I-TONYA by Hayley NIELSEN

Anish

manglan — 2025-08-01 02:59:34 UTC

Tonya's mother LaVona consistently demonstrates a disregard for the rules and expectations of both parenting and of figure skating, which translates to an overall negative atmosphere surrounding LaVona's character. This makes LaVona into one of the clear villains within the story, an idea enhanced by her general demeanour during the re-enacted clips of her interview. Using this, the movie then associates the antagonist LaVona with our protagonist Tonya's trauma, leading to a viewer feeling empathy for Tonya overall.

Anish

manglan — 2025-08-01 03:29:56 UTC

The portrayal of multiple perspectives within the movie allowed for a more comprehensive audience understanding of events surrounding and during the Kerrigan scandal. It allowed for the audience to empathise more with individual characters and their respective situations, establishing a better connection between the viewers and the movie overall. This changed the audiences reaction as without the understanding of Jeff's perspective, for example, the movie would not be able to properly display Tonya's involvement, however minimal.

Dice

diceseidel — 2025-08-01 03:57:22 UTC

Lavona's presence as an abusive and inescapable mother throughout Tonya's childhood, who's actions influence many of Tonya's in the future, contribute to the sympathy built up by the film for Tonya because of the inevitability of Tonya's poor actions. Tonya was raised with distrust, disinterest, and a dislike for others due to being withdrawn from school and reprimanded for talking to others, Lavona advocating that they are her enemies, not her friends. Her inescapable nature, notably due to Tonya's dad leaving, makes the effect Lavona had on Tonya unavoidable. Tonya later has involvement with 'the incident' with Nancy Karrigan, which her actions were implied to be a result of her upbringing. This sets up her actions as unavoidable and thus not her fault, but her nature, building sympathy for her.

Dice

diceseidel — 2025-08-01 04:01:18 UTC

'Breaking the fourth wall' was a common technique used in I-Tonya in the form of a documentary-esque interview, as well as additional moments in the film where the characters talk to the audience. This was used to help garner attention and action within the audience, as they are being directly tied to the circumstances of the movie and actively being reminded that it was a real event. This also may have built sympathy for Tonya through her interacting with the audience as the most frequent character to break the fourth wall, putting the audience in a position to listen to her directly as if she were talking to them personally.

Dice

diceseidel — 2025-08-01 04:03:42 UTC

I do feel sympathy for her as her fate was fairly inevitable. She was in a wrong-place-wrong-time situation, implied to not have known the extent of what would happen to Nancy Karrigan and yet her life was ruined by it for vaguely engaging in the beginning with the dislike of Nancy. Her upbringing did not leave her any room to grow outside of the trauma that comes through her actions, and she was never able to have a good role model in her life. If the events of the movie are accurate to reality, she acted the best she could have.

Anish

manglan — 2025-08-01 04:05:15 UTC

As fourth wall breaks are very uncommon in media, the uniqueness of this kind of exposition allowed for the movie to ensure that a viewer will retain important points by presenting it in this unconventional form. Additionally, the use of fourth wall breaks allow for better empathy between a viewer and the characters as the characters can be seen to be telling their story directly to the audience.

Dice

diceseidel — 2025-08-01 04:06:14 UTC

To take multiple perspectives in an attempt to reduce bias, though most other perspectives were used to further build sympathy for Tonya by making the other perspectives of heavily implied horrible people. The contradictions others presented ultimately did not hold much weight. This may have influenced the audiences' reaction to feel more sympathy for Tonya while feeling less bias from the story.

Anish

manglan — 2025-08-01 04:08:36 UTC

I believe that Tonya was wrongly treated her entire life, losing the one emotional support pillar (her dad) at an extremely young age and being abused into the figure skating industry. Her story was full of people who only want to use her for personal gain, with few people close to her supporting her directly through her skating journey.

denverwilliams — 2025-08-01 04:28:05 UTC

Denver

I believe the actions and behaviours of Tonya's mother help build sympathy for Tonya due to the abnormality and severity of this treatment. Creating a sense of forgiveness and sorrow for the audience, the way Tonya's mother is depicted, she has seen as somewhat a villian in Tonyas life

Kate

katenguyen4 — 2025-08-01 04:28:59 UTC

Throughout the film, it is evident that the cycle of physical and psychological abuse inflicted on Tonya by Lavona contributes to inducing empathy in the audience. In particular, her position as a mother/parental figure starkly contrasts that the "image" of this role the audience initially had in mind. Her characterisation through both the interviews and in dialogues embedded in the scenes themselves, further paint her bitter and resentful nature, especially when accompanied by her excessive use of profanity. Obviously, the effect of this Lavona's resentful character leads to Tonya mirroring much of her mother's qualities, contributing to the hardship she had tried to escape from. The audience is able to forgive - by villainising Lavona through emphasising her harsh demeanour, the film is able to create emotional distress through these scenes. The audience is urged to see Tonya in a more vulnerable and "trapped" light, someone deserving of empathy and understanding due to Lavona's impact in her upbringing.

Aarav

2025-08-01 04:29:17 UTC

Breaking the fourth wall is a phrase used when the character is directly talking to the audience. This was done numerous times in I tonya. The director does this because it adds effect on the audience and makes them feel as though the character is talking to them directly.

Hannah

hannaherwin1 — 2025-08-01 04:29:23 UTC

Tonya's mother, LaVona, shows little care and love towards her daughter, as this is demonstrated throughout the whole movie. The confronting scenes between Lavona and Tonya make the audience feel empathy towards Tonya, as it makes her look like the victim. For example, in one scene where LaVona throws a knife at Tonya, she is the only one who gets hurt. This leads to the audience feeling sorry as they empathise with Tonya.

aarav

2025-08-01 04:30:28 UTC

It added multiple perspectives as well as depth in the film. This was good as it shows how all the characters were feeling about the situation and the part that they played.

Samiha

samiharahman2 — 2025-08-01 04:30:35 UTC

The 'breaking the fourth wall' trope was used several times throughout the movie by primarily Jeff and Tonya. In one instance, Jeff mentioned, to the audience, that Tonya brought in a gun into the bedroom to shoot him, while Tonya turned to the audience and said that she has 'never done that'. I really liked how this was a nice way to simulate what happened in real life, a very 'he said, she said' situation that mimicked what happened in real life. Because of the movie being a 'documentary' and one of the ideas being "There's no such thing as truth. Everyone has their own truth.", no one fully knew the truth of I, Tonya, but the characters are trying to tell their truth to the audience as much to their abilities

denverwilliams — 2025-08-01 04:31:28 UTC

Denver

Understanding and hearing from a variety of perspectives helps the audience gain greater clarity about the unfolding events and drama. It was somewhat a way to compare behaviours and see who is in the wrong. At the same time, these perspectives also allow the audience to further empathise with Tonya, not understanding the things she has witnessed.

Aarav

2025-08-01 04:31:40 UTC

Because her mother was abusive and displayed a lack of care, therefore evoking empathetic feelings within the audience since they felt bad for Tonya.

Josie

iamjjosie — 2025-08-01 04:32:25 UTC

LaVona is very clearly portrayed as a villian and antagonist in Tonya's life, allowing the audience to empathise and view her as the protagonist. She constantly abused her physically, verbally and mentally, and lacked the nurturing mother nature that Tonya needed as a child. This allowed the audience to empathise easily by creating the emotional family element. Furthermore, by creating a character who is objectively 10 times harsher, crueler, and more brutal than Tonya, the director has allowed for a more justified and understandable character. This allows the audience to justify some of Tonya's actions and behaviours, which could have been taken as objectively unacceptable.

Julie

2025-08-01 04:32:57 UTC

It contributes to feeling more sorrowful for Tonya. Since her mother would always start arguments to get her way in things. As for Tonya, she's never needed to argue to gain her way, but because of the influence that she's since throughout her life. She's gain this sense for doing the same and which lead for it to be worse for her.

Even when it came to talking to her judges, "We want a wholesome American girl, with a wholesome family", when she talked with her mother, LaVona never cared and was self-centred. Which also gave a reason to feel more empathic for her since she has never had a chance to speak about herself or gain what she wanted due to her mother and not having that perfect family because of her mother.

Hannah

hannaherwin1 — 2025-08-01 04:33:17 UTC

Involving all sides of the story helps the audience grasp a wider opinion on the movie. It shows what all the characters felt about each situation, which adds more context for the viewers. It also allows viewers to add their connection between characters and their say on specific situations.

Aarav

2025-08-01 04:34:18 UTC

I think Tonya was dealt a bad hand. She grew up in poverty and was faced with abuse left and right. I believe that it is not her fault that she was disliked by the judges because it is how she was raised. Overall, she had a lack of support and father figure which caused her to turn out the way that she did.

kylie

kylieoyama — 2025-08-01 04:34:19 UTC

i think its important to hear from all people involved because evryone sees situations differently. the incident with nancy is an example because sean did not see it as a problem which is why he let it happen but neither jeff or tonya wanted it to happen neither thought it was okay to hurt her. this made changes in the audiences reaction because the audience may have felt bad for tonya because the movie was based upon her, but really what she did and what the people around her did was very wrong.

denverwilliams — 2025-08-01 04:34:23 UTC

denver

I believe the technique of breaking the fourth wall was utilised on multiple occassions to further strengthen the relationship between Tonya and the audience. It was a way for Tonya to justify the situation she was in and to implement her perspective. It feels like Tonya is directly talking to the audience, building on that feeling of empathy.

nethra

nethrabharath1_1 — 2025-08-01 04:35:22 UTC

Due to LaVona's abusive and harsh parenting towards Tonya since she was little, showing no care or love to her daughter, the film made it seem like LaVona was the villain or one of the people who consistently hurt Tonya, the star of the film. This made the audience feel empathetic towards Tonya, as they recognize Tonya as the victim in this relationship or the person who has consistently struggled through hard times, especially when LaVona threw the knife at Tonya.

Janice

janicetan4 — 2025-08-01 04:35:25 UTC

The audience could clearly see the verbal and physical abuse that LaVona dished out to Tonya, creating a dark and violent upbringing for Tonya. Therefore, as a result, Tonya's actions were being shaped to mirror the treatment she received, contributing to the empathy felt by the audience since if Tonya was properly raised with respect and kindness, her behviour and attitude may not have led to her making terrible decisions and overshadowing her potential to become a respected and fairly judged figure skater. This induces feelings of empathy as Tonya was forced to make her life work in such a setting that was inevitably doomed from the start with her personality.

zoely1 — 2025-08-01 04:35:35 UTC

It was clear that LaVona was a abusive and neglectful parent who never showed the care that Tonya needed as a child to grow up the right way. Having this negative presence all throughout childhood taught Tonya to have similar actions and destructive attitudes/beliefs as a result. This contributes to empathy from the audience, as we can understand the reasons behind why she became the way she was, and in the end, realise that the blame should not be solely on Tonya.

Julie

2025-08-01 04:36:29 UTC

It was important as it gives an entire visual of who was a part of her life and how they thought about her. As well as how they contributed to her career and life.

It changes the film, making it more interesting. Even giving a varied point of view to make it more interesting and less self-centered than one side of the story, but also seeing how every person had a role in Tonya's career and how it was ruined.

Janice

janicetan4 — 2025-08-01 04:37:09 UTC

The multiple perspectives shown gave further insights into each character, since by hearing their monologues, the audience can not only judge their actions and character from on screen as the events unfolded, but also through the way they presented themselves and revealed their true intentions and thoughts as we hear their sides. This can further validate the audience's ideas on each character as well as explore further into how their actions may have aftereffects such as guilt, regret, or indifference, thus, allowing for a deeper understanding on their true character.

kylie

kylieoyama — 2025-08-01 04:37:28 UTC

i feel like if she was able to grow up without jeff she would be a completely different person. she had very strong passion for her skating thoughout her whole life, her mum wasnt very emotionally supportive and played with her temper, also used violence in a way to keep pushing her. this lead her to growing up to having anger issues and a strong temper. when she got into her relationship with jeff it got much worse as jeff also used violence against her, he was also extremely manipulative. i think it was sad how much violence was normalised in her life, and also unfair how her talent was judged based on her background like family and relationships.

isabellatrotta — 2025-08-01 04:37:40 UTC

LaVona is portrayed as a cold and abusive mother, constantly prioritising Tonya's talent as a skater rather than focusing on actually raising her and forming a mother-daughter relationship. A specific scene of the movie portrays LaVona going to Tonya's home during the Nancy Kerrigan scandal and showing her a rare loving side, even going as far to tell her that she is proud of her, something Tonya has most likely been wanting to hear her whole life. This is then followed by Tonya pulling a recording device out of LaVonas pocket, revealing she only came to get answers for the police, most likely for a reward. This scene evokes empathy in the audience for Tonya by reminding them that Tonya never really had somebody telling her that they were proud, or simply being kind to her.

Hannah

hannaherwin1 — 2025-08-01 04:38:10 UTC

The use of 'breaking the fourth wall' on certain occasions is used to make the audience feel a deeper connection with the characters in the film. It also makes the viewers feel involved, which can enhance their understanding and engagement with the film. It grasps their attention and enhances the importance of specific scenes. It also allows certain characters to tell their own side of the story without it being manipulated by someone's actions or opinions.

sharalanmuraleetharan — 2025-08-01 04:38:17 UTC

Tonya's mother contributes to the audience's empathy by exposing the emotional abuse and neglect Tonya endured from a young age. Her constant criticism, physical violence, and lack of support paint Tonya as a victim shaped by a toxic environment. This helps the audience understand Tonya's later struggles as a product of her harsh upbringing rather than pure personal failure.

zoely1 — 2025-08-01 04:38:25 UTC

Hearing from all the people involved provided more perspectives and as a result the realisation of how many negative people were a part of Tonya's life. This in a way made Tonya's words more reliable after confirming her experience with multiple people, making it easier for the audience to build sympathy for her.

Samiha

samiharahman2 — 2025-08-01 04:38:53 UTC

People made assumptions about Tonya at the time of the incident, assumptions that were most likely not true. However, everyone had their own assumption of the scandal, Shawn and Jeff thought he was doing the right thing, Nancy got hurt, Tonya didn't think it would go so far, and the media saw Tonya as the perpertrator. Multiple points and perspectives reduces bias for people, such as Tonya not being completely innocent but not monstrous either, it allowed for more space to think and to emphasise with certain people and not to jump to unnecessary conclusions.

denverwilliams — 2025-08-01 04:39:17 UTC

I think there is a slight sympathy for Tonya, understanding of her background and the challenges she has had with both of her parents, I do believe that upbringing definitely shaped her life heading into adulthood. At the same time, I do belive this upbringing isn't a case to be inflicted the actions she did, e.g. with Nancy Carrigan without any blame. I think she definetly grew up around the wrong people and that ultimately shaped the way her career panned out.

Janice

janicetan4 — 2025-08-01 04:39:25 UTC

Breaking the fourth wall allows for the characters to interact with the audience, as the audience's existence is made apparent to them. Hence, the audience is able to get a personal, naunced feel on how the characters want them to feel, and to question the happenings within the film as comments are thrown around to emphasise the truthfulness and contradictions given by characters. It lets us create our own little truths and takes on the story. Therefore, we are able to connect through the characters' vulnerability and critique the chain of events, influencing the empathy and sympathy we give to different characters.

Janice

janicetan4 — 2025-08-01 04:40:04 UTC

It's very clear to me that Tonya Harding was on a path to self-destruction due to external, environmental factors that led to the downfall of the career she invested her whole self into. I feel sympathy towards her as she was unable to control her actions or make sense of the things that happened in her life simply because she was dealt a bad deck in life, with a father who abandoned her, an abusive and cold mother, a violent and detrimental husband, and the decisions those characters made to ruin everything she built up.

Julie

2025-08-01 04:40:06 UTC

It made it personal to the audience. Also, it makes it feel like we're a part of it rather than just watching it and then forgetting about it.

Also, when she broke the 4th wall, it would usually be more details about her story or her opinions since she wasn't able to speak out about it or context to give an idea to the audience, making the film interactive in some way.

Kate

katenguyen4 — 2025-08-01 04:40:11 UTC

The technique of including multiple perspective allows the audience to finalise the truth for themselves. The film does not intend to just prove the innocence of Tonya by completely painting her a figure deserving of compassion, but giving story a voice amidst that of the public, to get into the multi-faceted nature of her story. The film uses a range of characters involved in the story and side characters (eg. prosecutors, ex-coach) aid in creating clearer connection of how each chronological events played out, to 'objectively' paint the truth without leaning too much into one side and rejecting the other side of the story. In reality, the film urges the audience to realise, not everything portrayed in media is true or solid, and public perception is often flawed. We must see all sides being deciding who is to blame.

isabellatrotta — 2025-08-01 04:40:18 UTC

Different perspectives allow the audience to get a clearer gauge of what actually happened and what lead up to certain events in the film. They also may feel more inspired to take a side and share their own opinions on what happened, making their reaction feel more personal and potentially sympathetic with certain characters.

Josie

iamjjosie — 2025-08-01 04:40:27 UTC

I think considering the amount of people involved in Tonya's incidents, it was necessary to gather all the people involved to clear up any misunderstandings, and more importantly, convey the truth, which was a key element in the film. It allowed for a complete picture of the events that occured, and also for justification for other individuals involved, specifically Jeff, Tonya's ex-husband. By including interviews and allowing the audience to hear from him, Jeff was able to gain agency in the film, though it was still focused on Tonya. It allowed the audience to view him as less of a villian and more of a human.

sharalanmuraleetharan — 2025-08-01 04:40:33 UTC

Hearing from the people involved adds depth and complexity to the story, showing the truth is often subjective and shaped by personal perspective. This approach challenges the audience to queston who is reliable and encurages empathy for Tonya, by revealing how her story was distorted or misunderstood.

Maksim

maksimstraga — 2025-08-01 04:40:37 UTC

LaVona’s harsh and abusive treatment of Tonya in I, Tonya helps the audience feel sorry for Tonya and see her as a victim. Throughout the film, LaVona is shown yelling at Tonya, calling her names, and even throwing a knife at her—acts that clearly show how unsafe and unloved Tonya felt at home. With Tonya’s dad out of the picture, she had no escape from this toxic environment, and the audience gets a strong sense that Tonya didn’t really have a choice in how her life turned out. By making LaVona look like the villain and showing Tonya’s struggles, the movie encourages viewers to be more understanding of Tonya’s actions and mistakes. It helps people feel empathy because they see how much she had to go through.

nethra

nethrabharath1_1 — 2025-08-01 04:41:16 UTC

It was important to hear from all the people involved in Tonya's life to understand everyone's different perspective and understanding of the things that had happened. This could of resultantly help the audience gain a better understanding of the characters/the people in real life and how they carried themselves, to then form a relationship between them. Finally, as what many of the events that the character's said in their monologue aligned with Tonya, it makes Tonya's story of what happened more reliable, which the audience can then believe in more.

zoely1 — 2025-08-01 04:41:24 UTC

I think this was used because it startles the audience into awareness, putting us into the position that the characters are in and letting the true experience/feelings sink in. It creates a feeling that the audience is a part of the story. Interacting with the characters directly and personally this way changes our view of them, such as building sympathy for Tonya.

Maksim

maksimstraga — 2025-08-01 04:42:02 UTC

Hearing from everyone in I - Tonya, like Tonya; her mum LaVona; and her ex-husband Jeff, helps the audience see the story in a clearer and more balanced way. Instead of just one side, the movie shows different opinions and versions of what happened, even when they don’t match. This makes it feel more real and helps people understand that the truth is complicated. Tonya’s story shows her pain and the tough things she went through, while others sometimes ignore or deny that. By sharing all these views, the movie encourages the audience to think more deeply and feel more sympathy toward Tonya, seeing her not just as someone who made mistakes, but as someone shaped by her difficult life.

sharalanmuraleetharan — 2025-08-01 04:42:15 UTC

The director uses breaking the fourth wall to create a direct connection between the characters and the audience, making the story feel more personal and engaging. This technique highlights the conflicting perspectives and unreliable narratives, reminding viewers that what they're seeing is one version of the truth.

Julie

2025-08-01 04:43:06 UTC

I found that it was hard for her upbringing. It's hard to visualise having that lifestyle, but it's also bringing awareness to people who have gone through abuse, bullying and other forms of criticism.

But what I never understood as to why she had to drop out of figure skating when it could've helped later on in the future, if figure skating never worked out, and I would've wanted to see what would've happened with that outcome.

isabellatrotta — 2025-08-01 04:43:24 UTC

By breaking the fourth wall, the audience gets to have a clearer idea of what characters are thinking during certain scenes. It may also make scenes feel more personal and almost like the character is talking directly to them.

Nikitha

2025-08-01 04:44:08 UTC

Throughout the film, Tonya's mother LaVona is seen to lie at the centre of the psychological and physical abuse that Tonya experienced throughout her childhood. She is painted as a villain, instead of the maternal figure Tonya needed. In the interactions between Tonya and LaVona, it is clear that LaVona holds a lot of resentment towards Tonya. Furthermore, a lot of parallels are shown between Tonya and LaVona, suggesting to the audience that Tonya's inappropriate actions were a direct result of her upbringing; thus, prompting the viewer to feel empathy towards Tonya. For instance, the film shows a parallel between LaVona using inappropriate langauge when speaking to Tonya's coach Diane, and Tonya yelling at the judges and using profane language. These parallels allows the audience to excuse Tonya's bad habits and thus feel empathy towards her.

Hannah

hannaherwin1 — 2025-08-01 04:44:22 UTC

I think that if she didn't date Jeff, she would've been able to focus and grow a stronger connection with skating. This could've allowed her to go further with skating like winning an Olympic medal or two. Even though her mother was not a nice person and abusive, I believe it shaped her to be a strong and resilient athlete. That being said if she had a more stable family and listened to her coach more it would've gotten her further. However, I do feel bad for her and her story. She went through a lot to get where she is today and it would've taken a lot of hard work and dedication. It sad to see the amount of domestic violence she went through at home and with Jeff.

zoely1 — 2025-08-01 04:44:28 UTC

Despite some of the wrong decisions she may have made, I feel a lot of sympathy for her because she was truly a product of her environment. If she had grown up differently, surrounded by different people who supported her, she would have been a completely different person. She had to endure many challenges throughout her life, and I believe she acted the only way she knew how to. It's obvious that she truly loved skating, one of the only positive things in her life, and if she had grown up differently she could've gone really far.

nethra

nethrabharath1_1 — 2025-08-01 04:45:13 UTC

I think the director used 'breaking the fourth wall' on several occasions in the film to engage the audience and make them feel more intimate and personal with the story. Additionally, with different characters breaking the fourth wall, at different times, it acts like these characters are talking directly to the audience, hoping to sway their opinion on them and make the audience align with the character's perspective and story.

Josie

iamjjosie — 2025-08-01 04:45:54 UTC

By breaking the fourth wall, the characters in the film directly address the audience. This reveals to the purpose of the film, which was to convey the truth to the media and finally end the backlash on Tonya Harding. During the film, Tonya directly addresses the audience, saying how the people watching ruined her life (smth along those lines). By breaking the fourth wall, she is able to connect with the audience on a deeper level, acknowledging their role in her story, and allowing the audience themselves to reflect on this. This creates a sense of discomfort, as she is directly calling out the audience.

Kate

katenguyen4 — 2025-08-01 04:47:31 UTC

This film technique is able to make the viewers feel engaged and involved in the moment, connecting the space between reality and intricate scenes. It is also used to reveal important information not known prior to the people, which allow the audience to better understand each of the character's dispositions and them as a whole. The scene where Tonya were in the car while the police talked to Jeff is a crucial scene. Her telling the audience that Jeff can get out of any situations with his words reveal another side to Jeff, adds to his manipulative nature and perhaps contrast his facade of a "good guy" in public eye to his demeanour to Tonya. In turn, we empathise more with Tonya, and add to her scapegoat image of the media.

isabellatrotta — 2025-08-01 04:47:38 UTC

I believe that Tonya did make mistakes throughout her career but was treated extremely unfairly considering majority of things happening to her/around her were out of her control. Being shown Tonya's childhood feel makes me feel empathetic towards her, especially when realising how big of an impact the way she was treated as a child and it reflected on her future relationships.

2025-08-01 04:49:00 UTC

In presenting the perspectives of all the people involved in the situation, the audience is able to gain more insight into the characters themselves. The comparisons between Jeff's version of events and Tonya's allows the audience view the complex relationship between the two, as well as Jeff's manipulative behaviour. Furthermore, the inclusion of several persepctives allows the audience to draw their own conclusions as to what occured; they are prompted to think more deeply as to why these series of events happened and what could have been some driving factors. While Tonya doesn't always directly blame her actions on her mother, observing how LaVona sees these events and how Tonya does allows the audience to piece together the fact that LaVona actually contributed to a lot of Tonya's actions and outbursts.

nethra

nethrabharath1_1 — 2025-08-01 04:49:42 UTC

I feel sympathy for Tonya, as it was the people she was surrounded with and her upbringing that made her make bad decisions in her life, which continuously hurt her. It is sad to see that her environment and that the people who were supposed to support and love her, ultimately ruin and take away the one thing she loved the most, which was figure skating.

Josie

iamjjosie — 2025-08-01 04:51:28 UTC

I think after watching the film, it was much easier to empathise with Tonya, knowing her story and truth. I understand that she made plenty of mistakes in her life, some unacceptable, but I think a large part of it was centred around the background she was raised in, as well as the people she kept close to her. I think LaVona was the biggest impact on her behaviour and actions due to her neglect, so she claims a large amount of fault. However, I also think that Jeff played a huge role in Tonya's mistakes, being a key in the Nancy Kerrigan incident. I also think its important to remember and consider that Tonya is not relieved of any fault, she still made decisions and mistakes on her own, but I recognise and empathise with her humanity portrayed in the film.

2025-08-01 04:52:30 UTC

The film technique of 'Breaking the Fourth Wall' is especially effective in evoking an emotional response from the viewer. When the characters speak directly to the audience, it is as if the character and the audience is having a conversation themselves, thus evoking a stronger emotional connection. The use of this technique was also effective in terms of demonstrating to the audience how the actual version of events has gotten quite twisted over the years. As the characters speak to the audience member by breaking the fourth wall, it is as if the character themselves is arguing their point to the audience; and as multiple characters do this, the audience feels conflicted, ultimately evoking a stronger emotional response in the viewer.

kylie

kylieoyama — 2025-08-01 04:53:06 UTC

tonyas mother contributed to the audience feeling empathy towards tona because she treated ton ya really badly with agression, where she never left kind comments about tonya when tonya wanted to make her mother feel proud of her. tonya tried to have a healthy relationship with her mother during the time when the judges told her that she can not be represented because she doesn thave the typical happy american family, but it never fully worked out. this caused the audience to feelieng empathy because tonya craved for her mothers love her whole life and she couldnt recieve it.

2025-08-01 04:54:36 UTC

I believe that if it were not for her circumstances, such as the toxic relationships she was prone to forming and the bias from the media, that Tonya Harding truly could've become an olympic champion. Those moments after Tonya has skated and is free from the outside world allows the audience to experience her passion for figure skating. I myself do feel sympathy for her situation; the abuse she experienced and the fact that she wasn't taken seriously her entire life.

Kate

katenguyen4 — 2025-08-01 04:55:12 UTC

It's definitely unfair in my mind when she was banned from life from skating, when this was what she sold her soul to pursue, dedicated her entire consciousness, and sacrificed her childhood for, just because of being with the wrong people in her life. On top of that, she was villainised by the entire public. I definitely feel very sorry for her in the way she had to face these inevitabilities, but more than that I admire her strength and persistence and grit in adapting and surving through her life.

Adnoi

adnoijacob — 2025-08-02 03:26:19 UTC

Hearing everyone's opinion on the situation is an extremely crucial part as hearing different perspectives would help build a story or personal opinion which is unbiased and fair. Hearing everyones opionion also helped identify exaggeration or straight up lies that could have been part of the story or perspective of one person.

Adnoi

adnoijacob — 2025-08-02 03:29:36 UTC

'Breaking the fourth wall' was an effect used by the director to help connect the audience to the characters on screen to a deeper level. By "engaging" with the characters on screen and having them "talk" to the audience, the director was able to help connect the audience and help build a sense of empathy towards characters or moments which needed them. A prime example would be when Tonya was facing abuse at the hands of her husband, there were scenes of 'breaking the fourth wall' which helped the audience connect better with the characters.

Adnoi

adnoijacob — 2025-08-02 03:31:39 UTC

I do empathetic towards Tonya and her story but I believe there were certain parts of the story in which it was her own fault and doings which led her to hinder personal growth to her maximum potential. Her reaction to things is the only thing she could've changed but yet there were times when she lashed out "wanting to get things done her way" which ultimately cost her dearly.

Natalie

natalielow2 — 2025-08-02 13:50:41 UTC

I think it was important to consider the opinions and perspectives of all the individuals involved in Tonya's life, as everyone perceives and remembers incidents and details differently. In the media, Tonya's story was often presented in a biased and inaccurate manner, especially around her involvement in the incident with Nancy. Therefore, hearing the perspectives from all those involved presented the situation in an unbiased light, allowing the audience to form their own perspectives on the situation.

Natalie

natalielow2 — 2025-08-02 13:57:33 UTC

I think the director used the technique of 'breaking the fourth wall' several occasions to involve the audience and garner an emotional response to the individuals involved in Tonya's life. It involves the audience in the situation. Especially in scenes of chaos, the audience is caused to feel present in the moment, and serves as a reminder that the film was created based on real events and Tonya Harding lived through it.

Natalie

natalielow2 — 2025-08-02 14:12:44 UTC

I think Tonya Harding was a resilient individual despite the environment she grew up in, and I admire her for that. I believe LaVona was like the 'fuel to her fire', pushing and enabling Tonya to continue her love for skating, but the way she treated Tonya was so unfair, and it shaped Tonya's rash behaviour, how she reacted to difficult situations, and acted out. She caused Tonya to think abuse was normal, and Tonya didn't know any better and didn't have someone to support her. I think Tonya would have become an incredible individual if she had the right support from people who wanted the best for her, and I think her upbringing and the people she encountered were simply unfortunate.

Michelle

michelleson1 — 2025-08-03 16:57:08 UTC

LaVona is portrayed as abusive, harsh, and emotionally cold; this indirectly shows the difficult and toxic environment Tonya grew up in. This makes the audience sympathise with Tonya and view her as a product of abusive environment, rather than just her actions.

Michelle

michelleson1 — 2025-08-03 16:58:42 UTC

Hearing from multiple perspectives shows how messy and complex the truth is, compared to how it's depicted in the media. It encourages the audience to think about what's real and to be more critical of media narratives. This allowed less judgmental view of Tonya.

Michelle

michelleson1 — 2025-08-03 17:00:23 UTC

Breaking the fourth wall makes the film feel more personal and confessional. It hooks the audience, making them feel like they are being directly told the truth. It blurs the boundary between the audience and the film, making them more attached to characters from the movie.

Michelle

michelleson1 — 2025-08-03 17:04:15 UTC

I think Tonya was a hardworking skater, and I believe she didn't deserve the extreme hate. While her actions can’t be justified, the film shows how much she was shaped by abuse, discrimination, and manipulation. This made it hard for me to be judgmental of Tonya's actions, and I feel like I was rather lenient of her actions.

Maksim

maksimstraga — 2025-08-03 23:16:37 UTC

The director of I, Tonya uses breaking the fourth wall, where characters speak directly to the audience, to create a stronger emotional connection and a sense of honesty in a story full of contradictions and unreliable narrators. When Tonya turns to the camera mid-scene to explain or defend her actions, it feels like she’s letting the audience into her personal version of the truth, which helps viewers see her as more vulnerable and relatable. This technique also adds a darkly comedic tone, making the serious moments more digestible while highlighting how bizarre and media-driven her life was. Overall, it builds trust between Tonya and the audience, pushing them to rethink their assumptions and feel more sympathy for her side of the story.

Maksim

maksimstraga — 2025-08-03 23:31:49 UTC

Many viewers, including myself come away from I, Tonya feeling that Harding was deeply misunderstood, shaped by a tough upbringing marked by poverty, abuse, and a lack of emotional support. The film challenges the media’s simplified portrayal of her as a villain and instead presents her as someone who was caught in a whirlwind of circumstances she couldn't fully control.

kylie

kylieoyama — 2025-08-03 23:52:54 UTC

i think that breaking the foruth wall was used to engage the audience and interested in each of the characters lives, creating an emtoional response to the viewers. it was used in a way to connect the audience to the characters. characters break the fourth wall, tell conflicting versions of events, and speak like they’re being interviewed and not like they’re in a drama

charlie

2025-08-04 00:12:09 UTC

tonya's mother lavona makes the audience feel empathy for tonya because tonya didn't have a normal childhood and had an abusive childhood.

Oliver

2025-08-04 00:27:46 UTC

Hearing from all the characters involved increased the suspense in the film. This is because many of the interviews conflicted with each other, meaning the audience don't know what the full details are for some sections of the film. Most of the time, the bias of what the audience believed was towards Tonya's view of the story because she seemed like the most trusting and good person. However, it was still useful having the other perspectives as it broadened the viewer's understanding of the controversies surrounding Tonya Harding.