"I Tonya" in short: The story of competitive figure skater Tonya Harding as told by Tonya and her henchmen: ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, bodyguard Shawn Eckardt (with apparent "training in counter-terrorism tactics"), and her mom, LaVona (who will not be winning any mother of the year awards).
If you're not familiar with why Tonya Harding and her thugs spent most of the mid-1990's as a punchline for a vast number of jokes on late-night TV, this is a good place to start...with a caveat.
"Based on irony free, wildly contradictory, totally true interviews with Tonya Harding and Jeff Gillooly" warns the title card in the beginning.
The "interviews" we see throughout the film are with the actors portraying the real people, with the idea, of course, that the actual interviews were conducted at some point. We also see clips from Tonya's bodyguard, a former tabloid journalist, and Tonya's mom (with a bird sitting on her shoulder that often steals the scene). Together, they tell the story of Tonya's life before, during and after "the incident."
"The incident" being referred to is the kneecapping of Harding rival, and apparent good friend, Nancy Kerrigan, during a practice session at the Cobo Arena in Detroit. Think of this like the Goodfellas (1990) if the Goodfellas were a bunch of white trash, moronic "boobs" (not my word) trying to pull off a hit.
Two things you'll LIKE about "I, TONYA": 1) It's funny! The story we saw on TV in the 1990's wasn't that humorous, but how it's told here is quite fun. 2) The acting (props to Allison Janney, who plays mom) the production design, the editing, the directing. Everything seamlessly works together to keep your interest from the very beginning.
Two things you'll DISLIKE: 1) A lot of the story is left out, apparently. I did some research after the film to see exactly how accurate this is. I knew a little about the incident, but nothing of the aftermath. Combine the film with some Wiki research afterwards for a more fulfilling experience! 2) Your feelings for the real people involved will change. I know that's vague, but it is what it is.
Favorite quote from the movie (Tonya to Jeff), "I really think you should just kill yourself."
If you're not familiar with why Tonya Harding and her thugs spent most of the mid-1990's as a punchline for a vast number of jokes on late-night TV, this is a good place to start...with a caveat.
"Based on irony free, wildly contradictory, totally true interviews with Tonya Harding and Jeff Gillooly" warns the title card in the beginning.
The "interviews" we see throughout the film are with the actors portraying the real people, with the idea, of course, that the actual interviews were conducted at some point. We also see clips from Tonya's bodyguard, a former tabloid journalist, and Tonya's mom (with a bird sitting on her shoulder that often steals the scene). Together, they tell the story of Tonya's life before, during and after "the incident."
"The incident" being referred to is the kneecapping of Harding rival, and apparent good friend, Nancy Kerrigan, during a practice session at the Cobo Arena in Detroit. Think of this like the Goodfellas (1990) if the Goodfellas were a bunch of white trash, moronic "boobs" (not my word) trying to pull off a hit.
Two things you'll LIKE about "I, TONYA": 1) It's funny! The story we saw on TV in the 1990's wasn't that humorous, but how it's told here is quite fun. 2) The acting (props to Allison Janney, who plays mom) the production design, the editing, the directing. Everything seamlessly works together to keep your interest from the very beginning.
Two things you'll DISLIKE: 1) A lot of the story is left out, apparently. I did some research after the film to see exactly how accurate this is. I knew a little about the incident, but nothing of the aftermath. Combine the film with some Wiki research afterwards for a more fulfilling experience! 2) Your feelings for the real people involved will change. I know that's vague, but it is what it is.
Favorite quote from the movie (Tonya to Jeff), "I really think you should just kill yourself."