Being the Ricardos

2021 film by Aaron SorkinTemplate:SHORTDESC:2021 film by Aaron Sorkin

* Todd Black
* Jason Blumenthal
* Steve Tisch
* Nicole Kidman
* Javier Bardem
* J. K. Simmons
* Nina Arianda
* Tony Hale
* Alia Shawkat
* Jake Lacy
* Clark Gregg
* Amazon Studios
* Escape Artists
* December 7, 2021 (2021-12-07) (New York City)
* December 10, 2021 (2021-12-10) (United States)

***Being the Ricardos*** is a 2021 American biographical drama film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, about the relationship between *I Love Lucy* stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem star as Ball and Arnaz, while J. K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, and Clark Gregg are featured in supporting roles.

It received a limited theatrical release by Amazon Studios in the United States on December 10, 2021, prior to streaming worldwide on Prime Video on December 21, 2021. The film received mixed to positive reviews, with critics particularly praising Kidman's portrayal of Lucille Ball. The film received three nominations at the 94th Academy Awards, including Best Actress (for Kidman), Best Actor (for Bardem), and Best Supporting Actor (for Simmons). It also received three nominations at the 79th Golden Globe Awards including Best Screenplay, Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama (for Bardem), and Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama (for Kidman), winning for Best Actress.

## Plot

The film is told from three perspectives: interviews with the show's three lead writers: Jess Oppenheimer (who was also the show runner), Madelyn Pugh, and Bob Carroll Jr., flashbacks, and preparations for a live filming in 1953.

In 1939, Ball, 28, is an actress contracted to RKO Pictures. She gets small parts in big studio productions, but featured mainly in low budget films which gives her the moniker "Queen of the B-Movies." She is cast in the comedy *Too Many Girls*, a film Pugh describes as a bad stage play made into an even worse movie. She meets one of the film's cast, charismatic 22-year-old Cuban singer Desi Arnaz and they fall in love for each other instantaneously.

Months after filming, they marry and buy a home in Hollywood. Arnaz has a successful stint fronting the Desi Arnaz Orchestra that tours around the country, while Ball continues her film career with little success. After Arnaz serves in World War II, he resumes his success with his orchestra, with Ball having to accompany him because of his infidelity.

Ball finally gets a break when she is cast in 1942's *The Big Street*. The film is only a modest hit, but Ball's performance is praised. She meets with RKO President Charles Koerner confident she will get better scripts on par with established stars like Rita Hayworth and Judy Holliday. Instead he terminates her contract as several actresses RKO loaned to other studios will be returning and there will be nothing for her. He suggests she use her voice for radio, and with no substantial film roles coming, she does. In 1948, she is cast in the radio show *My Favorite Husband*, which becomes a massive success.

The show draws interest from CBS and cigarette company Philip Morris,who suggested to turn "My Favorite Husband" into a television show. Ball agrees but only if Arnaz plays her on-screen husband. The executives initially refuse because Arnaz is Cuban, but later concede after Ball refuses to give them the copyright of the show. She also hopes that working with Arnaz will decrease his infidelity and save their marriage.

By 1953, the show is renamed into *I Love Lucy* and becomes a smash hit with nearly 60 million viewers each week. A three camera system, designed by Arnaz, allows viewers on the East Coast of United States to see the show live and without static (since the show is filmed on the West Coast). During production, Ball deals with several issues on the show; Vivian Vance and William Frawley, who play the Ricardos' married neighbors the Mertzes, do not get along, and Frawley is often drunk on the filming set.

Ball also clashes with the directors and writers during table reads and scene blocking. Particularly troublesome is a scene where Arnaz comes home and covers Ball's eyes while she is setting the table, and she names several different men before he reveals it's him. The couple announce to CBS and Phillip Morris executives that Ball is pregnant. The executives insist Ball hide the pregnancy behind large objects, but the couple refuses and proposes the pregnancy be shown (though they are never allowed to say the word "pregnant" on air).

Ball also deals with Arnaz staying out late, and a photo emerges in the tabloids of him with another woman. Desi tells Lucy that he plays cards on a boat with some other celebrities and sleeps there when he is too tired to come home, and that the picture is taken six months ago. She reluctantly believes him. Frawley has Ball understand that Arnaz's infidelity may stem from her making the business and creative decisions on the show which makes him feel emasculated, though she explains to everyone that he is the one who makes all the decisions. She asks Oppenheimer to give Arnaz a producer credit, hoping it will stop Arnaz's infidelity and save the marriage. Instead, Oppenheimer reminds Arnaz he has top billing, as he is the person saying "I" in *I love Lucy*, in attempt to placate him. Arnaz responds by sharply scolding Oppenheimer for trying to patronize him.

The night of the live filming, a newspaper article deems Ball a Communist, though she was cleared during a HUAC hearing months ago. Ball admits she registered as a member of the Communist Party when she was young and influenced by a relative, but Arnaz insists she lie to the public and claim she accidentally marked the wrong box. Ball refuses to lie to the public, fearing she will be humiliated. Arnaz cancels his usual show warm up with the audience, and instead addresses the audience about the accusations. He takes a live call with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who assures all of the audience that Lucy has been cleared of all the charges.

As the couple celebrates backstage, Ball shows Arnaz a handkerchief with lipstick on it. Arnaz says it's hers, but Ball shows him another handkerchief with her own lipstick on it, proving Arnaz's infidelity. When filming begins, Ball momentarily loses her concentration. They start over, with Ball being more focused.

The film ends with a title card saying Ball filed for divorce after the taping of their last show in 1960.

## Cast

* Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball
* Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz
* J.K. Simmons as William Frawley
* Nina Arianda as Vivian Vance
* Tony Hale as Jess Oppenheimer
	+ John Rubinstein as older Jess Oppenheimer
* Alia Shawkat as Madelyn Pugh
	+ Linda Lavin as older Madelyn Pugh
* Jake Lacy as Bob Carroll Jr.
	+ Ronny Cox as older Bob Carroll
* Clark Gregg as Howard Wenke
* Nelson Franklin as Joe Strickland
* Jeff Holman as Roger Otter
* Jonah Platt as Tip Tribby
* Christopher Denham as Donald Glass
* Brian Howe as Charles Koerner
* Ron Perkins as Macy

## Production

The project was first announced in September 2015, with Cate Blanchett announced to star as Lucille Ball and Aaron Sorkin writing the screenplay. The film would be acquired by Amazon Studios in August 2017.

Production was originally given a tax credit to film in California in November 2019, and producers were revealed to be meeting with directors in January 2020. However, by January 2021, Blanchett had dropped out of the project, with Nicole Kidman in negotiations to replace her and Javier Bardem in negotiations to portray Desi Arnaz. Sorkin, having enjoyed the experience of directing *The Trial of the Chicago 7*, had elected to serve as director himself. The casting of Kidman was met with some controversy on social media, to which Lucie Arnaz spoke out in defense of Kidman's casting. In February, J. K. Simmons and Nina Arianda were cast to portray William Frawley and Vivian Vance respectively.

Filming began on March 29, 2021, in Los Angeles, with Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, and Clark Gregg added to the cast. The production canceled filming at Chateau Marmont due to backlash against the establishment. In September 2021, Sorkin stated that the film was in post-production.

## Release

The film premiered in New York City on December 7, 2021. The film was released in a limited release exclusively in the United States on December 10, 2021, prior to streaming globally on Prime Video on December 21, 2021.

Though Amazon does not publicly release box office grosses, the film made an estimated $150,000 from 450 theaters on its first day, and a total of $450,000 in its opening weekend.

## Reception

The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reports an approval rating of 68% based on 260 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "*Being the Ricardos* can't hope to truly capture its subjects' brilliant star power, but Nicole Kidman has a ball with Aaron Sorkin's spitfire dialogue." Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 60 out of 100, based on 51 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Several critics praised the performances of Kidman and Bardem in particular. Richard Roeper of the *Chicago Sun-Times* gave the film a 3.5 out of 4 stars, and pointed out how, despite unfavorable reactions in response to the casting of Kidman and Bardem in the lead roles, "Bardem does a solid job of capturing Arnaz' charismatic stage presence, business acumen and duplicitous ways with the ladies, while Kidman is outstanding at reminding us there were two Lucys [...] It’s not an impersonation so much as it is a fully realized characterization." Mark Feeney from *The Boston Globe* mentioned that Kidman gets "the smokiness of Ball's voice. And in the black-and-white that's used for scenes from the sitcom the physical resemblance is uncanny. It's Kidman playing one Lucy as that Lucy plays another", and mentioned how, although Bardem doesn't physically resemble his character much, "that's not a problem, since what Bardem does convey, and it matters a lot more, is Arnaz's babalu gusto and coiled-spring alertness." Lindsey Bahr of the *Associated Press* stated that "while no one is going to mistake either Kidman or Bardem for either of their real-life counterparts, they were hired to be actors, not mimics and do a terrific job bringing to life the spirit of their characters off-camera lives, illustrating a full, complex, adult relationship." Stephanie Zacharek from *Time* mentioned how "Kidman makes a fine Lucille Ball in many ways", such as when "capturing Ball's smarts", and continued on by saying that "Bardem is terrific as Arnaz, finding complexities in the man that we might not have known were there." David Rooney of *The Hollywood Reporter* stated that "the performances of Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem as golden-age TV’s best-loved couple can’t be faulted", describing Bardem's performance as "oozing charisma" and showing "a roguish charm and a shrewd mind" as Arnaz. He also reiterated that despite Kidman not physically resembling Ball, "she plays the laser-focused professionalism and self-preservation with stirring conviction, and she nails the dual on- and off-camera personae in her movements, and above all, in vocal distinctions between the raspy heavy smoker in the writers’ room and the squawking comic on TV."

Reception of the casting of an European actor (Bardem) to play a Cuban-American character (Arnaz) was quite a bit more negative,  with reporter Laura Bradley noting that "Hollywood has a well-established history of hiring Spanish actors to play characters from the countries the Spaniards colonized." Director Sorkin defended the casting decision by saying that "having an actor who was born in Spain playing a character who was born in Cuba was not demeaning. And it wasn't just the casting consultant who agreed, Lucy and Desi's Cuban-American daughter didn't have a problem with it. So, I'm very comfortable with it." A Cuban-American critic noted wryly that "a Spaniard portraying a Santiaguero was gonna be an uneasy pill to swallow for that most clannish of people known as Cubans.  Everyone is Hialeah was probably having a fit."

Additionally, it was also pointed out that one of the key principal tenets of the film - the point that in 1953 Arnaz had personal issues with Communism because his family had been "kicked out of Cuba because of Communism" - was incorrect, as the much later Cuban Communist Revolution did not take over the island until 1959 and the Arnaz family had migrated to the United States in 1933.

## References

1. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (September 2, 2015). Cate Blanchett Attached To Lucille Ball Biopic With Aaron Sorkin In Talks To Write; Who Should Play Desi?. *Deadline Hollywood*.
2. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 7, 2017). Amazon Studios Boards 'Lucy And Desi'; Aaron Sorkin Scripting, Cate Blanchett To Play Lucille Ball. *Deadline Hollywood*.
3. ↑ Patten, Dominic (November 12, 2019). Brad Pitt, Kerry Washington & Cate Blanchett Projects Among 13 Films Scoring California Tax Credits. *Deadline Hollywood*.
4. ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray (January 14, 2020). Amazon "Meeting With Directors" For Aaron Sorkin's Lucille Ball Feature Starring Cate Blanchett – TCA. *Deadline Hollywood*.
5. ↑ Kroll, Justin (January 11, 2021). Nicole Kidman And Javier Bardem Eyed To Play Lucille Ball And Desi Arnaz With Aaron Sorkin Directing 'Being The Ricardos' For Amazon Studios. *Deadline Hollywood*.
6. ↑ Del Rosario, Alexandra (January 19, 2021). Lucille Ball's Daughter Defends Nicole Kidman Casting For Aaron Sorkin's 'Being The Ricardos'. *Deadline Hollywood*.
7. ↑ Kroll, Justin (February 9, 2021). J.K. Simmons And Nina Arianda Join Amazon's Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Pic 'Being The Ricardos'. *Deadline Hollywood*.
8. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (March 29, 2021). 'Being The Ricardos' Adds Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, More To Cast As Production Begins. *Deadline Hollywood*.
9. ↑ Lattanzio, Ryan (March 29, 2021). Aaron Sorkin, Nicole Kidman's Lucille Ball Movie Now Filming with Fincher DP Jeff Cronenweth. *IndieWire*.
10. ↑ Baum, Gary (April 22, 2021). Aaron Sorkin's Lucy-Desi Movie Scraps Chateau Marmont Shoot Amid Boycott (Exclusive). *The Hollywood Reporter*.
11. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (September 30, 2021). Aaron Sorkin on Scott Rudin: "Scott Got What He Deserves". *Vanity Fair*.
12. ↑ Southwick, Hannah (December 7, 2021). Nicole Kidman stuns in glamorous gown at ‘Being the Ricardos’ premiere.
13. ↑ Lee Linker, Maureen (October 19, 2021). Aaron Sorkin shows a new side of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in Being the Ricardos teaser.
14. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 11, 2021). "*West Side Story* Isn't Kicking Up With $10M+ Opening: What That Means Right Now During Another Pandemic Holiday". *Deadline Hollywood*. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
15. ↑ Template:Cite Rotten Tomatoes
16. ↑ Template:Cite Metacritic
17. ↑ Roeper, Richard (9 December 2021). ‘Being the Ricardos’: Nicole Kidman amazes as the Lucy easy to love and the Lucy hard as nails.
18. ↑ Feeney, Mark (9 December 2021). 'Being the Ricardos' brings love, marriage, and feminine mystique to the big screen.
19. ↑ Bahr, Lindsey (8 December 2021). Review: Sorkin goes behind the scenes of Lucy and Desi.
20. ↑ Zacharek, Stephanie (10 December 2021). 'Being the Ricardos' Tells the Story of a Brilliant Partnership.
21. ↑ Rooney, David (7 December 2021). 'Being the Ricardos' Review – The Hollywood Reporter.
22. ↑ Aaron Sorkin calls out ‘chilling’ response to his Being the Ricardos casting choice (en) (2021-12-20).
23. ↑ Aguilar, Sofía (2021-12-20). Javier Bardem Defends Casting as Desi Arnaz in ‘Being the Ricardos’ (en-US).
24. ↑ December 15, Benjamin VanHoose. Javier Bardem Responds to 'Tricky' Criticism Over His Casting as Desi Arnaz in Being the Ricardos (en).
25. ↑ Being the Ricardos Star Javier Bardem Speaks Out About Casting Criticisms (en-US) (2021-12-16).
26. ↑ Rose, Lacey (2021-11-11). Aaron Sorkin Defends ‘Being the Ricardos’ Casting Decisions (en-US).
27. ↑ ‘Being the Ricardos’ Director Aaron Sorkin Under Fire for Defending Casting: “Spanish and Cuban Aren’t Actable, OK?” (en-US) (2021-11-11).
28. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Bradley, Laura (December 10, 2021). "'Being the Ricardos' Has Got Some 'Splaining to Do About Javier Bardem". *The Daily Beast*. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
29. ↑ Aaron Sorkin addresses uproar over casting Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem in Lucille Ball film (en).
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 The Curious Case of Being the Ricardos and Cuban History.
31. ↑ Lee Lenker, Maureen (2021-12-21). Fact or Fiction: Inside the surprising true stories behind Aaron Sorkin's 'I Love Lucy' movie (en).
32. ↑ How accurate is 'Being the Ricardos'? We break down what's fact and what's fiction (en-US) (2021-12-21).
33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Desi Arnaz (en-us).
34. ↑ Desi Arnaz.
35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Commentary: Being Ricky Ricardo: Why Desi Arnaz matters (en).
36. ↑ Cuban Revolution (en).
37. ↑ Jackson, Angelique (January 26, 2022). Nicole Kidman, ‘The Power of the Dog’ Win Top Prizes at 11th Annual AACTA International Awards.
38. ↑ Hipes, Patrick. Oscar Nominations: 'The Power Of The Dog', 'Dune' Top List; 'Drive My Car' Among Big Surprises. *Deadline Hollywood*.
39. ↑ Ravindran, Manori (February 3, 2022). BAFTA Awards Nominations Unveiled: ‘Dune,’ ‘Power of the Dog’ Lead Field, Will Smith Earns First BAFTA Nod. *Variety*.
40. ↑ Hammond, Peter (December 13, 2021). Critics Choice Awards Film Nominations Led By 'Belfast' And 'West Side Story'. *Deadline Hollywood*.
41. ↑ Detroit Film Critics Society Announces 2021 Nominations.
42. ↑ Golden Globes 2022: The Complete Nominations List *Variety*, December 13, 2021
43. ↑ The 5th Annual HCA Film Awards (December 2, 2021).
44. ↑ Davis, Clayton (January 27, 2022). PGA Nominees: Netflix Dominates While ‘Being the Ricardos’ Surprises. *Variety*.
45. ↑ Fuster, Jeremy (December 1, 2021). 'Power of the Dog' and 'Belfast' Lead Nominations for IPA Satellite Awards. *TheWrap*.
46. ↑ Carras, Christi (January 12, 2022). Here’s the full list of 2022 Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. *Los Angeles Times*.
47. ↑ Complex, Valerie (January 17, 2022). Set Decorators Society of America Award Nominees Revealed. Penske Media Corporation.
48. ↑ Neglia, Matt. The 2021 St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) Nominations. *NextBestPicture*.
49. ↑ Anderson, Erik (December 4, 2021). Washington DC Critics: 'Belfast,' 'The Power of the Dog' lead nominations. *awardswatch.com*.
50. ↑ Coates, Tyler (January 27, 2022). WGA Awards: ‘King Richard,’ ‘CODA,’ ‘Dune’ Among Nominees in the Screenplay Categories. *The Hollywood Reporter*.

## External links

* *Being the Ricardos* at IMDb
* Official screenplay

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