The Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan scandal of the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics was the biggest ratings winner for the ladies short program. 24 years later, the world has changed and moved on. The figure skating world had other scandals but none topped the Harding-Kerrigan saga. Nancy was Olympic bronze medalist from 1992 and Tonya finished fourth place. Tonya would have probably been okay if she hadn't an abusive ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly in her life. She married him to escape her abusive mother (Allison Janney earned an Academy Award for her performance in this role). Tonya's life was one tragedy after another. She should have been removed from her mother's care as a young child. She was neglected and abused since she was a young child. Tonya's relationship with her mother, Lavona, was abusive and dysfunctional. Her father abandoned them and he was the fifth husband and her fourth child. She was a chain smoking waitress who worked hard to put Tonya through skating lessons. Tonya was a high school dropout with only figure skating on her mind until Jeff entered her life. Margot Robbie escapes into the role of Tonya Harding as a believable tragic figure skater. The film is about Tonya Harding's life not about Nancy Kerrigan. After the scandal, figure skaters earned a lot of money as a result by performing for television specials. If you have any prejudgment about this film, you need to see for yourself and decide for yourself about what really happened in 1994.
Review of I, Tonya
