I, Tonya: Exciting, Hilarious, and Moving

Rating: 9/10 (10 May 2020)

I, Tonya recounts the events before, during, and after the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan incident of 1994. Rather, it recount several versions of these events as told by those involved. While the Kerrigan attack is a driving force of the plot, make no mistake, this film is about Tonya. Whether or not most of it actually took place, we bear witness to the devastating psychological and physical abuse Tonya was subjected to by her mother, LaVona Golden, and her ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly. The story is told in a remarkably engaging way through a sharp screenplay, phenomenal editing, and a stellar cast. The film stars Margot Robbie as Tonya Harding, Sebastian Stan as Jeff Gillooly, and Allison Janney as LaVona Golden. Robbie and Stan as Harding and Gillooly are indeed noteworthy, but the standout performance is Allison Janney as Tonya's abusive and tyrannical mother, LaVona. The supporting actors and actresses are all compelling, but a highlight is Paul Walter Hauser as Shawn Eckhardt, Tonya's delusional body guards who fantasizes he is a hit man/secret agent/counterterrorism expert. I, Tonya is a must-see film that sheds new light on an old subject.