FYC: Allison Janney in "I,Tonya"
Friday, January 26, 2018 at 8:00PM 
First things first: Lady Bird hasn't been released over here in the UK yet.
Secondly: Are you really going to begrudge Allison Janney an Oscar?
Then this FYC, by all accounts, is an unbiased endorsement of Allison Janney for Best Supporting Actress.
Allison Janney, as Tonya Harding's mother, in any other year, would have Film Twitter and Gay Twitter right behind her, and yet we hesitate. Janney is razor-sharp as LaVona Golden, whose love is more brutal than merely just tough. But as we have determined, this year there's a problem, and it's the problem of parallels...
Laurie Metcalf and Allison Janney are both esteemed on the stage and on (the smaller) screen. Both have Emmys, though Janney has more. Both are Tony nominees, but only Metcalf is a winner. And both are playing mothers of determined, headstrong daughters. While Janney may have the one liners, Metcalf has daughters all over the country calling their mothers. Janney's performance in I,Tonya may well have the same effect for other reasons.
There are many ways we can be happy if/when Janney goes up to collect her Oscar. Her role in I,Tonya shows off her more uproarious talents, as her role as CJ on The West Wing did on occasion. But look closer at I,Tonya and you'll see a performance that depends so much on watching the action, rather than participating in it. Janney's stillness is another of her defining qualities. Remember the near-silent gravitas she had in American Beauty? And her one scene in Kenneth Lonergan's muddled masterpiece, Margaret, that sends the whole story in motion and etches itself on the mind?
I,Tonya's LaVona may be abusive, and crass, and cruel. But she is also the heroine in her own tragedy. LaVona elicits laughter: a mix of the nervous variety and a dirty cackle (depending on your screening). But for me, her most memorable moments were not what she was unleashing, but what she was containing. While Tonya is performing miracles on ice, LaVona watches, not from the sidelines, ready to share in Tonya's victory or console her in defeat, but from the bleachers. LaVona wouldn't be able to console her, or even celebrate in fact. She says whatever gives her the upper hand, but is forced into silence when she has nothing. As she watches her daughter at Lillehammer, clutching a drink in a crowded bar, she's forced into being just one of the spectators. Janney makes you question what could even give her satisfaction: seeing her daughter succeed, or fall flat on her ass?
Janney captures the twisted, knotted life of a toxic, tragic person. Yes, she plays it large. But she saves this character from merely being a one-dimensional villain, even if by all accounts she was. You can't dismiss her on a technicality. She deserves it.
Reader Comments (56)
Janney is a distant third for me.
1. Metcalf
2. Manville
3. Janney
4. Spencer
5. Blige
No.
YES.
That's exactly what I was thinking.
Who wouldn't vote for Allison freaking Janney?!
I'm in the opposite situation. I haven't seen I, Tonya yet. But nobody should ever take that Oscar from Metcalf. Just no.
I hate that I’m rooting against her, because I absolutely adore her, but I can’t. I guess it’s not so much that her performance is bad, it’s not. But how it plays into the edit of the film, it comes off as, well... quite juvenile.
This absolutely pains me. I LOVE Allison Janney. I believe she deserved an Oscar for Drop Dead Gorgeous.
While my preference is with Lesley Manville, I’m just happy she was nominated. (In the tradition of Riva/Cotillard/Rampling/Huppert, she’s quite obviously this year’s “Can’t believe the Academy smart enough to nominate...”) I feel this should’ve been a slam dunk for Laurie Metcalf. It would make such a great Oscar win.
1. Manville
2. Metcalf
3. Spencer
4. Blige
5. Janney
Love Janney and she'll be my favorite win among the actors unless we get surprises. She's easily one of my favorite supporting actress turns of the year. I've just been waiting for it to happen for her for years, so it's a bit of a bummer that I want it for someone else even more.
I`ve seen all of them and JANNEY will definitely win this one, she creates a character that is impossible to take and irresistible at the same time. She is spectacular. It`s one of the strongest performances of 2017 , pure Oscar-gold. And I do believe the Academy just overlooked the amazing performances of Carey Mulligan (Mudbound) and Sienna Miller (The Lost City of Z) they haven`t even been in the conversation, Mulligan is far better than Blige in Mudbound and Miller deserves a nomination already.
Janney is such a ham in this, but I don't blame her as much as I blame the director. Metcalf all the way.
Janney is great in the film and I'll be very happy for her if she (ok when) she wins, but my heart will hurt for Laurie Metcalf, my personal favorite of the group.
I haven't seen The Shape of Water, but here's how I'd rank the other four nominees:
1. Metcalf
2. Manville
3. Janney
4. Blige
I love Allison Janney -- but this was one note and not worthy. I haven't seen MJB yet but she is a distant fourth place among the others. Metcalf creates a person, with both good and bad qualities. Janney gets some great one-liners but it is one note with a bird assist. If she beats Metcalf, that will, in time, go down as one of the biggest Oscar mistakes of all time.
My ranking is the exact same as Raul's. Metcalf, Manville and Janney are all excellent, but the first two bring such complex facets to their characters, while Janney's role is a little too one-note "hard-as-nails tough bitch mother". I felt likeI knew her almost immediately, while Metcalf and Manning kept adding nuances to their characters right up to their last scenes.
Not Manning, of course, but Manville.
The smackdown cometh soon. We will see who the truly worthy one is.
That scene in Margaret that should have already made her an Oscar nominee if not winner? Yeah, I remember that scene well. Janney's an easy win for me in this category, but I do will not be upset if any of the other nominees take the prize. It's a great group and probably my favorite category this year (outside of Score).
Janney has been so good in supp roles in sooooooo many popular movies (The Help, The Hours, etc) that its hard to begrudge her momentum for I, Tonya. Many wanna see her win bcos she shld've been nom several times already...
Sure, her character is OTT, loud, rude, profane & dun give 2 fucks abt wat u tink,...but isn't McDormand's Mildred Hayes the same?
If pple are gonna take her down just bcos her character is a nasty bitch, then they shld also look at Mildred Hayes...who is even more unapologetic & unlikable (IMO)
At least we all know Janney is PLAYING a character, I have a feeling tt McDormand is actually channeling the most unsavory part of her personality...Lol
My pick is Metcafe, its not easy playing a hurried everyday mom & she makes it look easy (but trust me, it's not) follow by Manville (a perfect chill on outside, but deep down u kno she's all fire) & then Janney (she took wat she could w the role & run away w it!!!)
I am sure her win won't age well because it is one of those Melissa Leo-type of showy performances that seem undeniable at the particular moment but in a few years are regarded as questionable choices.
I haven't seen I Tonya yet - but I would give Janney this Oscar in a heartbeat alone for her body of work & her snub in Mendes "Away We Go' (a must see!) - she is phenomenal ! BUT my heart belongs to Metcalf this year. The good thing is we have Janney, Metcalf & Manville invited to the circle "oscar-nomminated" and we WILL see them again !!
On the other hand - can someone please do an FYC how Spencer can get away with being nominated 3 times for playing exactly the same role ??? Yes I know - u gotta love her, she's great, she's the heart of the movie, she's sassy, she's the new Thelma Ritter who we would have NEVER questioned - BUT REALLY 3 TIMES - leaving Hunter & so many others behind...
I've just seen Shape of Water - and no her performance is great but nothing for the ages !
Claran - Yeah. Frances’ impending win is ridiculous.
I've waited for Allison Janney, an actress clearly most of us love, to get her dues. So have I with Sam Rockwell. Which is *why* I'm so disappointed I don't like her performance more. Janney is excellent as usual, bringing so much more to the table than the script allows her to but even then it's a limited performance. The one scene that tried to give Lavona some added nuance turns out to be a flake. Janney's a talented performer, and it shines through with how delicious those line readings are and how much she milks what was otherwise a one note character. She basically does the same thing for the first 20 mins and Janney actually makes it interesting.
So it's not a bad performance. It's just not amazing. And in a year that saw Laurie Metcalf do wondrous things, it's disappointing to see her run away with for something below what we know she could do. I'd rank her fourth or fifth, changing with Blige. Spencer and Manville are above, and Metcalf far and away the top of the group (and among the year).
Me before IMDB: Who's is this tall actress who absolutely kills every scene she's in?
She shouldn't have been nominated in the first place. Great actress, terrible performance.
But when wil it be Mary J. Blige’s turn?!!??!
I do not understand the love for Janney here,seems like it's a mix of the monster mother,respected 30 year career,in a hyped film,the style of film and her connections,Metcalf is way ahead for me and her best scene doesn't involve Ronan at all.
Janney revealed almost nothing about why she did the things Lavona supposedly did or said,it is so 1 note.
I also love Blige for all the reasons I don't get Janney and am amazed really how people wanted fireworks from a quiet southern woman,she has several gr8 scenes in Mudbound,Janney had more nuance in The Help and they nominated the wrong lady from that film Jessica Chastain who is hamming in TH like Janney is in IT.
Yes, I will begrudge Janney an Oscar. For several reasons.
First and foremost: I hate her overacting. Most of the time, not only in I, Tonya, she's one-note and over the top. This is how she approaches plenty of roles.
Secondly: Laurie Metcalf who is brilliant in Lady Bird and is the film's heart. I fell in love with her in this film.
And finally: Lesley Manville. This nomination has been long overdue. What she does in the film is running circles around Janney.
I would rank Janney fourth (with Spencer fifth). I've been thinking about Metcalf's performance a lot. I've been thinking about Mary J. Blige and Manville. I enjoyed Janney's performance, it's fun. But I've never thought about it afterwards. It's just a gimmick and it's going to beat a heartfelt, beautiful performance. So yeah...
Much as I typically adore Janney (and think Robbie should be winning Lead Actress), I wasn't terribly fond of her here and she'd be dead last for me among the Oscar nominees. The role is written in a thin, one-dimensional way that'd make it impossible for even the finest actress to not play it like caricature. It's not even among Janney's 15 or 20 best performances.
Metcalf should be triumphing, with Manville is a close second.
I was a student in Chicago when Laurie Metcalf made a name of herself as a member of the Steppenwolf Theater Company and hit it big with Roseanne, so I always have a solf spot for her and wish she was more famous in films. So I'm very happy that about 25 years later she finally got an oscar nomination and might actually win one. I love both Metcalf in Lady Bird and Allison Janney in I, Tonya. One quiet and captured my heart, One loud and captured my sympathy and both are great. But I was so moved by Metcalf at the end of Lady Bird, so she's the winner for me.
I have not yet seen Lesly Manville performance. As for Octavia Spencer, she's great and very lucky (and has good taste at picking scripts actually) because all her three oscar nominated roles are from best picture nominated movies (which help her during voting for nomination more or less I guess).
My vote completely goes to Janney. If I, Tonya was patterned after Goodfellas, LaVona is definitely the Joe Pesci/Tommy DeVito of this film. Each scene with her elevated the tension.
I knew that thiis character won me in the scene where Lavona is at waitress job - she stops to watch her daughter compete and says to the TV screen, 'I want to see her face.' Well, I always wanted to see LaVona's face in each scene. There was never any indication from her daughter's view of joy, triumph, love or validation. We were also looking for something from this Sphinx. Even at Tonya's wedding - I wanted to see her mother's face! She sat at that wedding table - expressionless. Was she happy, pissed or even joyful? (We'd soon find out). If a character has that ability to draw you away, that's the clincher.
You can go good mother vs. bad mother (Metcalf vs. Janney). The Lady Bird mother was like the mama bird skeptical of her baby's ability to fly away. It was until she circles around at the airport that she had an type of emotional connection to the audience.
If it's good vs. evil (Ma Joad or Mrs. Danvers), evil gets my vote!
Janney is the only front runner I want to succeed. Everyone else can get Russell Crowe'd on Oscar night.
Give this woman the Oscar now!
I’m completely behind this post. For me, Allison Janney has been so great for so long without Oscar recognition that she’s overdue both the nomination AND the win. I’m not a fan of “career” wins, but I make an exception for Janney because she’s in my top 5 actresses currently working and I am hungry for Oscar on her behalf. I fully accept that this bias discredits me somewhat. However, I thought Janney was spectacular in “I, Tonya” - it certainly plays to the broader end of her range, but that is largely determined by the tone of the film. She absolutely *nails* the cartoon villain but still manages to wrench the disturbing truths of a troubled and troubling woman out of the rather inconsistent and lurching screenplay. LaVona’s hateful mothering is the frame through which Harding becomes sympathetic and so her spectre must reign even when she disappears from screen for lengthy periods. Janney detonates so that aftershocks shudder beyond the running time and yet every time we revisit LaVona, Janney gives such a complicated read that we can understand why Tonya returns to the site of abuse with a tentative hope that things might have changed... I love Metcalf and she would be a very worthy winner. I haven’t seen Phantom Thread yet, but Manville is never less than excellent. I think it’s a very strong year in Supporting Actress, especially when each of these three ladies would deserve the win both for body of work and this year’s standalone performance. Whoever wins, I hope the others get a second shot soon.
Janning's performance is 90% caricature while Metcalf's is pure heart. Like most everyone else, I'll be happy to see Janning honored if she wins, but Metcalf will always have the true win this year.
Claran and Roger : so true, so true. How can voters watch the beautiful work of Hawkins, Robbie, and Ronan and then cast their votes for McDormand? The mind boggles...
I think the fact this is a so split year, works against Janney... they might feel that the GG and SAG are enough and throw some bone to Lady Bird with Metcalf... because I am feeling that Three Billboards is winning Picture / Actress / Supporting Actor and Original Screenplay (despite not deserving any of them, imho). They will avoid Get Out, give The Shape of Water Director, Production Design and Score... Costume for Phantom Thread... Make Up and Actor for Darkest Hour... Both Sound and Film Editing to Dunkirk... Adapted Screenplay to Call me by your name... and also leaving The Post emptyhanded...
Three Billboards 4 awards (Picture / Actress / Sup. Actor / Original Screenplay)
The Shape of water 3 awards (Director / Score / Production Design)
Dunkirk 3 awards (Film Editing / Sound Mixing / Sound Editing)
Darkest Hour 2 awards (Actor / Make Up)
Lady Bird 1 award (Sup. Actress)
Call me by your name 1 award (Adapted Screenplay)
Phantom Thread 1 award (Costume)
Get Out 0
The Post 0
Visual Effects for War of the Planet of the Apes
Cinematography for Blade Runner 2049
Song for Mudbound
Animated for Coco
... and that's it all. I would not be surprised if that's exactly what's going to happen in the end.
Any other year I'd be rooting for Janney, whom I've always loved, but Laurie Metcalf gave what's undoubtedly my favorite performance of the year. I'm so glad Greta Gerwig gave her that beautiful role. She knocked it out of the park.
And whoever said Janney deserved the Oscar for Drop Dead Gorgeous is right on the money! Now THAT is an ingenious comedic performance.
Ew. GO AWAY
She's at once hilarious and terrifying, which is no easy task. I'd love to see her take on some of Kathy Bates' signature roles - Annie Wilkes, Madame LaLaurie, etc.
@Tyler
Metcalf already played Annie Wilkes on Broadway. Received a Tony nod.
I am a big fan of Alisson Janney and loved her in I, Tonya
I Will very happy to see her or Laurie Metcalf winning !
I think Janney is a great actress, but this role is basically a one-note SNL character. I’m sure it was fun for her to play, but not really a challenge.
I see so many people wanting Janney a "Lifetime Achievement Oscar" and it is so funny and incoherent with this site, which has been precisely pointing out for so many years what's WRONG with that kind of awards. Sigh.
She is definitely not one-note: this is people not paying attention. The unspoken, internal conflict of both wanting her daughter to succeed and fail is beautifully wrought by Janney, I think. She is not just a "bad mom" but someone who truly believes she's doing what's right to toughen her daughter, to give her fortitude and make her into a champion. She trusts her tough love, and is incapable of seeing it as utterly destructive. Janney combines sincerity, self-delusion, and callousness in ways that are highly unsettling and tragic.
Gross. Can't believe Janney will be awarded for playing a cartoon character.
Ma Joad vs Mrs Danver? They r more like Brenda My Left Foot Fricker vs Joan Mommie Dearest Crawford!! 😂
I really like Janney in I, Tonya, but it felt like a performance she could give in her sleep. Granted, Janney on autopilot is still better than most other actors on full blast, but still. It felt like a very typical Janney performance, and for me, Metcalf and Manville were much more interesting and surprising. They both disappeared into their characters, whereas in I, Tonya I always felt like I was watching Janney.
Manville for the Oscar. She runs acting circles around every other nominee.
I have yet to see I, Tonya, but after seeing Phantom Thread, I have very high expectations for Janney's performance. With Metcalf and Manville, she is expected to beat the two very best 2017 film performances I have seen.
Just saw I, TONYA and I would say, no, Janney does what she can, the the role is overmuch and cartoonish. Manville and Metcalf give great performances in their respective films, and to me are the clear deserving winners, while Blige and Spencer are merely ok. Janney is this year's over-the-top, Renee-Zellweger-in-Cold-Mountain performance that will (likely) win and thus be frowned upon in the coming years as a bad choice. Just a hunch.
TOM, I haven't seen this movie yet but I *love* your Joe Pesci/Goodfellas comparison!
Janney once did an interview saying she is most recognized for Drop Dead Gorgeous out of everything else she's done, so I'll always love her. But I love Metcalf, too!
People saying that this performance is one-note or cartoonish - to me, every performance in Three Billboards strikes those adjectives. Guess I need to re-see 3 and tell myself 'this might be a comedy' same as people need to re-see I, Tonya and say 'this might be a comedy.'
Sure there's certain child abuse elements, but - LaVona must've sensed that her daughter didn't fit the 'Ice Princess' mold, but had skating 'muscle.' She hardened her daughter into a champ, but was very careful to be 'soft.' What mother wouldn't work three jobs to continue her daughter's backwood's dream just to get to the Ice Capades and not have an ounce a joy that her child made it to the Olympics? But you really have to hunt for it in LaVona. That stone face must be excited - but where is it? Even her eyes stay hard as a rock when there must be some sort of pride. I don't think Janney needs some 'career achievement' award for this role when Metcalf's been around since Desperately Seeking Susan!