“And that’s the f—ing truth.” That’s the parting line from Margot Robbie as Tonya Harding in Craig Gillespie’s “I, Tonya,” a delirious, laugh-out-loud revisiting of the famous Olympic scandal, which held its world premiere in Toronto on Friday night.
In 1994, the self-labelled “redneck” figure skater was embroiled in an international incident when her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly conspired to injure Harding’s biggest competitor for Olympic gold, Nancy Kerrigan.
The fallout got Harding banned from skating for life, and became a notable skirmish at the dawn of celebrity and 24-hour news.
The source material is not necessarily the truth, as a title card told the audience up front that the film was based on “irony-free, wildly speculative interviews” with Harding and Gillooly (played empathetically by Sebastian Stan).
We meet “White Trash Tonya” at age 3, when her mother, LaVona Golden (Allison Janney), marches her out onto an ice skating rink (cigarette in hand) demanding the pros start training her prodigy-daughter immediately.
Janney’s abusive, profane deadpan brought the house down at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theater. True, her LaVona is uncaring, verbally and physically abusive, but she’s also somehow endearing as a diner waitress determined to “make my daughter a champ.”
Mr. Harding bails on the women, leaving skating as Tonya’s only ticket out of her poverty-stricken childhood. Flash-forward to age 15 and Harding has fallen in love with Gillooly, who she’ll soon marry and later divorce.
Robbie then brings Tonya into her 20s, and in interview segments at age 40, which marks a long arc of transformation. Let’s be honest, who could picture the stunning Robbie as the stubby, 5-foot-1 Harding, especially later down the line? But the actress and producer pulls it off like a triple axel (with an assist from prosthetics and body padding).
Scenes of domestic violence from Harding’s marriage are shocking, but shot swiftly with video game choreography so they don’t linger long. On top of the physical abuse, Gillooly would also architect the hit on Kerrigan (barely visible in this film, for what it’s worth) though no character in this American fable has the intelligence to pull it off.
What’s most interesting is Harding’s rise through a system that hates her: Figure skating judges balk at her use of crass rock n’ roll music for performances, her homemade costumes (as a child, Tonya makes a fur coat from rabbits she shoots with a BB gun) and her potty mouth. But she persists and wins.
The film demands audience participation by repeatedly breaking the fourth wall. Robbie brings a brand of vinegar we haven’t seen in her previous work, and it illuminates a long-forgotten trainwreck.
A postscript on screen says that Tonya now builds and restores decks in Michigan. We’ll take their word that it‘s the f—ing truth.
117 Amazing Portraits From TheWrap's Toronto Studio, From Angelina Jolie to Jim Carrey (Photos)
Actors Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney and director Craig Gillespie, "I, Tonya"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actress-producer Margot Robbie, "I, Tonya"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Margot Robbie, "I, Tonya"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actress Allison Janney, "I, Tonya"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Sebastian Stan, "I, Tonya"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Helen Mirren, "The Leisure Seeker"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Helen Mirren, "The Leisure Seeker"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
"Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond" Jim Carrey
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Jim Carrey, "Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Chris Smith, "Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Current War"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Michael Shannon, "The Current War"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon with actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon and Nicholas Hoult, "The Current War"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Angelina Jolie, "First They Killed My Father"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Angelina Jolie with producer Rithy Panh, stars Kimhak Mun, Sareum Srey Moch and co-writer Luong Ung, "First They Killed My Father"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Writer-director Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actress Laurie Metcalf, "Lady Bird"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Tracy Letts, "Lady Bird"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Brie Larson, "Unicorn Store"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Sam Rockwell, "Woman Walks Ahead"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci, "The Children Act"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Writer Ian McEwan, actor Stanley Tucci, director Richard Eyre and actors Emma Thompson and Duncan Kenworthy, "The Children Act"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Stanley Tucci, "The Children Act"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
"Outside In" director Lynn Shelton with her cast Jay Duplass, Kaitlyn Dever and Edie Falco
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Jay Duplass, "Outside In"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Edie Falco, "Outside In"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Kaitlyn Dever, "Outside In"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Lynn Shelton, "Outside In"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Jake Gyllenhaal, "Stronger"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Tatiana Maslany, "Stronger"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Miranda Richardson, "Stronger"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
"Stronger" star Jake Gyllenhaal with Jeff Bauman, the Boston Marathon bombing survivor he plays in the fiilm
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Writer Jeff Bauman, "Stronger"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Cedric the Entertainer, "First Reformed"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Cedric the Entertainer, "First Reformed"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Cedric the Entertainer and director Paul Schrader "First Reformed"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Paul Schrader, "First Reformed"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actors Aaron Pederson, Abbey Lee, Matt Nable, Simone Kessell, Josh McConville and Ryan Corr, "1%"
Abbey Lee, "1%"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actress Simone Kessel, "1%"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Ed Harris, "Kodachrome"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Ed Harris and director Mark Raso, "Kodachrome"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Mark Raso, "Kodachrome"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Writer-producer Jeremy Chilnick, writer-director-producer Morgan Spurlock and producer Matthew Galkin, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Producer Matthew Galkin, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Writer-producer Jeremy Chilnick, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Writer-director-producer-star Morgan Spurlock, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Morgan Spurlock, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Joseph Kahn, "Bodied"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actress Rory Uphold, "Bodied"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Calum Worthy, "Bodied"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Armando Iannucci, "The Death of Stalin"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Darren Aronofsky, "mother!"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Darren Aronofsky, "mother!"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Willem Dafoe, Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince and Sean Baker, "The Florida Project"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Willem Dafoe, "The Florida Project"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director-star James Franco, "The Disaster Artist"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director-star James Franco, "The Disaster Artist"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Dave Franco, "The Disaster Artist"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Dave Franco, "The Disaster Artist"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber, "The Disaster Artist"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Alison Brie, "The Disaster Artist"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Alison Brie, "The Disaster Artist"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Ari Graynor, "The Disaster Artist"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actress Jessica Chastain, "Molly's Game" and "Woman Walks Ahead"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actress Jessica Chastain, director Susanna White and Michael Greyeyes, "Woman Walks Ahead"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actress Julianne Nicholson, "Who We Are Now"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Zachary Quinto, "Who We Are Now"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Josh Lucas, "Mark Felt"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Selma Blair, "Mom and Dad"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Selma Blair and Nicolas Cage, "Mom and Dad"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Co-directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, "One of Us"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Kyle Rideout, "Public Schooled"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Judy Greer "Public Schooled"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Eddie Izzard, "Victoria & Abdul"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Ali Fazal, "Victoria & Abdul"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actress Elisabeth Moss, "The Square"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Terry Notary, "The Square"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Ruben Ostland, "The Square"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Claes Bang, "The Square"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Screenwriter Anthony McCarten, "Darkest Hour"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Writer Anthony McCarten, stars Ben Mendelsohn, Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas with director Joe Wright, "Darkest Hour"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Ben Mendelsohn, "Darkest Hour"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Gary Oldman, "Darkest Hour"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Gary Oldman, "Darkest Hour"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actress Kristin Scott Thomas, "Darkest Hour"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Joe Wright, "Darkest Hour"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Nahuel Peres Biscayar, "BPM (Beats Per Minute)"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Arnaud Valois, "BPM (Beats Per Minute)"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director John Curran with actors Jim Gaffigan, Ed Helms and Kate Mara, writers Andrew Logan and Taylor Allen, "Chappaquiddick"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
"Chappaquiddick" director John Curran
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Kate Mara, "Chappaquiddick"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Kate Mara, "Chappaquiddick"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Jim Gaffigan, "Chappaquiddick"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Ed Helms, "Chappaquiddick"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Dan Gilroy, "Roman J. Israel, Esq."
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actress Diane Kruger, "In the Fade"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actress Diane Kruger, "In the Fade"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Alexander Payne, "Downsizing"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actors Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau and director Alexander Payne, "Downsizing"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Christoph Waltz, "Downsizing"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actress Hong Chau, "Downsizing"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actors Wes Studi, Rosamund Pike, direcor Scott Cooper, Christian Bale and Jonathan Majors, "Hostiles"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Simon Baker, "Breath"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Simon Baker, "Breath"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director Neil Burger, "The Upside"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Writer-director Martin McDonagh, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Director and co-writer Dee Rees, "Mudbound"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actor Jason Mitchell, "Mudbound"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Rob Morgan, "Mudbound"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Jason Mitchell and Rob Morgan, "Mudbound"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Actors Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, director Dee Rees, actors Rob Morgan and Carey Mulligan, "Mudbound"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Garrett Hedlund, "Mudbound"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Writer-director Robin Campillo, "BPM (Beats Per Minute)"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, "Battle of the Sexes"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, "Battle of the Sexes"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
Brady Jandreau, "The Rider"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
1 of 118
TIFF 2017: Jake Gyllenhaal, Helen Mirren, Benedict Cumberbatch and more sit down to talk about their latest projects
Actors Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney and director Craig Gillespie, "I, Tonya"
Photographed by Corina Marie for TheWrap at the Thompson Toronto
