I, Tonya

[dawnie]

I've always wondered how the fallout affected Dody's and Dianne's future coaching careers by being associated with Tonya at the time. Did they still continue to coach or did skaters stay away from them? I know I don't recall ever seeing them at the elite level again, which I know that few coaches achieve that level since skaters tend to move to the well known coaches when they reach that stage, but were they able to continue coaching and have successful careers as coaches?

I'm pretty sure Dody still coaches in Portland. There was an article before Sochi, one of the rare non-Tonya interviews she probably gave. It was about coaching Ashley Wagner when she lived in the Portland area and how proud she was that Ashley made it to the Olympics.

I don't know if Diane still coaches though. Unlike Dody, she refuses to take part in any interviews or documentaries, which is completely understandable. Diane basically raised Tonya- she must have some sort of PTSD after all she went through. She stood by Tonya's side even probably knowing in the back of her mind Tonya was involved. Dody herself said in one of the documentaries that Diane deserves a lot of credit for Tonya making it in skating. I'm sure Tonya would not have gotten as far as she did without Diane's help.

 

[Inessence]

I've always wondered how the fallout affected Dody's and Dianne's future coaching careers by being associated with Tonya at the time. Did they still continue to coach or did skaters stay away from them? I know I don't recall ever seeing them at the elite level again, which I know that few coaches achieve that level since skaters tend to move to the well known coaches when they reach that stage, but were they able to continue coaching and have successful careers as coaches?

Dody Teachman coached a young Ashley Wagner and I also remember reading Diane’s take on Kimmie Meisner’s 3A at 2005 Nationals in Portland.

 

[Vagabond]

As of January 2006, Diane Rawlinson was still a figure skating coach:

http://www.osbar.org/publications/bulletin/06jan/rawlinson.html

Rawlinson and his wife, Diane, a figure skating coach, are widely known for their contributions to and participation in business and community activities.

Isn't it amazing what you can find in back issues of State Bar journals?

 

[SCeline]

I'm confused. Is this movie going to be released to theaters sometime soon? Seems to have made the "Film Festival" circuit. Timing ahead of the Olympics would appear to be strategic to capture fringe non-skating fans ... anybody know?

 

[Erin]

It is being released in theaters in New York and LA December 8 to be able to be eligible for Oscar consideration. It will be released in the rest of the US in late January hoping to take advantage of pre-Olympic attention that skating gets. Not sure about other countries, but presumably at the same time as or later than the rest of the US date.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Would someone who didn't follow the story closely realize that, or care?

It was enough for Entertainment Tonight to cover it in the lead up to the first Ice Wars (which was the first professional showdown between Kerrigan and Baiul). Apparently, Nancy threatened to storm out of the event if the ET camera crew didn't leave.

 

[Japanfan]

The more i look at the trailers, the more i think that Margot Robbie is too pretty to play Tonya, even in make up, and her body parts can never be artificially changed to reflect Tonya's short legs and stocky features. Even before the wack, Tonya was not a site for soar eyes, not her face, not her body.

I actually think Tonya was very pretty as a young skater. And having just rewatched one of the programs posted above, I am reminded that she is clearly in a league of her own as lady skater when it comes to jumps (exception Midori Ito of course).

It would have been hard enough to find an actress to play the role of Tonya, let along find one with her same body type - particularly one with such muscular legs .

From what I gather, body type is not an issue that is addressed in the film. It would be only in that case that an actress with Tonya's body type would have been needed.

 

[Tinami Amori]

It would have been hard enough to find an actress to play the role of Tonya, let along find one with her same body type - particularly one with such muscular legs .

they should have looked at Amy Adams....
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...n_Diego_Comic-Con_International_(cropped).jpg
https://pmchollywoodlife.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/tonya-harding-bio-photo.jpg?w=330

 

[bardtoob]

they should have looked at Amy Adams....
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Amy_Adams_speaking_at_the_2015_San_Diego_Comic-Con_International_(cropped).jpg
https://pmchollywoodlife.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/tonya-harding-bio-photo.jpg?w=330

Margot is a producer of the movie and probably wanted the role for herself as part her desire to produce it.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Margot is a producer of the movie and probably wanted the role for herself as part her desire to produce it.

oops! missed that part about her being the producer.... well, then she is doing a double-good job! she looks close enough.

 

[screech]

The Hollywood Film Awards took place a couple of days ago, and Allison Janney won for supporting actress, while I, Tonya won for best ensemble.

 

[Xela M]

That video repeatedly showed that flutz from the trailer and it’s seriously bothering me, especially when it showed a clip of Tonya’s actual Lutz.

How incredible was the real Harding triple lutz?!?! No lady jumps like that nowadays.

 

[Japanfan]

2. The "this is so corny" while riding with Mickey at Disneyland made her look ungrateful and snotty when all people wanted to do was celebrate her achievement. Like she was giving a middle finger to all the people who gave her well wishes after she was attacked. By the time she tried to explain what she really meant the damage was done.
3. Her natural personality as a shy person and not being fond of the spotlight made people unfairly call her standoffish, stuck up, cold and snotty. This unfortunately has happened to many shy people in the spotlight throughout history

It's possible that these two points are related. A more extroverted, attention-loved skater would have probably loved riding at Disneyland, corny or not. Most successful skaters have to do things that are corny on occasion in order to promote an event or organization.

I'll add that I never saw Nancy as princessy - haughty or arrogant yes, but not princessy. And her seeming arrogance could also be a reflection of her shyness.

I also think she is very beautiful still today.

 

[Japanfan]

Nancy's affair with her still married agent, and her snooty attitude in general were what turned people against her.

That's the guy she is still married to today, right? That may suggest that their relationship was genuine, and his previous marriage may have already not been working well.

 

[skatesindreams]

It's possible that these two points are related. A more extroverted, attention-loved skater would have probably loved riding at Disneyland, corny or not/

I'll add that I never saw Nancy as princessy - haughty or arrogant yes, but not princessy. And her seeming arrogance could also be a reflection of her shyness.

That's the guy she is still married to today, right? That may suggest that their relationship was genuine, and his previous marriage may have already not been working well.
Her seeming arrogance could also be a reflection of her shyness.

I also think she is very beautiful still today.[/QUOTE]

I agree with all of this.

Nancy had additional family issues, aside from what we knew about at the time, as well.
The first time I thought that she was relaxed, happy and comfortable in public, was on DWTS

 

[Loves_Shizuka]

TSL reviewed the film

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmz4UfZCmxs

 

[Marco]

It would have been hard enough to find an actress to play the role of Tonya, let along find one with her same body type - particularly one with such muscular legs .

Margot did a great job from what I saw in the trailer, and it makes sense since she also produces it, but for looks / body type, Amy Schumer immediately comes to mind.

 

[Xela M]

Margot did a great job from what I saw in the trailer, and it makes sense since she also produces it, but for looks / body type, Amy Schumer immediately comes to mind.

Amy Schumer would be an awesome Tonya!!!

 

[Loves_Shizuka]

Amy Schumer was born to play Tonya, surely?!

 

[Xela M]

TSL reviewed the film

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmz4UfZCmxs

I thought this was what the film would be like and that's why I thought it'd be terrible. Anyway, Amy Schumer is the only one who can portray Tonya accurately

 

[bardtoob]

I thought this was what the film would be like and that's why I thought it'd be terrible. Anyway, Amy Schumer is the only obe who can portray Tonya accurately

No, because Amy would apologetically admit to "wacking a bitch" . . . at least for laughs . . . Tonya would never admit that

 

[Erin]

TSL reviewed the film

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmz4UfZCmxs

So I haven't seen the movie, but I'm unlikely to trust their review of it based on their comments on things that I have seen. E.g. The discussion of the 1993 Skate America blade incident where they said she was out of shape. I just watched that skate recently and was impressed with how good she looked leading up to the blade incident and thought the incident sucked the life out of the program. There was mention of her "almost being kicked off the team" in Albertville too, which I don't think was ever something I had heard was likely to happen.

ETA - in a sidebar when Dave was talking about gymnast Jordan Chiles (because apparently Tonya's 1994 choreographer was Jordan's coach), he insisted on pronouncing her name like the country Chile. x 1000

 

[bardtoob]

ETA - in a sidebar when Dave was talking about gymnast Jordan Chiles (because apparently Tonya's 1994 choreographer was Jordan's coach), he insisted on pronouncing her name like the country Chile. x 1000

You mean the woman that actually looks like somebody American's imagine comes from Transylvania . . .

https://youtu.be/T3wfA4lrxNs?t=2
https://youtu.be/T3wfA4lrxNs?t=382

Hmmm . . . Natasha Fatale is from Pottsylvania, but was a former Miss Transylvania. I wonder if she had dual citizenship because her mother was Sally Axis and her father was Count Dracula. I always thought she was from Russia . . . like most Americans, I guess

 

[VGThuy]

You mean the woman that actually looks like somebody American's imagine comes from Transylvania . . .

https://youtu.be/T3wfA4lrxNs?t=2
https://youtu.be/T3wfA4lrxNs?t=382

My gosh, you couldn't make that horoscope up because it would have been too on the nose for fiction.

 

[bardtoob]

The thing I always thought was weird was when Tonya said she was going to kick Nancy's butt at the Olympics after the wack. It made me think Tonya really did not associate her actions with the wack, that is, she was innocent in her own weird way.

On her triumphant return to Portland after winning her Olympic berth and the 1994 national championship in Kerrigan's absence, Harding stunned the welcome-wagon fans who met her at the airport by saying of the hobbled Kerrigan, "I'm going to kick her butt" at the Olympics.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-sr...998/history/timeline/articles/time_013094.htm

This article is filled with a lot of weird stuff . . . the next paragraph is weird!

 

[Erin]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-sr...998/history/timeline/articles/time_013094.htm

This article is filled with a lot of weird stuff . . . the next paragraph is weird!

Some useful information too, like it does answer my earlier question about the LaVona/Sandy Golden thing.

 

[Inessence]

Amy Adams should've played young, fit(ter) skating Tonya. Amy Schumer the post-banning, boxing, over-weight Tonya.

 

[Inessence]

Some useful information too, like it does answer my earlier question about the LaVona/Sandy Golden thing.

She's apparently always gone by Sandy, but anyone that's ever heard of her thinks "Lavona" now.

Regarding the "I'm gonna whip her butt" comment. I didn't take it to ascertain guilt as much as the medias immediate suspicion of Tonya's involvement. Like, how did they post the question to Tonya about her win? I'm guessing it went something like: "Hey Tonya, what gave you the most trouble, your guilt over Nancy or the 13-year old?" Tonya then gives them a defiant and snarky answer back.

 

[BaileyCatts]

The thing I always thought was weird was when Tonya said she was going to kick Nancy's butt at the Olympics after the wack. It made me think Tonya really did not associate her actions with the wack, that is, she was innocent in her own weird way.

And that is the point at which Tonya started to lose me. Now keep in mind, in 1994, the only thing I knew about skating/skaters was what I saw on US Network television, which wasn't much. I was not privy to all the insider knowledge and stories about Tonya, or anything other than what I saw on the few competitions we saw in the US. I was a big Tonya fan. Loved her skating. I did not like Nancy or her skating (however, that has changed over the years; she totally should have won ). So when The Whack went down, and it was immediately coming out that Tonya was involved, I refused to believe it. I thought the mythical "they" were ganging up on Tonya because "they" hated her (funny, huh ). But when she came out with that statement, which was something close to "it won't be a true crown til I get my shot at Nancy and that will be at the Olympics and let me tell you I'm gonna whip her butt". I just hung my head and said oohhh Tonya. It still took awhile for me to believe she had anything to do with it, but that was the point where she lost me.

 

[bardtoob]

I just hung my head and said oohhh Tonya. It still took awhile for me to believe she had anything to do with it, but that was the point where she lost me.

Yeah, it was clearly not the type of statement a decent person would make towards somebody injured as a result of violence perpetrated by a stranger. Of course, regardless, it was not easy to follow Tonya's thought process.

One person who interacted with Tonya on this board said that Tonya always gave mixed signals and had shifty eyes that made it difficult to tell her intentions. Tonya also never clearly committed to anything and always had excuses.

The above plus the body language she gave off during interviews would have caused me to code her as having Disorganized Type Attachment back when I did psychosocial research.

A child with a disorganized attachment expresses odd or ambivalent behavior toward the parent, (i.e. first running up to them, then immediately pulling away, perhaps even running away from the parent, curling up in a ball or hitting the parent.) The child’s first impulse may be to seek comfort from the parent, but as they get near the parent, they feel fear to be in their proximity, demonstrating their disorganized adaption.

A person who grew up with a disorganized attachment often won’t learn healthy ways to self-soothe. They may have trouble socially or struggle in using others to co-regulate their emotions. It may be difficult for them to open up to others or to seek out help. They often have difficulty trusting people, as they were unable to trust those they relied on for safety growing up. They may struggle in their relationships or friendships or when parenting their own children. Their social lives may further be affected . . . those with disorganized attachment, because they struggle with poor social or emotional regulation skills, may find it difficult to form and sustain solid relationships. They often have difficulty managing stress and may even demonstrate hostile or aggressive behaviors. Because of their negative early life experiences, they may see the world as an unsafe place.

https://www.psychalive.org/disorganized-attachment/