True Stories 37: 10s—I, Tonya

Films based on real events—and especially real events that are relatively recent—are good fodder for a screenplay. Why do I specify “recent” events? Because there’s every chance that the reader of your script at an agency or studio will already know the event—and that can be important.

People talk about “name recognition” when you’re trying to get a film made—that casting a star everyone knows will bolster your film’s chances of success. This thought process can be the same when it comes to events. If people already know the event in question, then they have a context within which to read the script. And they also have to hope that the audience, too, will know the event and will want to come out and see the film [or stream it on Netflix!].

That was the case with I, Tonya [2017] by Steven Rogers. Everyone pretty much knew the story of how Nancy Kerrigan, skating’s princess-of-the-moment, was the victim of an attack—someone whacked her on the legs, just where a skater would most choose not to be hit. And everyone pretty much knew how the story played out, ending with Tonya being banned from figure skating competition for life—even though she personally did not do the attacking.

So even if you know the true story, the interest in seeing the film comes with the WHY, doesn’t it? Why did Tonya’s husband/bodyguard DO this? And did she know about it?

And for me, the bottom line: when you’re privileged like Nancy and so not privileged like Tonya, does privilege factor into how you’re judged—both on the ice and off?

Take a look at the trailer for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXZQ5DfSAAc

I’d classify this film as a biopic—with incident. Because it’s not just about the actual bashing of Nancy Kerrigan’s knee, it’s about her rival and that rival's background and friends.

The film also takes us through Tonya’s childhood, so we meet her mother [and wonder how she ever survived the woman] and her coaches and her boyfriend/husband, etc. So we see her whole life unfold—not just her skating life.

Tonya had became a joke when this incident occurred in the mid-90s. She was, if you will, dismissed. What the film did for me was restore some of her humanity. And it made me realize how unfairly she was treated as a skater—both before and after the attack.

The style of the film was also compelling. This was a fast-moving script that would cut back and forth between time periods and people… it made your head spin—but in a good way! So if you’re writing something where you need to bounce around in time, this film’s script is a good one to study.

Next week, a fun film based on another true story, The Big Sick

Copyright © Diane Lake

12Feb23

Email Diane a question to Diane@DianeLake.com