I, Tonya (2017)
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A darkly comedic look at the life of figure skater Tonya Harding and the 1994 assault on her rival.
The story
In Portland, Oregon in the 1970s, a young Tonya Harding is forced to ice skate by her physically abusive mother, LaVona Golden. As Tonya rises to become one of the best figure skaters in the United States, she faces hurdles including her 'white trash' reputation and unconventional choices. After marrying Jeff Gillooly, she navigates a complicated personal life while training for the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics. The film uses a mockumentary style, featuring interviews with the characters in the modern day to explore the narrative surrounding her career and the infamous 1994 assault on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Growing up in Portland, Tonya Harding is pushed into figure skating by her mother, LaVona. Despite her talent, Tonya's unconventional image hinders her progress until she becomes a top American skater. After a tumultuous marriage to Jeff Gillooly, she prepares for the 1994 Olympics. Following a series of events leading to the 1994 assault on Nancy Kerrigan, orchestrated by Jeff's associates, Tonya faces legal and professional consequences. She is eventually banned from competition but finds a new life outside of skating. The film concludes with her living happily with her third husband and son, while the narrative explores the media's role in shaping her public image.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 120
- Production countries
- Qatar; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Craig Gillespie
- Writers
- Steven Rogers · writer
- Cast and characters
- Margot Robbie · Tonya Harding; Sebastian Stan · Jeff Gillooly; Allison Janney · LaVona Golden; Julianne Nicholson; Bobby Cannavale
- Genres
- biographical; comedy-drama; sports
- Themes
- media representation; mother-daughter relationships; identity; abuse
- Tone and mood
- darkly comedic; ironic
- Setting
- Portland, Oregon and Detroit in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; sports; mockumentary; true story
- Source material / true-story basis
- interviews with Harding and her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received highly positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised the performances of Robbie, Stan, and Janney.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 90% · scale: percentage · review count: 384; Metacritic · score: 77 · scale: 100 · review count: 47
- Awards and nominations
- Best Original Screenplay · Writers Guild of America · nomination; Best Edited Film (Comedy or Musical) · American Cinema Editors Award · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's score included songs like ZZ Top's 'Sleeping Bag' and 'The Chain'.; Margot Robbie trained for four months for the skating scenes.; The production used visual effects to perform a triple Axel.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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