Reacting to the new I, Tonya biopic trailer: What are we supposed to feel for Margot Robbie’s Tonya Harding?

The new trailer for I, Tonya gives us a glimpse into the mind of the disgraced Olympic hopeful. And boy, is it a fascinating place. 

I knew I was in for an interesting viewing experience when I looked up the trailer for the upcoming Olympic skating biopic I, Tonya. True to form, I immediately saw it was listed as age restricted, at the request of the uploader.  No trailer I’ve seen has ever had that warning. It could also be that I just wasn’t paying attention.

We’re then treated to a not super safe for work, or kids, montage. The montage includes Harding’s mother’s severe verbal abuse, her tumultuous relationship with her first husband and the conspiracy and subsequent investigation into the attack on Nancy Kerrigan.

At times, this video seems too comical to be based on a true story. But this outlandish scandal did actually happen (it has an E! True Hollywood Story and everything). Margot Robbie is probably the best choice imaginable to play the lead. We saw in Suicide Squad that the woman does unhinged well.

I can’t help but wonder how true the film will stay to the story since Robbie herself has already admitted that they are taking some creative license with Harding’s story.

More than anything I had hoped the film and its trailer would help me sympathize with Harding a little more. To some extent it did. I felt for Harding a bit — you know, as much as you can based on a two and a half minute trailer. But mostly, I just saw what happens when you don’t have the resources that others have, but your competitiveness goes too far.

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However, this trailer has definitely reinvigorated my interest in the Harding/Kerrigan story, and I’ll probably be going to see it when it is released. For now, I’ll tide myself over with her autobiography The Tonya Tapes.