The Story Structure of I, Tonya

Resumed uploading storyforms into Subtext this morning. Today’s feature is I, Tonya–the happy family fun drama that ties abusive relationships to being the best of the best!

I remember being blown away by this film and how expertly they wove a complete narrative structure into real life events. Jeff’s paradigm shift at the end particularly impressed me. His shift from being motivated by an Influence Character Problem of Effect to resolving his drive with an Influence Character Solution of Cause (“It was all my fault”) fit seamlessly into the story’s central narrative argument: Keep tolerating personal and professional abuse, and everyone will suffer the tragic consequences of scraping by to survive.

James R. Hull @jhull