Fitting in is overrated|Dec. 08, 2017|United States | United Kingdom | Australia | Canada|120 Min.|R
Genre: Drama
Description: “I, Tonya” is a 2017 film based on the true story of Tonya Harding, a controversial figure in the world of figure skating. The movie begins in 1974 in Portland, Oregon, where a young Tonya is pushed into ice skating by her overbearing mother, LaVona Golden. As Tonya grows older, her parents pull her out of school to focus entirely on her skating career. Her talent quickly propels her to become one of the top figure skaters in the U.S., but her unconventional style and working-class background often lead to criticism.
At 15, Tonya starts a relationship with Jeff Gillooly, whom she later marries. However, their marriage is marked by abuse. When her mother criticizes her for tolerating Jeff’s behavior, Tonya blames LaVona for her flawed upbringing.
After an argument with her coach, Diane Rawlinson, Tonya dismisses her and hires Dody Teachman as her new coach. She makes history by becoming the first female skater to land two triple Axel jumps in competition. Despite this achievement, her performance at the 1992 Winter Olympics is disappointing, and she places fourth. Feeling defeated, Tonya returns to Jeff and takes a job as a waitress. However, Diane encourages her to train for the 1994 Winter Olympics.
In November 1993, during the Northwest Pacific Regional Championships in Portland, Tonya receives a death threat and withdraws from the competition. Jeff, seeing an opportunity to sabotage her rivals, enlists his friend Shawn Eckardt to send threats to Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya’s competitor. Tonya’s involvement in locating Kerrigan’s training schedule becomes a point of controversy.
On January 6, 1994, Eckardt’s associates attack Kerrigan, preventing her from competing. The men are subsequently arrested, and Eckardt’s boasting leads the FBI to Jeff. Tonya qualifies for the Olympic team but realizes her association with the scandal will tarnish her reputation.
The film explores themes of ambition, abuse, and the complexities of reputation in the world of professional sports.
Cast director: Craig Gillespie
Cast actor: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Julianne Nicholson, Paul Walter Hauser, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, Bojana Novaković, Mckenna Grace, Caitlin Carver, Maizie Smith
Original name: I, Tonya