Today was one of those days where someone called me stupid before it was 10 am, so let’s just say I was in a bad mood.
When I’m in a bad mood, it’s always time for a comfort movie. And when I’m feeling particularly shit on, ignored, or beaten up, I, Tonya is the perfect movie to turn to. The whole film is a biopic based on the life, crimes, and wildness that is professional ice skater Tonya Harding, with Margot Robbie starring as Harding and Sebastian Stan as her husband, Jeff. While the details of her life are contradictory, insane, and flat out unbelievable at some points, the film has stuck with me for years because it really captures not only flying too close too the sun, but the bloody and brutal attempts to even get up in the sky. Tonya’s life is not easy, with her abusive mother and eventual abusive husband, and at times the film is genuinely tough to watch (especially if domestic violence is triggering for you). Yet Tonya refuses to give up, and no matter how her story turns out, there’s something commendable about that.
Robbie does excellent as Harding — this was the movie that turned me around on her as an actor, with Suicide Squad being the only thing I had seen her in before that. She manages to perfectly immerse herself in the crass, loud but athletic Harding, even down to capturing her dialect perfectly. She plays off of Stan, who does so perfectly as the mostly awkward turned downright intimidating Jeff Gilloolly, and the two manage to sell the love scenes and the scenes where they fucking hate each others’ guts. Allison Janney also plays LaVona, who is horrifically awful as a mother yet has some good comedic bits. The black comedy in this film really works, and audiences will find themselves chuckling even as the unthinkable happens. This is a strong cast and the direction is also something to note — every shot and angle adds to the story, and the cut aways to fake interviews really helps sell exactly who these characters are the unreliability of their narration. The soundtrack also really helps transition audiences through the various decades and adds a little rock and roll to the whole vibe.
This is a comfort film for so many reasons and I think there is so much to love about it. Managing to make a good biopic is hard, and this is an excellent one. It does not pull punches or shy away from the rougher aspects, and it manages to shine sympathy on a woman who has been demonized for years. I found this movie right after coming out of a very dark place, and it always has inspired me to keep going and kicking ass. If I didn’t have this movie or films like I,Tonya, I fear I would be a much more hopeless person. No matter how many times someone kicks you down, I, Tonya is the reminder you need to tell them to fuck off.
This is a powerful film that is wickedly funny, moving, and truly poignant. Career defining performances for both Robbie and Stan.