I, Tonya

There are films based on true stories, then there are films based on true stories that have such bizarre premises, it's difficult to believe it is actually based on anything but fiction. We saw this in Michael Bay's "Pain & Gain" '13, whereas it was so obscure, how could that be possibly true? Well, truth can be stranger than fiction and we saw this in "I, Tonya".

 

This biopic uses the format of a faux documentary to trace the rise and scandal-fueled fall of figure skater Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie). Pushed into skating by her domineering, abusive mother LaVona Golden (Allison Janney), Harding finds great success, yet ends up clashing with the sport's desire to mold its female athletes into an image of wholesomeness. She ultimately hires a trainer, Diane Rawlinson (Julianne Nicholson) to give her that edge she needs to get her to her major goal: the Olympics. Later, her career comes crashing down when her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan) along with his buddy Shawn (Paul Walter Hauser) orchestrates an attack on rival skater Nancy Kerrigan (Caitlin Carver).

 

Others to round out the cast are Bobby Cannavale as Martin Maddox, Bojana Novakovic as Dody Teachman, Maize Smith as Tonya (3-1/2 years) and McKenna Grace as Tonya (8-12 years.

 

This was deliciously directed by Craig Gillespie ("Mr. Woodcock" '07, "Lars and the Real Girl" '07, "Fright Night" '11, "Trooper" (TV movie) '13, "Million Dollar Arm" '14, "The Finest Hours" '16) plus TV and a short. As with a number of his past films, such as "Lars and the Real Girl", he brings life to the characters written in the script so by the end of the film, you feel as though you know these characters better than you walked in the theater. He can direct both commercial and independent film with equal quality whereas most of his colleagues cannot which makes this director that much more in demand. It was equally written well by Steve Rogers ("Hope Floats" '98, "Stepmom" '98, "Earthly Possessions" (TV movie) '99, "Kate & Leopold" '01, "P.S. I Love You" '07, "Love the Coopers" '15). By his very resume, he has gnawed his teeth on the rom-com genre and with aplomb. Now he finally has a chance to show what he can do with this story under his belt. This is anything but a rom-com, and with that, he gave us a one two punch script where the characters simply leaped off the pages. This is a writer to contend with. Speaking of characters, Allison Janney as Tonya's totally dysfunctional mom absolutely stole the show. It's no wonder that she was nominated for a supporting actress Golden Globe award and won! Janney is a consummate actor and she simply raised the bar on herself with this meaty character.

 

This is not only a film based on a true story, but one that is a quirky, independent film which, in my opinion, is the best of both worlds. This film has it all: fine acting, writing and directing that will obviously garner Oscar nominations which should be announced soon. My prediction is that Janney will receive the Oscar supporting win as well.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                 Rated: R                                    120mins.