I, Tonya is a dark comedy that will simultaneously make you gasp in shock and laugh out loud.
The movie tells the story of Tonya Harding, a polarising Olympic figure skater from the “wrong side of the tracks”.
In the early 1990s, Harding made headlines around the world for all the wrong reasons.
LISTEN: The Binge hosts discuss the most shocking moments from the movie and how they compare to real life.
Just before the 1994 Olympics, she became embroiled in a plot to hurt her rival on the ice, Nancy Kerrigan.
Harding and Kerrigan were about to go head-to-head in the US Championships, a competition which would determined who would represent America at the Olympics.
Kerrigan, however, never made it to the competition.
As she was leaving a practice session at the Cobo Arena ice rink the night before the Championships, she was viciously assaulted by a stranger.
The unknown man, who was wearing at black hood at the time of the attack, targeted the kneecap on her landing leg.
The world looked on in horror as the moments before and after the attack were caught on camera. An hysterical Kerrigan was filmed lying on the ground, screaming and crying, and asking ‘Why?’ over and over again.
Luckily, the assailant didn’t break any bones. Kerrigan was left bruised and swollen and she had a severe limp, which meant she wasn’t able to compete in the Championships the next day.
Harding competed and made it onto the team. The team also decided that Kerrigan should go to the Olympics.
But in the time between the Championships and the Olympics it was revealed that Harding’s ex husband, Jeff Gillooly, and his dodgy friend, Shawn Eckhardt, were behind the attack.
While Harding maintained she had nothing to do with it, she was overwhelmingly vilified by the media and the wider public.
Both Harding and Kerrigan competed in the Olympics, but while Kerrigan went on to have a glittering career, Harding’s career abruptly ended.
I, Tonya takes a closer look at Harding, her rough childhood, and the domestic abuse she suffered at the hands of Gillooly.
The movie paints a broader picture of Harding. It takes us behind the headlines, but it still kind of glosses over the real tragedy of Harding’s life.
And, in a way, it makes the people involved in this brutal crime seem almost harmless and kind of lovable.
In reality, the people in Harding’s life were grittier, meaner, and whole lot more flawed.
Top Comments
I went and saw this movie on Saturday night, and holy shit it's good. I was blown away by both Margot and Allison, can't recommend it enough! I think Allison will get the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role, the woman she plays is simply awful.
My daughter has been raving about this movie & said the same thing about the mother being horrid. Can’t wait for the weekend so I can sit down & watch it.
I'm pretty keen to see this, love Allison Janney!