I, Tonya Page #3

EXT. KING’S BUFFET RESTAURANT -EVENING

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Jeff jumps out of the car, opens the passenger door for Tonyawho smiles shyly, not used to such treatment.

14.

TONYA (V.O.)

I’ve never been a girly girl. Jeffwas my first date ever... And my

mom came.

Then Lavona barrels out, motioning them to follow her inside.

35 INT. KING’S BUFFET RESTAURANT -EVENING TO NIGHT 35

Lavona, Tonya, Jeff sit at a serve yourself style restaurant.

LAVONA:

You a gardener or a flower, John?

JEFF:

Jeff.

LAVONA:

In a relationship there’s a flower andthere’s a gardener.

TONYA:

Mom-

JEFF:

Um, I don’t know. I never thought-

LAVONA:

I’m a gardener who wants to be aflower. How f***ed am I?

She downs a drink.

LAVONA (CONT’D)

Tonya won’t garden to save her life.

You’re gonna have to do all thegardening there fella.

TONYA:

Mom!

LAVONA:

What??

They look at Jeff as if saying, ’See what I put up with?’

Finally:

LAVONA (CONT’D)

You two f*** yet?

Tonya and Jeff pretend they’re anywhere else.

15.

36 EXT. JEFF’S HOME -FRONT YARD -DAY 36

By a fixer-upper home on an unmowed lawn with a plastic deer &

empty beer bottles, Tonya & Jeff work under the hood of histruck. On it’s radio, 1986 hits play.

TONYA:

My dad’s only been laid off a couplemonths now so he stopped sendingmoney. We had plenty of money before.

I have a fur coat and everything.

JEFF:

Yeah?

TONYA:

Otherwise-

JEFF:

(His eyes on the engine)

My family’s poor.

This quiets her. Tonya watches him.

TONYA:

You need me to disconnect the plugsbefore you-

JEFF:

Kay.

She moves closer as they work. Jeff hands her a towel.

TONYA:

That’s okay.

She wipes her hands on her pant legs. Jeff smiles.

TONYA (CONT’D)

What’cha gonna do now school’s done?

JEFF:

I do this job for the Association ForRetarded Persons. I mean, I’m not aretarded person. I’m their driver.

Which is cool. My dad was Air Force.

He died when I was young so my collegeis paid for. But-I dunno.

TONYA:

My parents had me quit school. Toconcentrate on skating.

16.

JEFF:

It’s like your superpower. It’sfucking awesome what you can do.

Tonya stops, unused to compliments or being seen that way.

TONYA:

So, what? You like me?

JEFF:

You are so f***in’ pretty.

TONYA:

No, I’m not!

She looks COMPLETELY BAFFLED as he moves closer. Then:

TONYA (CONT’D)

You are.

Under the open, greasy hood of his truck, they kiss.

TONYA (V.O.)

He was really sweet in the

beginning. He was a good kisser. He

told me he loved me. And I believed

him. But then

37 INT/EXT. JEFF’S TRUCK -STREET -NIGHT 37

BAM! Jeff pops Tonya in the face. Tonya turns directly to the

camera.

TONYA:

He started hitting me a few months in.

38 INT. MOTEL ROOM -NIGHT 38

Tonya holds Jeff close as they make love for the first time.

TONYA (V.O.)

Then he’d say it’d never happen again.

But I figured-

Tonya turns to the camera.

TONYA:

My mom hits me. She loves me.

17.

39 INT. HARDING HOME -KITCHEN -DAY

Jeff corners Tonya. He SLAPS her.

TONYA (V.O.)

That’s just what I knew.

39

40 INT/EXT. JEFF’S TRUCK -ROADSIDE -NIGHT

Jeff’s truck ROCKS as inside, he and Tonya have sex.

TONYA (V.O.)

He’d say he was sorry. And thingswould be normal for a while

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JEFF:

I’m sorry.

TONYA:

I know.

41 INT. HARDING HOME -HALLWAY -AFTERNOON

Jeff chases Tonya around the house.

TONYA (V.O.)

He was the first boy I ever loved.

The only catch was-

Jeff shoves Tonya’s head into a mirror. Then to camera:

TONYA:

He’d beat the living hell outta me.

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

TONYA:

And I thought it was my fault. LookNancy gets hit one time42

43 INT. ICE RINK -DAY 43

Wounded Nancy Kerrigan cries out, “WHY?? WHY??”

18.

44 INT. TONYA’S HOUSE -DAY -CLOSE ON: MODERN DAY TONYA 44

TONYA:

... and the whole world shits. For me

it was an all the time occurrence.

45 INT. NAIL SALON -DAY -CLOSE ON: MODERN DAY JEFF 45

JEFF:

I never hit her. That’s not me. I’m

actually a pretty meek guy. (Hegiggles) She hit me though. And shepacked a wallop!

46 INT. JEFF AND TONYA’S HOUSE -NIGHT 46

Tonya, 19, fires a shot gun at Jeff, BAM.

JEFF (V.O.)

Fired a gun at me too.

TONYA:

(To the camera, with a smoking gun)

This is bullshit. I never did this.

47 INT. HARDING HOME -KITCHEN -DAY 47

JEFF (V.O.)

That comes later. We’re still happy

now.

Lavona watches Tonya as they eat white bread sandwiches.

LAVONA:

I can see that shiner through yourmake up, ya know.

TONYA:

I fell on the ice yesterday.

LAVONA:

I don’t know, Tonnie. I would never bewith someone who f***in’ hit me.

TONYA:

You hit dad.

19.

LAVONA:

That’s different.

TONYA:

Anyway he said he was sorry.

They each take big bites. Then with their mouths full:

LAVONA:

Seriously though. You’re a dumb pieceof sh*t who thinks she deserves to gethit.

TONYA:

How’d I get that idea?

LAVONA:

(Reconsidering)

Maybe he should hit you. Maybe you’lllearn to keep your big mouth shut.

Sure helps me out.

Tonya leaves the table, puts her dish in the sink.

LAVONA (CONT’D)

I’m supportive of this relationship,

do you hear me?

TONYA:

I gotta go to practice.

LAVONA:

Hey!!

Tonya freezes.

LAVONA (CONT’D)

Kiss your mother goodbye.

Tonya cautiously approaches Lavona and kisses her. But Lavonacannot connect.

INT. COMPETITION RINK -LOCKER ROOM/HALLWAY -DAY

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Title card:
12 months later.

A long line of graceful, angelic, delicate girls make up. At theend of the line, Tonya, in 1980’s ‘PUNK,’ extinguishes acigarette butt on her skate blade.

20.

49 INT. COMPETITION RINK -ON THE ICE -1986 -DAY 49

Tonya performs to ZZ. Top. It’s the first time we really see herskate and she’s a wow. The judges clearly dislike her musicselection but her skating has a power none of the other skaterspossess. This is no old fashioned ice princess.

50 INT. COMPETITION RINK -THE STANDS -DAY 50

Jeff grimaces as Tonya soars. Shawn licks his fingers, watchingthe monitor instead of live. 4 empty seats away, Lavona studiesTonya. When Tonya finishes, the crowd CHEERS.

51 INT. COMPETITION RINK -SCORING AREA / HALLWAY -DAY 51

Tonya, out of breath, using her asthmas inhaler, waits withDiane. When her scores come in, the crowd BOOS loudly.

Tonya and Diane quickly gather their things and walk off.

TONYA:

They freakin’ hate me. Emily Ann felland scored higher.

DIANE:

Honey, you’re-different.

TONYA:

I’m not dressing like a retarded toothfairy. This is bullshit.

DIANE:

The judges expect a conventional-

TONYA:

I don’t want to be conventional!

DIANE:

And your scores reflect that.

TONYA:

If I did a triple they’d have to giveme my f***ing scores.

DIANE:

You can’t just do the triple-

TONYA:

Sometimes I can!

21.

52 INT. HARDING HOME -KITCHEN -NIGHT 52

Tonya sits, eating self-consciously. Lavona stands behind her,

uncomfortably close, just glaring at her. Finally:

TONYA LAVONA:

It wasn’t my fault. Nothing’s ever your fault.

TONYA:

I out-skated-

LAVONA:

You skated like a graceless bull dyke!

I was embarrassed for you.

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