I, Tonya Page #14

DIANE:

One minute.

TONYA:

A minute?

She ties her laces tight and runs out.

217 INT. RINK -SCORING AREA/GATE -LILLEHAMMER 1994 -NIGHT 217

Tonya rushes from backstage through the scoring area.

TONYA:

It’s not going to hold me!!

She steps onto the ice.

218 INT. RINK -ICE LEVEL -LILLEHAMMER 1994 -NIGHT 218

Tonya steps onto the ice then skate over to Diane as the crowdjeers.

TONYA:

I’m gonna break my ankle.

Diane gives her a pep talk. Tonya looks terrified and doomedand resolved as she tilts her head to God and says a prayer.

She catches her breath and hits her mark.

The bizarre music begins. Tonya skates gamely but awkwardly.

She skates backward as the music soars then JUMPS, giving upin the air, arms and legs spread out clumsily.

87.

She continues for a few seconds, arms spread out gracefully,

then drops them, giving up. She starts to cry.

Tonya looks devastated as she skates over to the judges.

219 INT. RINK -JUDGE’S TABLE -LILLEHAMMER 1994 -NIGHT 219

Tonya throws up her hands then throws her leg up ONTO theirtable pointing to her laces. The judges examine it as the musiccontinues. Her face resembles the classic Tragedy Mask.

TONYA:

My lace broke! I can’t-I really tried

to get out her on time. Please...

She looks humiliated and defiant and at a loss.

220 INT. DIVE BAR -OREGON -NIGHT 220

Lavona watches TV solemnly.

CBS ANNOUNCER (V.O.)

In a situation like this, the judging

panel will give her her best

opportunity to put out her best

performance. Things like this just

don’t happen!

ON THE TV -The judges mutter and Tonya skates off the ice.

CBS ANNOUNCER 2 (V.O.)

Well I think they’re allowing Tonya

to fix her skate! Again, this is

every skaters recurring nightmare.

221 INT. TONYA’S HOUSE -DAY -CLOSE ON: MODERN DAY TONYA 221

Tonya wears her big child star smile.

TONYA:

Could I just say one quick thing about

Nancy Kerrigan?

222 INT. RINK -ICE LEVEL -LILLEHAMMER 1994 -NIGHT

Tonya performs a series of jumps to a smattering of applause.

88.

TONYA (V.O.)

So my lace breaks which I guess is myfault but really kinda isn’t and I goout and do the same stuff as everybodyelse but I didn’t get the marks causeI didn’t have a shot with the judgesto begin with.

223 INT. TONYA’S HOUSE -DAY -CLOSE ON: MODERN DAY TONYA 223

TONYA:

It was a big story. But I don’t need abig story. I’m a big story on my ownwhen I skate. I did my best and I got8th. But Nancy

224 INT. RINK -PODIUM -LILLEHAMMER 1994 -NIGHT 224

Nancy stands on the Olympic platform in second position.

TONYA (V.O.)

She goes out and gives a beautifulskate-I never said different-She

wins a friggin’ silver medal & whenthey put that medal round her neck shelooked like she stepped in poo.

As the medal goes on, Nancy looks like she stepped in poo.

225 INT. TONYA’S HOUSE -DAY -CLOSE ON: MODERN DAY TONYA 225

TONYA:

Come on! I mean, how am I the poorsport in all of this?

A judge BANGS his gavel.

TONYA (V.O.)(CONT’D)

They postponed my trial until after

the Olympics.

226 INT. COURTROOM -OREGON -DAY 226

Tonya and Bob stand before a judge. She looks at her feet.

89.

JUDGE LONDER:

Tonya Harding. You are hereby

sentenced to 3 years probation,

$100,000 fine plus $10,000 to the

D.A.’s office for special costs.

Another $50,000 to set up a fund for

the Special Olympics. 500 hours

community service; a psychological

evaluation-

He stops. Tonya looks up.

JUDGE LONDER (CONT’D)

-and your immediate resignation from

the US Figure Skating Association-

Tonya face is blank.

JUDGE LONDER (CONT’D)

Banning you for life from all Figure

Skating Association competitions and

events.

She flinches. This was a surprise to her.

TONYA:

No. All I did was hindering

prosecution. You’re never gonna let me

skate again? I’d rather do jail time.

They only got 18 months.

The judge stares.

TONYA (CONT’D)

They got 18 months. I’ll do that. Your

honor. I don’t have education. All I

know is skating. I’m no one if I’m

can’t-I’m not this monster. I’m

trying to do the best with what I know

how to-. It’s like you’re giving me a

life sentence. You can’t do that.

JUDGE LONDER:

Miss Harding. That’s enough-

TONYA:

Please! Just send me to jail sothen I can still skate!

JUDGE LONDER:

I’ve given you my decision.

The judge bangs his gavel. Her lawyer nudges her, motions forher to take the deal. Tonya stares ahead.

90.

227 INT. TONYA’S APARTMENT -LIVING ROOM -NIGHT 227

Tonya, alone, hiding out in the dark, beer in hand, the onlylight coming from the TV set. On the TV, a late night TV host:

TV HOST (V.O.)

The top 10 excuses by Tonya Harding at

the Olympics. #4, got scared by

Nancy’s giant teeth. #3, two words:

Rental Skates. #2, got mixed up before

competition and hit self in knee with

lead pipe. And the #1 excuse by Tonya

Harding:
Couldn’t land the triple

Gillooly.

The audience cheers.

228 INT. NAIL SALON -DAY -CLOSE ON: MODERN DAY JEFF 228

JEFF:

I got a 2 year sentence and did 8

months to the day.

229 INT/EXT. JEFF’S HOUSE -MORNING 229

Jeff opens his front door and looks around cautiously.

JEFF (V.O.)

All that craziness, everything I’ll

ever be known for, from start to

finish was just a few months. Before I

went to jail, I got up one morning,

the press had just disappeared. Like I

dreamed it.

On Jeff’s TV, press coverage of O. J. Simpson’s arrest for

killing his ex-wife.

230 INT. HARDING HOUSE -CLOSE ON MODERN DAY LAVONA 230

LAVONA:

I never see Tonya anymore and this

is fine. I could care less. I lead

a full life... I’m very happy.

The bird pecks at Lavona’s ear.

91.

231 INT. NAIL SALON -DAY -CLOSE ON: MODERN DAY JEFF 231

JEFF:

Tonya would never have thought of

calling in a death threat. And I was

more caught up in the terrible things

she was saying about me rather than

the fact that I ruined her career.

Absolutely ruined it.

232 INT. BOXING RING -NIGHT 232

Title card:
Creek Nations Gaming Center Tulsa, Oklahoma. 2003

A huge crowd has gathered around a boxing ring.

TONYA (V.O.)

Once I was banned from figure

skating for life, I didn’t have a

lot of options.

233 INT. HARDING HOUSE -DAY CLOSE ON MODERN DAY TONYA 233

TONYA:

I did what I hada do to stay in the

public eye and pay the bills.

234 INT. BOXING RING -NIGHT 234

Tonya and a SCARY LADY BOXER trade punches and jabs.

TONYA (V.O.)

I was the second most known person

behind Bill Clinton in the world.

That meant something. People still

wanted to see me. So I became a

lady boxer. I mean, why not?

Violence was always what I knew

anyway.

BAM! Her opponent slams her with a right to the jaw. Tonyamomentarily see stars. She looks out at the crowd.

An arena of hate where there used to be love. Ugly facesshouting and booing.

92.

TONYA (V.O.)

America, you know. They wantsomeone to love but they wantsomeone to hate. And they want it

easy.

The match continues. Tonya’s face is beaten and battered.

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