the inception of my blog (2010). I have yet to do the research, but I believe 2017 is probably the worst year for movies in this century so far. There were many okay to good movies, but I have yet to see a movie that is “great.” My favorites of the year, Wind River and Life were early to mid-year releases. Neither of those two movies will be nominated for a single Academy Award. My favorite movie that likely will get nominated for best picture (at the time of this writing) is probably The Shape of Water. There are years since I began doing movie reviews where this film would not even register in my End of Year Top 10. I mention this because I think a movie like I, Tonya might have earned a couple of award nominations in a different year. But in 2017, it might earn as many as 6 to 8, including Best Picture, which, to me, is just crazy. I remember watching this preview for the first time, and I couldn’t even tell if it was a legit biopic or a spoof. The trailer was cheesy and lame, and I chuckled to myself, thinking that all of those associated with the movie wasted their time and money. When I asked a friend if the actual movie was similar to the trailer, she said it had that E True Hollywood Story type of vibe. I was less than enthusiastic about seeing it but knew that I would have to because of the nominations it was likely to receive. While many parts of it were indeed cheesy and lame, it was what made the film unique. It helped separate it from the other movies that will compete with it for Best Picture. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie and learned from the movie. It was an entertaining watch, and I recommend it for those who make it a habit to watch the movies that will get nominated in at least one of the six big Academy Award categories.
As mentioned, I, Tonya is very untraditional in its presentation. A lot of it reminded me of Fargo, which, ironically, was a movie I compared Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri to. Much of that had to do with its lead actress Frances McDormand, but that wasn’t the only reason. But I, Tonya is even more Fargo-esque in the sense that it has cartoon-like characters and scenes that are so farfetched that you’d never be able to believe them if they didn’t actually happen. The film is broken up with interviews from many of the film’s key players (in the present day) reflecting on the past…which basically started when Harding was four years old and up until she was about 24. And one thing we learn early on is that nothing is ever anybody’s fault. It’s the caricature acting performances that really allow this movie to shine (much to my initial dismay). Relative newbie Margot Robbie (Suicide Squad, The Wolf of Wall Street) is fabulous as Harding in this, her biggest and finest performance to date. Less than five years into her career, Robbie is a lock for a Best Actress nomination, which is saying something especially great in a year that is going to keep heavyweights like Jessica Chastain, Judy Dench, Michelle Williams, and Emma Stone all on the sidelines for really McDormand, Meryl Streep (The Post), and three relatively unknown household names. This year’s Best Actress field is stacked. Ultimately, though, McDormand will secure the second Academy Award win (Fargo) of her career. The nomination is as good as a win (though try telling her that). She’ll be the only first-time nominee in this category.
Regardless of how you felt about Tonya going into this movie and even its mostly true, wildly contradictory disclaimer, you cannot help but view the disgraced figure skater in a much more favorable light after this film than you did before going into it. Tonya was a victim of emotional, mental, and physical abuse, first by her mother and then by her deadbeat boyfriend/husband, Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan – Logan Lucky, Black Swan). You begin to wonder if she ever really had a fair chance at life. Maybe she didn’t. Outskating girls twice her age as early as age four, Tonya first coach Diane Rawlinson (Julianne Nicholson – August: Osage County, Black Mass) knows she has a phenom at her fingertips from the very first time she saw her skate. She earns praise and wins awards as a child and as a teenager. Still, she often did feel that she did not receive the recognition or top awards that she felt she deserved from the skating judges because she didn’t play the part of America’s sweetheart like her competitors did. Tonya never was able to get past the belief that the best ice skater should be regarded as so. To both her credit and her detriment, she was unwilling to fit the mold established by those established before her.
When she met Jeff at the age of 15, her overbearing mother came with the two of them on her first date. LaVona was Tonya’s biggest critic throughout her life, and Janney plays the authoritative figure perfectly. The eccentric mother was unable to praise Tonya for anything she did that was correct but was the first to rip her when she did something wrong…or even something that wasn’t to her liking. She had a mother who was never happy and one who abused her mentally and emotionally. She took this abuse because she didn’t know any different. The difference with Jeff was that his abuse was physical. But, again, Tonya didn’t think she deserved any better, so she took it. And she also naively and continually believed him when he said he would stop. But each time she took him back, his violent side would get darker and darker until the emotional hold he held over Tonya suffocated her. It was miraculous that she could even live a regular life, let alone that of a US Olympic hopeful.
This relationship further showed that Tonya Harding didn’t fit the typical mold of a United States figure skater. She didn’t look the part. She didn’t dress the part. She didn’t play the part. But, similarly to her feelings about other aspects of her life, she felt like she was being discriminated against. She felt that she was the best skater and shouldn’t have to dress like a princess if it was a skating competition. Enter Jeff and his henchmen Derrick Smith (Anthony Reynolds) and Shane Stant (Ricky Russert). The hope is to send enough death threats to Kerrigan so that she’ll drop out of the 1994 Olympics (Harding herself had received death threats). Tonya was aware of the plan to send death threats, but that was as far as her guilt took her. It wasn’t her idea. She didn’t have anything to do with it. She just knew about it. And the physical assault on Kerrigan’s knee was something that Tonya nor Jeff ever could have imagined. And when the judge sentences her for her role in the assault, your heart can’t help break for her. Her entire story comes crashing down on you right then, and you realize that all she had going for her in her life was ice skating. We just assume someone in a position like hers has a ton going for her. But with Tonya Harding, that just wasn’t the case.
This was not a movie I expected to enjoy. But when it started receiving Oscar buzz, I knew it would be something I would end up seeing. Despite not being the type of music I typically seek out, I found myself being educated and grossly entertained. I recommend the movie. Even if you know the Tonya Harding story, remind yourself that it’s been 25 years. I recommend a revisit.
Plot 9/10
Character Development 8/10
Character Chemistry 8/10
Acting 8.5/10 (two great performances that will land two Oscar nominations, but there was some overacting here…granted it was staged that way…but it’s not my favorite style)
Screenplay 8.5/10
Directing 8.5/10
Cinematography 9.5/10
Sound 9/10
Hook and Reel 8.5/10
Universal Relevance 9.5/10
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