Every few years a movie comes along that is so horrible that it calls for offsetting the generally positive or glowing Unreal TV reviews with severe criticism. Past films have included "Magic Mike" (The Decline and Fall of Soderbergh) and "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" (The Devil Is in Lack of Attention to Detail). The latest entry in this Hall of Lame is the 2017 biopic "I, Tonya."
Better news regarding current films from a reviewer who considers "Downsizing" A Damon Paynefully horrible movie is that "Game Night" is better than generally believed. It is not particularly crude, and Sebastian the Westie puppy does not get "doused" in blood as reported. The main issues are that it is a little long and has too many false endings.
"Tonya," which has a March 13 2018 DVD release, conversely makes one wonder the literal or figurative price that director Craig Gillespie pays for the high praise for this film. At the outset, it is notable that the evolution of Hollywood has taken us from biopics of the greatest (i.e., Mozart and John Nash) and most courageous (i.e., Gandhi) to a foul-mouthed self-proclaimed white-trash ice skater whose claim to fame is involvement in kneecapping a rival.
Alison Janney does deserve praise for her portrayal of abusive stage mother LaVonna Harding. Her tough exterior and interior come through, and she conveys more with facial expressions than he co-stars communicate with their dialogue. Conversely, not-so-talented Margot Robbie portrays the modern-day titular skater despite being 3 years old when Nancy Kerrigan is attacked.
Either Harding, ex-husband Jef Gillooly, or their partner-in-crime Shawn Eckardt state roughly halfway in "Tonya" that they are getting to the aforementioned hobbling and that that is why people are watching the film. This person is absolutely correct to the extent that the film WIDELY misses the mark in not SOLELY focusing on that incident and the aftermath.
The portion of "Tonya" that discusses the genesis of the idea to injure Kerrigan, the planning of that crime, and ensuing notoriety is decent and SCREAMS for a Coen Brothers joint. It has the trifecta of dim-witted lower-class characters, a comically dark plot, and betrayal (as well as intense stupidity) during the investigation of the assault.
The larger issue with "Tonya" is that it adheres to the reality television model that is responsible for Unreal TV existing. The best parallel is "American Idol" focusing on the hard-knock life of contestants. People whose childhoods consist of a string of foster homes, losing a parent to a horrific disease, or other hardship deserve sympathy. However, that has NOTHING to do with singing ability.
"Tonya" takes things further by having much of the film consist of modern-day Tonya, LaVonna, Jeff, and Shawn repeatedly discussing the same events as they give interviews while staring directly into the camera.
Another parallel is "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo." Seeing LaVonna make three year-old Tonya show her stuff to a reluctant skating coach and wet herself on the ice a few years later creates a strong image of Mama June. The abusive relationships among most of the primary characters and with their spouses further enhances this vibe. A remark of a friend years ago that we have enough horrible people in our lives that we do not need to watch them on television aptly describes a major flaw of such productions.
The aforementioned acknowledgement that Kerrigangate is what the audience wants indirectly admits that the life of Harding does not warrant a feature film. Many kids from lower-income backgrounds work very hard to achieve success in sports, the arts, or business. Very few of them demand the spotlight.
The larger reference this time is one of the creators of "South Park" commenting in an early season of that series that many of us are the fat kid, the poor kid, or the Jewish kid at some point in our childhood. Very few of us are blessed to have brains, beauty, and the coolest stuff. Further, our peers from K-to-12 are always glad to repeatedly point out our flaws.
The final commentary regarding all this is that a film about an underdog works best when you want that modern-day Horatio Alger to succeed.
Anyone with CIVIL questions or comments regarding "Tonya" is encouraged either to email me or to connect on Twitter.
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