I, Tonya

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  • I, Tonya

    Enjoyed it. Like THREE BILLBOARDS ... cleverly combines drama with comedy, which is a cool touch for a biopic, and a sports biopic at that.

    Very well acted, and, while Robbie was very good in the lead, I'd be surprised if Janney didn't get nominated. She truly lost herself in playing Harding's mother. Reminded me somewhat of JK Simmons in WHIPLASH, but even more scary as f.

    8/10
    "I ask every producer I meet if they need TV specs they say yeah. They all want a 40 inch display that's 1080p and 120Hz. So, I quit my job at the West Hollywood Best Buy."
    - Screenwriting Friend

  • #2
    Re: I, Tonya

    A very fast paced two hours. Movie magic and domestic abuse scenes may bother some, but all in all, a sharp, darkly hilarious film. Janney so good. So good.
    "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."
    -Maya Angelou

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    • #3
      Re: I, Tonya

      Personally, I can't imagine why this film was made or why anyone would want to go see it.

      I'd to know what the filmmaker (or anyone) could say to try to convince me that this subject matter was worthy of my $14 and two hours of time.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: I, Tonya

        I think it's a great tragedy story.

        SPOILERS:


        Because she grew up with few resources and a crappy mother, she had limited ways to escape the crappy abusive marriage she fell into.

        And because she couldn't escape Jeff Gilloolly's orbit, she got the short end of the stick when Gilloolly's idiot friend cooked up the attack plot.

        The case is made that Tonya took a life sentence (of no longer being able to pursue her best path out of poverty) for a crime committed without her knowledge or consent, and for which the actual attacker did less than two years.

        And having read up since seeing the film, I don't find any particularly damning evidence disproving the movie's version of events.

        If you can make space in your opinion for grey areas, and the idea that Tonya's lousy rep is in part unfair, then it's a pretty amazing story.

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        • #5
          Re: I, Tonya

          haven't seen it and won't see it. not only did Tonya know "something was up" by her own admission, but also conspired to cover it up after. **** her. Nancy Kerrigan is the only victim in this story

          http://abcnews.go.com/US/tonya-hardi...ry?id=52048510

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          • #6
            Re: I, Tonya

            I have not seen the film. I read a review, and it mentioned the child abuse scenes and I just don't have the stomach for that right now.

            I was a rabid figure skating fan in the 80s and 90s. Tonya had great skills but lousy discipline. She blew off training, hopped from coach to coach, didn't take care of her health (she had asthma and smoked). I don't think she would be in a much better place today even without the kneecapping scandal.

            The saddest thing about it is how pointless it was.

            Given the state of US women's figure skating at the time, Tonya would have certainly been placed on the Olympic team. The only competition aside from Nancy Kerrigan were two teenagers, one with minimal international experience and another with wildly erratic performance history, and an older skater who had come out of retirement because the Olympic Committee decided to let pros return to competition that year.

            - side note - allowing pros back in 1994 was designed to boost ratings and create buzz, and of course it was all for naught because Tonya vs Nancy took over all the coverage.

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            • #7
              Re: I, Tonya

              When first I saw the poster for I, Tonya, its title stirred in me a memory of a television series from 1976. Its title was I, Claudius.

              Although the two productions seem worlds apart, I find at least one similarity, too. In each, the titular character has some knowledge of the crime(s) but stands by to watch events unfold as they will.

              The chief difference between the titular characters is that the physically deformed one succeeded to rule an empire while the physically endowed one failed and became an ice princess who fell from grace.

              My question is this: Is there a play on the title of I, Claudius. — that it was intentional — or does it have nothing to do with that aspect at all and I, Tonya, is merely a title intended to reflect a magnitude of ego?

              After all is said and done, I suppose only those who came up with the title could speak to that question.
              Last edited by Clint Hill; 01-12-2018, 08:54 PM.
              “Nothing is what rocks dream about” ― Aristotle

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              • #8
                Re: I, Tonya

                Originally posted by SBdeb View Post
                Personally, I can't imagine why this film was made or why anyone would want to go see it.

                I'd (like) to know what the filmmaker (or anyone) could say to try to convince me that this subject matter was worthy of my $14 and two hours of time.
                Originally posted by JoeBanks View Post
                haven't seen it and won't see it. not only did Tonya know "something was up" by her own admission, but also conspired to cover it up after. **** her. Nancy Kerrigan is the only victim in this story

                http://abcnews.go.com/US/tonya-hardi...ry?id=52048510
                Yet — hypothetically speaking — if it was in development, would either of you refuse the WGA minimum pay and possible credit, too, to do a rewrite of the script? I know I wouldn't.

                There was a forum discussion here once of the film Mr. Turner where one DDPro member was disgusted by the titular character's on-screen behavior. While the portrayal of that artist may have been a blend of historical accuracy and dramatic license, my contention was that despite that, the film was an excellent study of that character and was further excellent in all its production values — from writing to directing to cinematography to acting.

                When I assess a film for myself, I put forth my best effort to do so on the merits of the film and its execution, not on my personal opinion of its subject matter.

                Scarface was a great film about a maniacal drug lord, and while I wouldn't want to meet that guy, if asked I certainly would have taken a turn dancing a reel on a rewrite of the script.

                If a screenwriter allows their personal animus toward a movie character (one based on a real person) to discolor their professional and ethical duty as a screenwriter to write the best movie possible, then how could said screenwriter be objective in the execution of the story?
                Last edited by Clint Hill; 01-12-2018, 09:01 PM.
                “Nothing is what rocks dream about” ― Aristotle

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                • #9
                  Re: I, Tonya

                  Originally posted by SBdeb View Post
                  Personally, I can't imagine why this film was made or why anyone would want to go see it.
                  Why not? Films are made about much more heinous subject matter so why not the story behind the story of one of the most infamous sporting scandals of all-time?


                  I'd to know what the filmmaker (or anyone) could say to try to convince me that this subject matter was worthy of my $14 and two hours of time.
                  See above. Besides, not every story has an archetypal (and usually unrealistic) 'good guy' that the audience falls in love with. Give me honest, flawed characters any day.


                  Originally posted by JoeBanks View Post
                  haven't seen it and won't see it. not only did Tonya know "something was up" by her own admission, but also conspired to cover it up after. **** her.
                  Even if you believe Tonya was guilty, why would that stop you watching a film about her. The film doesn't make her out to be a martyr.

                  As for Tonya knowing in advance, you're in no position to say. None of us are. Suffice it to say, the FBI were satisfied she had no prior knowledge and both her ex-husband and his fuckwit friend still, to this day, insist she had no prior knowledge. They never said she did, not even when they were being leaned on in the heat of the investigation and not when her abusive ex was raging with anger at being dumped by her.

                  As for that link you posted: 'Harding maintained that she never agreed to or knew about her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly’s plan to go after Kerrigan, but she admitted, "I did, however, overhear them talking about stuff, where, ‘Well, maybe we should take somebody out so we can make sure she gets on the team.' And I remember telling them, I go, ‘What the hell are you talking about? I can skate. This was, like, a month or two months before [the attack]"..........she still gets “angry” because “nobody wanted to ever believe” that she had nothing to do with it'"


                  No one will ever know but it's unfair to assume she did when you've o reason other than you want to believe it. She said the media convicted her at the time and I remember thinking the same as it played out on the news. She was definitely made out to be the villain.
                  M.A.G.A.

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                  • #10
                    Re: I, Tonya

                    As for the film itself, it was fantastic and i have you guys to thank for watching it. I had no interest in a sporting film beforehand plus I expected it to be a bleak drama with very little plot or interesting characters but your comments gave me hope.

                    We always wonder just how far films stretch the truth to suit their narrative so it was really great to see the real-life footage over the end credits. Most startling was the footage of her husband's best friend. He was such a hilariously inept character that there didn't seem any reason that he could possibly be real. No one would ever be so cringe-inducing in a television interview and the film-makers had to have exaggerated it for comic effect but no, the footage at the end was identical to the film. That guy really was that stupid!

                    I would recommend it to anyone, even the Harding Haters, purely for the screenwriting education in writing three-dimensional characters. Not just good guys who rescue cats and bag guys who rob old grannies but real people with flaws as well as merits.
                    M.A.G.A.

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                    • #11
                      Re: I, Tonya

                      Originally posted by SundownInRetreat View Post
                      As for that link you posted: 'Harding maintained that she never agreed to or knew about her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly's plan to go after Kerrigan, but she admitted, "I did, however, overhear them talking about stuff, where, 'Well, maybe we should take somebody out so we can make sure she gets on the team.' And I remember telling them, I go, 'What the hell are you talking about? I can skate. This was, like, a month or two months before [the attack]"..........she still gets "angry- because "nobody wanted to ever believe- that she had nothing to do with it'" [/COLOR]
                      so she admits she knew they were planning "something" and still did nothing about it (because "I can skate," so obviously she knew the "something" was not a benign scheme in progress) **** her. Nancy Kerrigan is the only victim in this story.

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                      • #12
                        Re: I, Tonya

                        Originally posted by JoeBanks View Post
                        so she admits she knew they were planning "something" and still did nothing about it (because "I can skate," so obviously she knew the "something" was not a benign scheme in progress) **** her. Nancy Kerrigan is the only victim in this story.
                        And she was to do what exactly? Call the cops with 'hey I don't know what's going on, who they're talking about, or what they're thinking, but my serial-liar husband and his deluded friend, who lives is his mum's basement yet thinks he leads an international spy ring, are talking about 'taking someone out of the team, possibly my skating team, I dunno'?

                        You think that's enough to go to the cops with? When she knows all it's going to achieve is yet another vicious beating from her husband?

                        As has been noted, both her ex and the dreamer denied she knew anything. They never wavered, not even when ruled by fear and anger amidst the interrogations and court cases. Yet you're gonna dismiss all this and override the FBI because, well, you just wanna? Okay....
                        Last edited by SundownInRetreat; 01-23-2018, 03:57 PM.
                        M.A.G.A.

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                        • #13
                          Re: I, Tonya

                          BTW, Kerrigan was the only victim?

                          She was unjustly awarded a silver medal out of sympathy. Meanwhile Harding was banned for life in an unprecedented move that no one saw coming, when there was no evidence she had knowledge or participation in the attack, whilst the perpetrators only got two years.

                          That's a strange definition of 'only victim'.
                          M.A.G.A.

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                          • #14
                            Re: I, Tonya

                            Originally posted by SundownInRetreat View Post
                            And she was to do what exactly? Call the cops with 'hey I don't know what's going on, who they're talking about, or what they're thinking, but my serial-liar husband and his deluded friend, who lives is his mum's basement yet thinks he leads an international spy ring, are talking about 'taking someone out of the team, possibly my skating team, I dunno'?

                            You think that's enough to go to the cops with? When she knows all it's going to achieve is yet another vicious beating from her husband?

                            As has been noted, both her ex and the dreamer denied she knew anything. They never wavered, not even when ruled by fear and anger amidst the interrogations and court cases. Yet you're gonna dismiss all this and override the FBI because, well, you just wanna? Okay....
                            if i hear anyone, familiar or not, talking about how they need to "take someone out" yes. people don't talk about "taking someone out" unless they mean to do them bodily harm or even worse. at the very least, she could have done more to nip whatever they were planning in the bud.

                            and to say Kerrigan was unjustly awarded the silver ignores the fact that she was kneecapped one month before the Olympics and wasn't even skating at full strength. the fact that she could even get on the ice at that point was amazing enough.

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                            • #15
                              Re: I, Tonya

                              Originally posted by JoeBanks View Post
                              if i hear anyone, familiar or not, talking about how they need to "take someone out" yes.
                              So she tells the cops, they do nothing, she goes home to a thrashing. Maybe several. I'm stunned at your lack of empathy for victims of abuse and if you watched the film instead of taking a peculiar moral stance you'd see why she didn't trust the police.

                              By all accounts, all she knew was that hubby planned to send a threatening letter in retaliation to Nancy's. She didn't like it but gets knocked about when she stands up to him and has no one to turn to yet you still think she's a villain who deserved what she got? You don't think she's a victim too? Or at the least, human - guilty of fear, naivety, bad judgement - and doesn't deserve a life sentence?

                              Even if you insist, for whatever reason, that she is 100% guilty then fine, she goes to jail and misses the Olympics. That's justice. Being stripped of previous titles and hit with an unprecedented life ban, that staggered everyone in the sport, is not.


                              and to say Kerrigan was unjustly awarded the silver ignores the fact that she was kneecapped one month before the Olympics and wasn't even skating at full strength. the fact that she could even get on the ice at that point was amazing enough.
                              It doesn't ignore anything. You win Olympic medals, you don't get them out of sympathy. The only thing getting back on the ice quickly deserves is kudos.


                              I guess we're just gonna have to disagree on this but you should still watch the film for entertainment and education purposes. I get it, you don't like her. I don't like Jordan Belfort but The Wolf of Wall Street is a phenomenal film, nonetheless.
                              Last edited by SundownInRetreat; 01-23-2018, 08:07 PM.
                              M.A.G.A.

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