“I was loved. I can’t describe how that felt.”
I, Tonya is a biopic that delves into the life of infamous former figure skater Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) from her upbringing in Portland, Oregon under the heavy-hand of her mother Levona (Allison Janney) and through her marriage to Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan). While making her climb up the ranks in hopes of qualifying for the Olympics, Tonya must battle both the classism of the figure skating world and the demons of her past and present.
I, Tonya takes the viciousness and reality of the cycle of abuse and displays it for the audience to see without any dilution of its effect on the human psyche. Through Tonya Harding, we’re shown how abuse leads victims to embark upon a search for love that often keeps them entrenched in abusive situations. Tonya is raised from birth by a mother who is emotionally and physically abusive, in addition to having a bit of a drinking problem. As children from abused households so often do, Tonya confuses this behavior with love and seeks it out in her first romantic relationship with Jeff, outright stating “My mother hits me and she loves me, so I figured he does too.” This thirst for love and confusion at what it entails tragically all too common and both drives Tonya toward the successes and heights she reaches, while fueling her eventual implosion. For instance, her most triumphant moment on the ice in 1991 where she becomes the first American figure skater to hit the triple Axel, receiving the adoration of thousands, is where after years of abuse from her mother and husband, Tonya finally grabs onto what she had been seeking through skating all of her life: love. In her description of the feeling during that moment, you can feel her sense of jubilation and satisfaction, “I was loved. I can’t describe how that felt.” But this double-edge sword of the need for love in the form of adulation leads Tonya down the path leading to the infamous “incident” that ended with rival/frenemy Nancy Kerrigan (Caitlin Carver) being hit in the knee and Tonya, Jeff, and Jeff’s friend Shawn (Paul Walter Houser) all in courtrooms. In an attempt to portray a family friendly image and reach her Olympic dream, Tonya invites Jeff back into her life, ensuring it is never the same.
As much as I, Tonya was a glimpse into victims of abuse and the sad cycle their mistreatment creates, the film also holds up a mirror to America’s roman coliseum-esque treatment of those in the public sphere. The hurdle of America’s false piety was an immense one for Tonya, with a judge admitting to her off the record when confronted that it was the sole reason her scores never matched her performances. The figure skating world wanted a “wholesome American family” image for its top competitor something that Tonya, through no fault of her own, could give them. But Tonya’s treatment during her fall from grace displayed that America’s sense of wholesome morality is more so a farcical front than an accurate description of its culture. Tonya has been abused her entire life, her hopes and dreams constantly having to withstand assaults and hurdles from her less talented tormentors with only judgement awaiting her at the end of her ordeals rather than assistance. Despite so many being aware of her treatment at the hands of both her mother and Jeff, no one offered her a way out, just blame for being the product of such an environment. When her attempts to rise above what she was born into resulted in controversy, Tonya was left to weather the storm of the mob-like mentality of society, reveling in pointing the finger at the new villain it had to root against while failing to acknowledge that it had also created her through its own inaction. This point is really made during the final shot of the film that covers the aftermath of Tonya’s downfall when she became a female boxer. As Tonya stands in the ring taking blows from her opponent with spectators cheering the carnage. It’s an allegory for her life, beaten down by those around her with society only watching and enjoying the messy aftermath, ignoring the beating she suffers that leads to their entertainment. For many, this film will be the first time they learn of Tonya Harding’s lifetime of abuse which is a shame and an indictment on society’s crafting of her image over the past 23 years.
Tonya’s journey throughout the film is a compelling portrayal of the crushing weight of expectation and the toll that struggling to live up to them can take on the human spirit. The world attempted to force her to be something that she wasn’t, something that she never even had a chance to be. Instead of marveling at what she made of herself given where she started, she was mocked for what she couldn’t reach. Too many who hail from environments and circumstances like Tonya Hardings end their journeys in similarly broken places because society highlighted how far they had to go instead of giving them the push needed to make it over the top.
The cast of I, Tonya portrayed all of the real life characters brilliantly, with the three actors we spend the most time with, Robbie, Stan, and Janney, all commanding the screen at different points and a multitude of tones and emotions. All ranged from funny, tragic and detestable, and sad and sympathetic whenever the script called for it and nailed it as best as actors can. Robbie turns Tonya from a national punchline and trivia answer into a real human being who audiences will now look back on and feel a new sense of sorrow and pity for. At the time, Tonya Harding was looked at as a callous hick troublemaker but Robbie’s portrayal emphasizes how young, naive, and battered she was behind the scenes. Allison Janney is every bit as mesmerizing on-screen as she has been described coming out of the festival circuit, nearly stealing the show as the abusive mother from hell. Janney sells the detestable and irredeemable nature of Lavona and her incapability of giving Tonya the love that she needs. Sebastian Stan is also great as the screwup, abusive husband Jeff who seems to want to love Tonya but has no idea how to do so. As Tonya embarks on a roller coaster relationship with Jeff, so too does the viewer. Stan is at equal times loathsome when abusing Tonya and worthy of pity when an attempt to do something nice for her, in his eyes anyway, goes awry and results in one of the biggest sports scandals ever. These various facets of Jeff Gillooly could have been a hard sell for an actor but Stan pulls off the feat ably. Paul Walter Hauser was also good in his turn as Shawn Eckhardt, providing a good chunk of the film’s comedy through his sickening stupidity but also providing an interesting glimpse into an inadequate, unsuccessful man’s attempts at living up to his own internal delusions of grandeur. Eckhardt created a fantasy world of heroism and power that he attempted to live out in real life at the expense of Harding and Gillooly and Hauser stuck the landing with his portrayal of this sort of dangerous ignorance.
I, Tonya is a phenomenal film that presents to us a new perspective on an infamous figure we all thought we knew everything about. Through it’s spectacular use of music and first-person narrative, it’s very reminiscent of Goodfellas without being derivative. The ensemble is completely believable and engaging, featuring some of the year’s best acting performances. Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, and Allison Janney are electric and worth the price of admission. The film is well-paced and never features any lulls or empty parts. I, Tonya is hilarious while still being filled with drama and emotion. It’s one of the year’s best films and worthy of every accolade it receives. See it sooner rather than later.
Image: Neon
