I, Tonya
Movie, 2017, The 2010s, Set in Figure skating
I, Tonya is #29 of 35 in release order and #29 of 35 in chronological order in the Sports Movies.
The story
Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the sport is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes.
I, Tonya recap
I, Tonya (2017) tells the life of figure skater Tonya Harding, from her abusive Portland childhood to the 1994 attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan. Craig Gillespie directs this figure skating black comedy, framed as mock interviews in which the characters contradict one another and talk to the camera. Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) is pushed onto the ice at four by her cruel mother LaVona Golden (Allison Janney). She becomes one of the best skaters in the country but is marked down for her homemade costumes, rock music and working-class image. At 15 she starts dating Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan), who later beats her. She becomes the first American woman to land a triple axel in competition, then finishes fourth at the 1992 Olympics and goes to work as a waitress. Coaxed back for 1994, she asks Jeff for help. Jeff and his deluded friend Shawn Eckardt (Paul Walter Hauser) plan death threats against Kerrigan, and Shawn's hired men club her knee. I, Tonya follows Creed and comes before Ford v Ferrari.
I, Tonya ending explained
I, Tonya ends with Tonya banned from figure skating for life, then reborn as a professional boxer, taking punches in the ring. Shawn's bragging leads the FBI to him, Tonya tells investigators about Jeff, and he says she knew about the attack. LaVona visits wearing a wire. Tonya finishes eighth at the Lillehammer Olympics while Kerrigan takes silver, and she begs the judge for jail instead of the ban. Closing text tells what became of everyone and says Tonya wants people to know she is a good mother. Allison Janney won an Academy Award for the role.
Post-credits scenes
No. I, Tonya has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch I, Tonya
I, Tonya is streaming on Kanopy and Tubi in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.5/10, Rotten Tomatoes 90%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Creed, before Ford v Ferrari.
- Chronological order: after Creed, before Ford v Ferrari.
Cast
- Margot Robbie as Tonya
- Sebastian Stan as Jeff
- Allison Janney as LaVona
- Julianne Nicholson as Diane Rawlinson
- Paul Walter Hauser as Shawn
- Bobby Cannavale as Martin Maddox
- Bojana Novaković as Dody Teachman
- Caitlin Carver as Nancy Kerrigan
- Maizie Smith as Tonya (3 ½ Yrs)
- Mckenna Grace as Tonya (8-12 Yrs)
- Suehyla El-Attar Young as Skater Mom
- Jason Davis as Al
Directed by Craig Gillespie.