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)
I did view "I, Tonya" as a comedy, which is a big reason I hated it. I didn't laugh. The only time I laughed is during the interview of Shawn Eckhardt which is straight from the real interview. The film overplayed its zaniness and didn't trust that the story of Tonya Harding is already dark comedy. I can't laugh at Janney's put-downs when she's abusing a child. I would really have to fill in the character myself to make her well-rounded, but when I was watching the film all I could see were the accoutrements--the cigarettes, the parakeet, the oxygen tank, the fur coat, the glasses--and not the person inside.
Oh NO, please no. In a year with fantastic performances about motherhood, I hate she is the one the Academy is going to award, and it's not because her character is evil. Mo´Nique gave a great example of how you should approach this kind of roles, but she had the support of the screenplay and the director. Janney in a way played it safe, just one dimention for laughs, she obvs had fun with the material, but not Oscar worthy, Metcalf in the other hand...
Janney is good in this, but I feel like her glasses, wig and that bird are also doing a LOT of the work and are a big reason people respond so well to what they're seeing. If she had to do the exact same role but look much more plain and simple, I doubt it would make the same impression.
I'm more or less with TOM on this one.
I went into I, Tonya thinking I'd get an over-the-top performance that I'd roll my eyes at knowing it would inevitably win an Oscar. But instead, I felt Janney was relatively measured in comparison to other actors who have taken on roles of this sort. All I'm saying is, this was not Renee Zellweger in Cold freakin' Mountain. I repeat: this is not Renee Zellweger in Cold Mountain. This would not and would never be a Code Ruby. Not at all the same thing. Not at all the same level of crass. It was very funny, very well done, and very reflective of the absurdity of the actual person she's playing.
And the scene between Janney and Robbie towards the end... you know, "the" scene... that wouldn't have worked had Janney not given us more dimensions throughout the film while leaving said dimensions ambiguous. Does she give a fuck? Does she really think that she's being a good mother while having no clue that she's a literal monster?
Anyway, all of that being said, she ranks 4/5 for me, with Spencer being the 5th. And I liked Spencer! Just like I like Janney. I love me some Janney and always will. I just... I think Manville and Metcalf need to be in the winner conversation, not Janney. We shall see.
David S - I actually never thought that scene was ambiguous. I was expecting Lavonna to pull something the entire time, but I think it's the fault of the script rather than Janney. Janney is never given a scene where she shows compassion or acts lovingly towards Tonya that is not laced with acid Not during the wedding, not during any of the practices. Her "loving" acts like paying someone to heckle Tonya is played for mean laughs. She's always shown being a monster towards Tonya that I didn't believe she had it in her to be compassionate in Tonya's hour of need.
I love Allison Janney. But I think that Laurie Metcalf should be dominating this category. I didn't even think Janney was the best supporting actress in I, Tonya. That honor goes to Julianne Nicholson.
My rankings of the nominees:
1. Metcalf
2. Blige
3. Manville
4. Janney
5. Spencer