Figure skater Tonya Harding was at the center of the tabloid scandal that rocked the 1994 Olympics.
Now the movie ‘I, Tonya’ tells her side of the story.
But is it true?
Neon
What doesshebelieve to be true?
But just as Janney opens her mouth, the buildings fire alarm starts blaring.
Janney says, grinning.
Ted Blackbrow/Daily Mail/REX/Shutterstock; Frank Masi/Neon
We might as well.
Because whatever Janneys or anyones feelings about Harding may be, this movie is likely to challenge them.
But thereissuch a thing as reality.
NEON
The men served time in prison.
Harding, after pleading guilty to obstructing the investigation, received a lifetime ban from competitive skating.
I, Tonyadetails all of this.
Actors meticulously reenact the incident as well as prime-time interviews given in the aftermath.
Robbie wears exact replicas of the same costumes Harding wore on the ice.
It hits every major, absurd beat: Hardings broken skate lace at the Olympics.
Her press conference expressing sympathy for Kerrigan.
The crumpled note the FBI found with Hardings handwriting on it, spelling out where and when Kerrigan trained.
The one thing it avoids, notably, is Kerrigans side of the story.
Played by Caitlin Carver, Kerrigan appears in just two scenes and utters a single line: Whyyyyy?
Rogers says he chose early on to minimize Kerrigans perspective.
Its notI, Nancy.
ItsI, Tonya, he says.
That story centers on Harding, obviously, and Gillooly.
(Eckardt died in 2007.)
Rogers tracked both of them down in Oregon, where he conducted hours of separate interviews.
At times, characters even break the fourth wall mid-scene to inform the audience whether something totheirrecollection happened.
Were seeing stories that are actually being contradicted in the middle of scenes.
It gets so complicated.
His stars certainly thought so.
Two actors who have spent far too much time in their subjects heads, thats who.
She pored over hours of footage of Harding at different stages in her life.
I saw a lot of hurt there, and I find that I dont need to see her.
LaVona would have confused me more if Id met her.
And if a memory had been contested, a character would say so.
I was very,veryconcerned [with making factual errors], Rogers says.
Everything was vetted by lawyers.
Adds Gillespie: My bible was Stevens script.
I would say to him, Did this happen?
And the answer usually was This is what Tonya said.
Even for the people who made it.
Its 100 percent accurate to the truth, to Tonyas truth, to Jeff s truth, Robbie says.
Every scene is something that they said happened.Everything.
But how close is it to reality?
I mean,Ivegot no idea.
After the alarms die down, she offers a diplomatic answer.
Thats what I like to think.
It doesnt have to be yours.
I, Tonyais in theaters now.
