by Lauren Mitchell, Features Editor
In 1994, Nancy Kerrigan, top Olympic figure skater, had her knee bashed in by a hitman, shocking fans worldwide. Due to the immense evidence of her involvement, skating rival Tonya Harding took the harshest punishment, being removed from Olympic skating and crushing her dreams.
Although the whole world remembers the event and the punishments afterward, the actual timeline of exactly what happened always shifts in the eyes of each individual. Being so unpredicted and so shocking to the international community, the Nancy Kerrigan attack and the rumors about who was responsible made one of the biggest scandals of the era.
To put the rumors to rest, Craig Gillespie and (known for his previous directing role in Lars and The Real Girl) and Steven Rogers (P.S. I Love You) created a film that depicts what really happened that day and the extent of Tonya Harding’s involvement. This film can be viewed as a documentary that follows the journey leading up to one major event, similar to movies and shows such as Girl Like Her and Thirteen Reasons Why.
I, Tonya documents Tonya Harding (portrayed by Margot Robbie, known for her major role in Suicide Squad) and her life before losing the honor of ever skating in the Olympics again. The film follows her unhappy childhood with her immensely controlling and abusive mother, LaVonna (played by Allison Janney, known for roles in Masters of Sex and Mom), absent father, and her later love life.
Within the film, we see how exactly Nancy was injured and discover that Tonya Harding did not have much involvement, only believing fake death threats would be delivered to Nancy. Although the idea is still disturbing, Tonya never intended to fiercely hurt her competitor.
This idea of pain infliction was invoked by the comic relief of the film, Tonya’s bodyguard Shawn Eckhardt Paul. Her current ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly (portrayed by Sebastian Stan from Once Upon A Time) also had major involvement, resulting in severe punishments for Jeff, Shawn, and Tonya.
The camera angles utilized in the film also aid in increasing its emotional power. As Tonya freaks out backstage before performing during the Nancy scandal, the camera zooms in on her face, emphasizing Tonya trying to smile when all she wanted to do was cry. The mastery of the camera work intensifies the dramatic sense of mood and tone all viewers receive.
I, Tonya has gained immense support and love from fans, earning multiple awards at the most recent award ceremonies. At the 2018 Academy Awards, Margot Robbie was nominated for Best Leading Actress, Allison Janney was nominated for Best Supporting Actress and the film was also nominated for Best Film Editing. At the Golden Globes, even more awards rolled in, proving the greatness and truth evoked by this genuine film.
I would definitely suggest seeing I, Tonya. It is an amazing film that can truly make an impact on your view of the media and how their content distorts the truth. The film is still in theatres, so go find out what really happened between Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan before the 1994 Olympics!