Being the Ricardos (2021)
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The film explores the complex marriage and professional partnership of I Love Lucy stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
The story
The film is told from three perspectives: "present-day" interviews with I Love Lucy lead writers, flashbacks throughout Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's relationship, and preparations for filming an episode of the show in 1953. In 1939, Ball is an actress contracted to RKO Pictures who falls in love with her costar, Cuban singer Arnaz. They marry and buy a house in Hollywood, but struggle to spend time together. After serving in World War II, Arnaz resumes touring while Ball lands a starring role in 1942. After a successful radio show, CBS suggests turning it into a television show, leading to the creation of the smash hit I Love Lucy.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film is told from three perspectives: "present-day" interviews with I Love Lucy lead writers, flashbacks throughout Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's relationship, and preparations for filming an episode of the show in 1953. In 1939, Ball is an actress contracted to RKO Pictures who falls in love with her costar, Cuban singer Arnaz. They marry and buy a house in Hollywood, but struggle to spend time together. After serving in World War II, Arnaz resumes touring while Ball lands a starring role in 1942. After a successful radio show, CBS suggests turning it into a television show, leading to the creation of the smash hit I Love Lucy. Ball and Arnaz produce the show in Los Angeles through their company Desilu Productions. Dealing with friction between her costars William Frawley and Vivian Vance, Ball clashes with the directors and writers over her exacting demands. When Walter Winchell's radio program claims to have evidence of Ball's Communist ties, the crew is alarmed. Ball admits to registering with the party when she was young. Ball confronts her husband for often staying out late, but he proves a tabloid photo of him with another woman was taken months ago. She asks the official showrunner to help save her marriage. Arnaz reaches out to the head of Philip Morris directly, securing permission to introduce Ball's pregnancy into the show. The night of filming a new episode, a newspaper article declares Ball a Communist, though she was cleared during an HUAC hearing. Arnaz addresses the studio audience about the accusations and takes a live call with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who confirms that Lucy was cleared of all charges. Celebrating backstage, Ball confronts Arnaz with a lipstick-stained handkerchief, and he finally admits to his infidelity. As filming begins, Ball momentarily loses her concentration, triggered by Arnaz's catchphrase — "Lucy, I'm home". An epilogue reveals that Ball filed for divorce after the taping of their last show in 1960.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 131
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Aaron Sorkin
- Writers
- Aaron Sorkin · writer
- Cast and characters
- Nicole Kidman · Lucille Ball; Javier Bardem · Desi Arnaz; J. K. Simmons · William Frawley; Nina Arianda · Vivian Vance; Tony Hale; Alia Shawkat; Jake Lacy; Clark Gregg
- Genres
- biographical drama
- Themes
- Marriage and divorce; McCarthyism; Television production; Cultural identity
- Tone and mood
- Biographical; Dramatic
- Setting
- Hollywood, 1939-1960
- Premise and plot tags
- Biographical; Drama; Historical; Television; Marriage
- Source material / true-story basis
- The relationship between I Love Lucy stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
- Content notes
- Adultery; Divorce
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics who praised the performances of the cast, particularly those of Kidman and Bardem. It achieved significant success for Amazon, debuting at No. 1 on Prime Video during its opening weekend.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 68% · review count: 281; Metacritic · score: 60 · scale: 100 · review count: 51
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Awards · Best Actor · 94th · Nomination; Academy Awards · Best Actress · 94th · Nomination; Academy Awards · Best Supporting Actor · 94th · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The project was first announced in September 2015 with Cate Blanchett originally announced to star.; The production canceled filming at Chateau Marmont due to backlash against the establishment.; The film's score was released by Lakeshore Records on December 17, 2021.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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