/4wfA61Mi6E8GncUn8ze4w0jz0Za.jpg
DramaHistory

Being the Ricardos

- A story behind one of the most influential shows of all time.

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage.

Release Date : 2021-12-10

Language :EnglishSpanish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Amazon StudiosBig Indie PicturesEscape Artists

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : Lucy and Desi

Cast

Nicole Kidman

Character Name : Lucille Ball

Original Name : Nicole Kidman

Gender : Female

Javier Bardem

Character Name : Desi Arnaz

Original Name : Javier Bardem

Gender : Male

J.K. Simmons

Character Name : William Frawley

Original Name : J.K. Simmons

Gender : Male

Nina Arianda

Character Name : Vivian Vance

Original Name : Nina Arianda

Gender : Female

Tony Hale

Character Name : Jess Oppenheimer

Original Name : Tony Hale

Gender : Male

Alia Shawkat

Character Name : Madelyn Pugh

Original Name : Alia Shawkat

Gender : Female

Jake Lacy

Character Name : Bob Carroll Jr.

Original Name : Jake Lacy

Gender : Male

Linda Lavin

Character Name : Older Madelyn Pugh

Original Name : Linda Lavin

Gender : Female

Ronny Cox

Character Name : Older Bob Carroll

Original Name : Ronny Cox

Gender : Male

John Rubinstein

Character Name : Older Jess Oppenheimer

Original Name : John Rubinstein

Gender : Male

Clark Gregg

Character Name : Howard Wenke

Original Name : Clark Gregg

Gender : Male

Nelson Franklin

Character Name : Joe Strickland

Original Name : Nelson Franklin

Gender : Male

Jeff Holman

Character Name : Roger Otter

Original Name : Jeff Holman

Gender : Male

Jonah Platt

Character Name : Tip Tribby

Original Name : Jonah Platt

Gender : Male

Christopher Denham

Character Name : Donald Glass

Original Name : Christopher Denham

Gender : Male

Brian Howe

Character Name : Charles Koerner

Original Name : Brian Howe

Gender : Male

Ron Perkins

Character Name : Macy

Original Name : Ron Perkins

Gender : Male

Baize Buzan

Character Name : Mary Pat

Original Name : Baize Buzan

Gender : Female

Matt Cook

Character Name : 1st AD

Original Name : Matt Cook

Gender : Male

Joshua Bednarsky

Character Name : PA Bill

Original Name : Joshua Bednarsky

Gender : Male

Dana Lyn Baron

Character Name : Miss Rosen

Original Name : Dana Lyn Baron

Gender : Male

Dan Sachoff

Character Name : David Levy

Original Name : Dan Sachoff

Gender : Male

Max Silvestri

Character Name : David Hart

Original Name : Max Silvestri

Gender : Male

Renee Pezzotta

Character Name : Italian Woman

Original Name : Renee Pezzotta

Gender : Male

Breanna Wing

Character Name : Chorus Girl Angie

Original Name : Breanna Wing

Gender : Male

Caroline Anderson

Character Name : Chorus Girl Daisy

Original Name : Caroline Anderson

Gender : Male

Jamie Miller

Character Name : Chorus Girl Patty

Original Name : Jamie Miller

Gender : Female

Gail Rastorfer

Character Name : Dresser

Original Name : Gail Rastorfer

Gender : Male

Russ Burd

Character Name : Irwin Gotlieb

Original Name : Russ Burd

Gender : Male

Guido Cocomello

Character Name : Italian Bellman

Original Name : Guido Cocomello

Gender : Male

John Funk

Character Name : J. Edgar Hoover (voice)

Original Name : John Funk

Gender : Male

Angela Leib

Character Name : Koerner's Secretary

Original Name : Angela Leib

Gender : Male

David Saenz

Character Name : Musician Outside CIro's

Original Name : David Saenz

Gender : Male

Stephanie Lesh-Farrell

Character Name : Radio Show Katy

Original Name : Stephanie Lesh-Farrell

Gender : Male

Ron Ostrow

Character Name : Radio Show Man

Original Name : Ron Ostrow

Gender : Male

Pamela Bell Mitchell

Character Name : Radio Show Woman

Original Name : Pamela Bell Mitchell

Gender : Female

Lawrence Novikoff

Character Name : Sam Stein

Original Name : Lawrence Novikoff

Gender : Male

Jack Benza

Character Name : Security Guard Bobby

Original Name : Jack Benza

Gender : Male

Peter Onorati

Character Name : Vittorio

Original Name : Peter Onorati

Gender : Male

Evie Nicholson

Character Name : Woman Outside Ciro's

Original Name : Evie Nicholson

Gender : Female

Rick Batalla

Character Name : Tommy Wardrobe

Original Name : Rick Batalla

Gender : Male

John F. Carpenter

Character Name : Radio Show Announcer

Original Name : John F. Carpenter

Gender : Male

Melinda Sullivan

Character Name : Ann Miller

Original Name : Melinda Sullivan

Gender : Female

Gus Lynch

Character Name : Camera B Focus Puller

Original Name : Gus Lynch

Gender : Male

Allan Wayne Anderson

Character Name : Camera C Focus Puller

Original Name : Allan Wayne Anderson

Gender : Male

David Jonathan Fine

Character Name : Boom Operator

Original Name : David Jonathan Fine

Gender : Male

Val Chmerkovskiy

Character Name : Ciro's Dancer

Original Name : Val Chmerkovskiy

Gender : Male

Asiel Hardison

Character Name : Ciro's Dancer

Original Name : Asiel Hardison

Gender : Male

Reina Hidalgo

Character Name : Ciro's Dancer

Original Name : Reina Hidalgo

Gender : Female

Will Loftis

Character Name : Ciro's Dancer

Original Name : Will Loftis

Gender : Male

Noelle Marsh

Character Name : Ciro's Dancer

Original Name : Noelle Marsh

Gender : Male

Leo Moctezuma

Character Name : Ciro's Dancer

Original Name : Leo Moctezuma

Gender : Male

Nayara Núñez

Character Name : Ciro's Dancer

Original Name : Nayara Núñez

Gender : Male

Britt Stewart

Character Name : Ciro's Dancer

Original Name : Britt Stewart

Gender : Male

Eddie Torres Jr.

Character Name : Ciro's Dancer

Original Name : Eddie Torres Jr.

Gender : Male

Jenna Johnson

Character Name : Ciro's Dancer

Original Name : Jenna Johnson

Gender : Female

James Patrick Duffy

Character Name : Man #1

Original Name : James Patrick Duffy

Gender : Male

Emily Marsh

Character Name : Woman #1

Original Name : Emily Marsh

Gender : Male

Cece Camps

Character Name : Woman #2

Original Name : Cece Camps

Gender : Male

Daniel Armella

Character Name : Stagehand

Original Name : Daniel Armella

Gender : Male

Molly Meyer

Character Name : Waitress

Original Name : Molly Meyer

Gender : Male

Shiree Nelson

Character Name : Studio Staffer

Original Name : Shiree Nelson

Gender : Female

Christian Roberts

Character Name : Camera A Focus Puller

Original Name : Christian Roberts

Gender : Male

Chris Wolfe

Character Name : Announcer

Original Name : Chris Wolfe

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-03-27

I vaguely recall watching "I Love Lucy" - or perhaps I just recall that memorable theme tune, but I have to say I knew nothing at all about the "Desilu" couple before watching this. As ever, it has Sorkin's trademark dialogue - quickly paced, pithy at times; but somehow the performances just didn't catch fire. Kidman is a very versatile actress, she can turn her hand to just abut anything - but for this to have worked better, she would have needed a more convincing foil. Javier Bardem just isn't him. Their lively relationship is suggested rather than demonstrated and much of what made them the US household names they were is, again, just taken for granted. Their domestic status as super-stars was not replicated globally, and yet little time is spent trying to explain to those less familiar just who they were and why they were so popular. JK Simmons is effective as their co-star "Bill Frawley" and all told it is a watchable biopic, but for me it looked more like a labour of love for an auteur who was maybe just a bit too close to the subject matter, and who made assumptions that the rest of us would be also. It looks great, has a ping at the Communist witch-hunt apparatus in place at the time, but is all just to shallow for me. I bet there is a proper, deep-drama, to be made about this pair, though - just not this film.

T

tmdb28039023

@tmdb28039023

2022-09-03

There are two lines of dialogue in Being the Ricardos that really caught my attention. One is “I literally said that 30 seconds ago,” and the other is “It takes fewer words to say that than the truth.” This film feels like a lot of the former when it should be more of the latter. Why does a movie called Being the Ricardos spends so much time on Ethel/Vivian Vance (Nina Arianda) and Fred/William Frawley (J.K. Simmons), whom nobody cared about 70 years ago, and no one cares about today? Speaking of redundant characters, writer/director Aaron Sorkin aims to give the film a documentary feel with asides set in the present day in which people involved with the production of I Love Lucy talk about it — kind of like in Reds, except that Reds worked because the individuals interviewed were who they were supposed to be, and not actors playing aged versions of people who are already played by other, younger actors in the main narrative. These parentheses do little but repeat things we have just seen, or are about to see, dramatized in the scene immediately before or after (either show or tell — preferably show —, but not both); they have no value other than as filler, and filler is exactly the last thing a two-hour-plus movie needs. Ostensibly, the plot revolves around a typical week on I Love Lucy’s set, including rehearsals, filming, etc. — and indeed a fly-on-the-wall behind-the-scenes approach to the inner workings of one of the most influential TV shows history should be able to generate more than enough interest on its own. Sorkin, however, brings up momentous events only to gloss them over. For example, Lucille Ball (an unrecognizable Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem in the perfect role for his routine massacre of the English language) are having a second child (although their firstborn is so irrelevant to Sorkin that she is named a couple of times and seen only once), and they both decide that Lucy and Ricky will have a kid too; this aspect is mentioned, and even discussed, but never really addressed, and the reason for this omission is obvious: since, as I already pointed out, the central section of the film takes place over the course of a week (with flashbacks that become an unnecessary distraction), her pregnancy never gets a chance to be truly incorporated into the plot. Another incident that Sorkin touches on but doesn’t even begin to explore is when Ball was accused of being a communist. This is treated as no more than a minor annoyance, but surely it should have affected her career much more than the film lets on —and if it didn’t, what was it that made Ball so special that this didn’t even qualify as a bump in the road? All things considered, Being the Ricardos devotes way too much time to extracurricular activities. Sacrificing length for depth might have turned this 125-minute behemoth into a much more manageable 90-minute romp.