Another year, another biographical film. Every Oscar season, a new ‘based on a true event’ story is dug up from the past to entertain and most importantly, compete for awards. But not all are created equal. By taking on controversial events or figures in history, these films allow us to reevaluate the past and reframe the present. I, Tonya, is just such a movie. The movie stars Margot Robbie as Tonya Harding, the all American, champion figure skater. It chronicles her life up to the event that changes the course of her career and her future. Perhaps what makes Harding such an interesting subject, strangely enough, is that she was not an influential, world-changing figure. Instead, she was a merely athlete, whose superhuman talent did not stop her from being subject to the same human flaws that plague us all. Bringing such a relatable story to the screen will hopefully prevent I, Tonya from some of the more sentimental or worshipful tendencies of other biographical films. I, Tonya is currently showing in the State Theatre. Purchase tickets ($8 for students with ID) online at the Michigan Theater website or at the box office.
