Being The Ricardos (2021)

[BuffaloKyle]

I'm a big fan of Lucille Ball and I Love Lucy. Lucille was born in Jamestown, NY which is about 90 min south of Buffalo. I didn't even know this was coming out already until the teaser trailer was just released. I did remember hearing Cate Blanchett was going to portray Lucy in a movie but was replaced by Nicole Kidman. Debra Messing was very upset as well that Nicole got the job then as she wanted the role. Here's an article discussing that along with the noticeable fact that the trailer doesn't show a full face view of Nicole as Lucy in color. Lucy's daughter, Lucie Arnaz, says though she has seen the final film and that it's great. It comes out in theaters Dec. 10 & on Amazon Prime Dec. 21.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nicole-kidman-lucille-ball-being-the-ricardos-teaser_n_616edab7e4b079111a4f7da7

EDIT: I watched the trailer a couple times and if you pause it at 0:19 you can see Nicole pretty much in full view as Lucy. She and Javier really have no resemblance though to Lucy & Desi. But this is pretty much going to be a drama only story. She wasn't cast for her comedic skills.

Edited October 19, 2021 by BuffaloKyle

[+ E.T.Bass]

On 10/19/2021 at 2:26 PM, BuffaloKyle said:

I'm a big fan of Lucille Ball and I Love Lucy. Lucille was born in Jamestown, NY which is about 90 min south of Buffalo. I didn't even know this was coming out already until the teaser trailer was just released. I did remember hearing Cate Blanchett was going to portray Lucy in a movie but was replaced by Nicole Kidman. Debra Messing was very upset as well that Nicole got the job then as she wanted the role. Here's an article discussing that along with the noticeable fact that the trailer doesn't show a full face view of Nicole as Lucy in color. Lucy's daughter, Lucie Arnaz, says though she has seen the final film and that it's great. It comes out in theaters Dec. 10 & on Amazon Prime Dec. 21.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nicole-kidman-lucille-ball-being-the-ricardos-teaser_n_616edab7e4b079111a4f7da7

EDIT: I watched the trailer a couple times and if you pause it at 0:19 you can see Nicole pretty much in full view as Lucy. She and Javier really have no resemblance though to Lucy & Desi. But this is pretty much going to be a drama only story. She wasn't cast for her comedic skills.

60 Minutes did a nice piece on the comedy museum in Jamestown, and the Lucille Ball connection.

The trailer looks good.  I like Kidman.

 

[BuffaloKyle]

11 hours ago, E.T.Bass said:

60 Minutes did a nice piece on the comedy museum in Jamestown, and the Lucille Ball connection.

The trailer looks good.  I like Kidman.

 

I've been to the comedy center and Lucy museum in Jamestown. I highly recommend going.

https://comedycenter.org/

https://lucy-desi.com/

[jeezifonly]

Tamper with the Comedy Goddess who raised me, and I will. come. down. hard.

I have higher hopes with Sorkin at the helm. Still, this is nearly sacred territory pour moi…

Likely to catch it on Amazon, as throwing things at Nicole Kidman has gotten me removed from a theater before (Eyes Wide Shut) 😝

 

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

I was in a room when Lucie Arnaz loudly said this was going to be a bomb.

Based on the trailer, I can't disagree.

[BuffaloKyle]

A new trailer came out today, I have higher hopes now for the film. The one plot I read did say it mainly deals with a certain week during I Love Lucy's production and I immediately thought of a period which the trailer confirmed. Lucy's grandfather was a communist and Lucy registered as a communist as well to appease him although she never voted for anyone in that party. Her voter registration was uncovered during senator Joseph McCarthy's quest to find communist supporters that were in the USA in the 1950s.

 

[+ WilliamM]

On 11/8/2021 at 9:36 PM, Benjamin_Nicholas said:

I was in a room when Lucie Arnaz loudly said this was going to be a bomb.

Based on the trailer, I can't disagree.

Where was Desi, Junior?

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

4 hours ago, WilliamM said:

Where was Desi, Junior?

That I have no clue about.

I met Lucie through mutual friends in NYC at 54 Below several years back and then go requainted when she did a benefit show down in Key West.

She's a lot of fun.  Great stories and a wonderful performer.

[jeezifonly]

Who doesn’t love a redhead with some secrets? I wonder if DAJ’s birth actually took place after the original run of the show? Must consult Jambi (and IMDB.)

[+ E.T.Bass]

On 11/10/2021 at 10:06 AM, BuffaloKyle said:

A new trailer came out today, I have higher hopes now for the film. The one plot I read did say it mainly deals with a certain week during I Love Lucy's production and I immediately thought of a period which the trailer confirmed. Lucy's grandfather was a communist and Lucy registered as a communist as well to appease him although she never voted for anyone in that party. Her voter registration was uncovered during senator Joseph McCarthy's quest to find communist supporters that were in the USA in the 1950s.

 

I hope the movie is as good as the trailer.    The proof is in the pudding.  We shall see.

 

On 11/8/2021 at 3:23 PM, jeezifonly said:

Tamper with the Comedy Goddess who raised me, and I will. come. down. hard.

I have higher hopes with Sorkin at the helm. Still, this is nearly sacred territory pour moi…

Likely to catch it on Amazon, as throwing things at Nicole Kidman has gotten me removed from a theater before (Eyes Wide Shut) 😝

 

That might be your unique problem, not liking Nicole Kidman.  I love her (Eyes Wide Shut, Big Little Lies, Boy Erased, etc.)

[jeezifonly]

1 hour ago, E.T.Bass said:

I hope the movie is as good as the trailer.    The proof is in the pudding.  We shall see.

 

That might be your unique problem, not liking Nicole Kidman.  I love her (Eyes Wide Shut, Big Little Lies, Boy Erased, etc.)

Perhaps you’ll be proven correct and it will surpass my high bar for her, To Die For. She wants to be seen as having a Streep like range, and playing another actress who is more complex than was known at the time, is seemingly a good opportunity. Who knows?

[+ E.T.Bass]

58 minutes ago, jeezifonly said:

Perhaps you’ll be proven correct and it will surpass my high bar for her, To Die For. She wants to be seen as having a Streep like range, and playing another actress who is more complex than was known at the time, is seemingly a good opportunity. Who knows?

Streep and Kidman together in Big Little Lies was must-see-TV for me.  Streep was amazing!!

[MassageAdam]

I just saw this on Amazon today and I really enjoyed it. I was a big fan of Lucy when I was a kid and I was a little leery of Nicole playing her (even though I love Nicole).  I think everyone in the movie did a great job!  I highly recommend it to anyone wether you are a Lucy fan or not.  

[+ poolboy48220]

I started it night before last and I'm really enjoying it so far.  Aaron Sorkin can write dialog. 

[MiamiLooker]

To those that have seen the movie, do you think it will have mass appeal to other than baby boomers?

[scrtlovr]

Don't think so. Kidman is cold as ice in it and never changes/evolves throughout. Whole thing felt very one note. Well done but one note.

[+ tassojunior]

On 12/22/2021 at 9:07 AM, MiamiLooker said:

To those that have seen the movie, do you think it will have mass appeal to other than baby boomers?

Many of us boomers grew up with Lucille Ball shows but this is the GenZ/Hollywood version. I don't recognize her character at all. Kidman is cold as ice even when she's supposed to be warm. I od'ed on her in the Nine Perfect Strangers disaster this year, on top of her prior Top of the Lake disaster. There are parts for human icebergs but I don't relate to Lucille Ball as one at all. And Sorkin had Lucille Ball say "Don't gaslight me !" in 1944. Javier Bardem is old enough to have been Desi Arnaz's father (that should have been a cute guy!). The rest of the characters are just Gen Z-like stereotypes. Video game characters show more depth of character. And they don't even show Jake Lacy nude.

In summary making Lucille Ball into a cold humorless person may work as a stereotype for young people but anyone who's seen her work won't relate to the character.

Lucy was some years older than Desi:

Edited December 28, 2021 by tassojunior

[+ Lucky]

Thirty minutes into Being The Ricardos we were bored, so watched Fair Haven on Amazon. It's good.

[+ E.T.Bass]

On 12/21/2021 at 6:23 PM, MassageAdam said:

I just saw this on Amazon today and I really enjoyed it. I was a big fan of Lucy when I was a kid and I was a little leery of Nicole playing her (even though I love Nicole).  I think everyone in the movie did a great job!  I highly recommend it to anyone wether you are a Lucy fan or not.  

I'm half way through it.  Got interrupted.

All four leads are very good, IMO.

[MikeBiDude]

I watched  it last night on Amazon. I liked it… I’m fairly easy to please with movies, I’m not a harsh critic. It was entertaining.

[+ WilliamM]

I haven't seen the film yet. So my only comment: Lucille Ball and her husband Gary Morton and I were at the Paley Center: The Museum of Television and Radio in New York City at the same day and time.

Everyone respected their interest and left them alone to tour the museum in peace. So Lucille didn't have to be funny for a few hours.

 

Lucy was quite talk. A surprise.

Edited December 28, 2021 by WilliamM

[pubic_assistance]

On 12/28/2021 at 10:52 AM, MikeBiDude said:

… I’m fairly easy to please with movies, I’m not a harsh critic. It was entertaining.

I'm a harsher critic.

Watched a half hour and was so nauseated by the poor casting and production I switched to something else.  *Pass*

Edited December 29, 2021 by pubic_assistance
spelling

[+ E.T.Bass]

On 12/26/2021 at 5:42 PM, E.T.Bass said:

I'm half way through it.  Got interrupted.

All four leads are very good, IMO.

Finished it.  Loved how it was shot.  Loved the casting.  

I agree with the CNN review, the film was satisfying.  I'd watch it again

The critics that hated it all seemed to enjoy blasting Aaron Sorkin.

What seemed clunky to me was framing the story inside of a documentary style narration told years later by some of the I Love Lucy creators, such as the comedy writer played by Linda Lavin.  To me that is a lazy way to write a screenplay, unless you're doing a mockumentary like I, Tanya.

[+ WilliamM]

4 minutes ago, E.T.Bass said:

Finished it.  Loved how it was shot.  Loved the casting.  

I agree with the CNN review, the film was satisfying.  I'd watch it again

The critics that hated it all seemed to enjoy blasting Aaron Sorkin.

What seemed clunky to me was framing the story inside of a documentary style narration told years later by some of the I Love Lucy creators, such as the comedy writer played by Linda Lavin.  To me that is a lazy way to write a screenplay, unless you're doing a mockumentary like I, Tanya.

What the movie got right is Lucille Ball was nothing like Lucy Riccardo. 

Lucille could be abrupt, humorless and grumpy.

When Jack Benny was a guest on one of  her shows, even he said "relax you got the job."  And Mr Benny lived next to Lucille Ball.

[+ E.T.Bass]

19 hours ago, WilliamM said:

What the movie got right is Lucille Ball was nothing like Lucy Riccardo. 

Lucille could be abrupt, humorless and grumpy.

When Jack Benny was a guest on one of  her shows, even he said "relax you got the job."  And Mr Benny lived next to Lucille Ball.

To me, that is a big part of what made the movie, paying homage to Lucille Ball, and taking a peek inside television history.  Loved that.

 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2021 by E.T.Bass
sp.