Sara Caplan

Welcome to the second week of On PolarFlix, a column meant to do exactly what it sounds like—review films on Bowdoin Student Government (BSG)’s movie streaming service, PolarFlix. This week, we are going with Oscar contender “I, Tonya,” a biopic about the American ice skater Tonya Harding.

Plot Summary (minor spoilers about Tonya Harding’s life):

Yeah, so it turns out it’s kind of difficult to write a review of this film without mentioning what Harding (Margot Robbie) refers to as “the incident.” In the run-up to the 1994 Winter Olympics, Harding was accused of being aware of a plot to injure fellow U.S. figure skater Nancy Kerrigan. The film traces Harding’s life up to the ’94 Olympics and includes killer performances from not only Robbie but also Allison Janney, who plays Harding’s mother (LaVona Golden), Sebastian Stan as Harding’s husband Jeff and Paul Walter Hauser as Jeff’s close friend.

Best Mood for Watching:

This is a film that translates really well to the big screen, but of course can be enjoyed on a laptop whilst connected to Bowdoin wifi as well. BEWARE, LOVERS OF FINANCE: the Margot Robbie in “I, Tonya” bears little resemblance to the “Wolf of Wall Street” version, in which she’s spitting lines opposite Leo DiCaprio like, “we’re not going to be friends.” Robbie’s Harding is battered and misunderstood. The movie careens between really funny and very sad, so if you feel like that kind of ride, queue that baby up.

Greatest One-Liner:

After hearing that her daughter is getting married, Golden, always the doting mother, quips, “You fuck dumb. You don’t marry dumb.” It’s prescient.

Intended Bowdoin Audience:

Honestly, I know no one at Bowdoin remotely similar to any of these characters. I’m not sure if this has made my life safer, but it has certainly made it more boring. I think the film would appeal to most students, but will have particular value if you are interested in, in no particular order: non-“Blades of Glory” ice-skating movies, an old and very mean C.J. Cregg, director Craig Gillespie, depictions of truly unbelievable stupidity or parrots.

Watch/Don’t Watch:

Another week, another wonderful PolarFlix-watching experience. Run to the nearest laptop and watch while you have the chance (everyone knows BSG giveth and they taketh away).