I, Tonya

Growing up with an alcoholic, abusive mother, poor, and on the wrong side of the tracks in Portland, Oregon, Tonya Harding would never be accepted when it came to the world of figure skating. Although Tonya was a figure-skating prodigy, beginning her career at age four and winning competitions against competitors twice her age, she lacked the grace, beauty, and lifestyle of what had become known worldwide as the image of a ladies' competitive figure skater. This didn't stop Tonya, however. With the help of Diane Rawlinson, her first and longest coach, Tonya overcame many obstacles and began to make a name for herself in this cut-throat world of skating. Tonya became a national champion, a world medalist, and a member of the US Olympic team twice; she also made history by being the first-ever American woman to land a triple axel in competition. Her alcoholic mother LaVona worked as a waitress to pay for Tonya's coaching, but was horribly abusive and demeaning to Tonya despite her success. Around age 15, Tonya met her future husband Jeff Gillooly and his friend, her future "bodyguard" Shawn Eckardt. Young, rebellious, and in love, Tonya marries Jeff, who later becomes physically and mentally abusive. Despite Tonya's successes, she is probably most famously known for the 1994 attack on fellow figure-skater and Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan. Following the attack, an investigation began and quickly concluded that Jeff Gillooly and Shawn Eckardt were at the center of it. This led to the unveiling of Tonya's involvement in the attack, as many had suspected. Tonya's involvement, regardless of how large or small, resulted in her being banned from the world of competitive figure skating. This movie shows Tonya's life from the beginning of her career in childhood through the end of her career and what followed. Based on actual interviews with Tonya, LaVona, Jeff, Shawn, Diane, and others from that time frame, the viewers get an inside look at her life, issues, relationships and point of view on the attack. I was afraid to watch it since I was a fascinated teen when this took place and figured it would be an exaggerated version of the truth. However, this is tastefully done.