Being the Ricardos

2021
15
2h 11m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

46K

YOUR RATING

Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem in Being the Ricardos (2021)

Follows Lucy and Desi as they face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage.

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Showbiz Drama Biography Drama

Follows Lucy and Desi as they face a crisis that could end their careers--and another that could end their marriage.Follows Lucy and Desi as they face a crisis that could end their careers--and another that could end their marriage.Follows Lucy and Desi as they face a crisis that could end their careers--and another that could end their marriage.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

46K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 13 wins & 60 nominations total

Trivia
Prior to filming, Lucie Arnaz (daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz) had told writer/director Aaron Sorkin that it was okay to make Lucille stubborn and headstrong in the movie, as this was how she was in real life. After seeing the movie, Arnaz released a video on her YouTube Channel on 17 October 2021, in which she called the movie "freaking amazing." She complimented Sorkin for making a great movie that really captured the time period and had wonderful casting. She also said that Nicole Kidman "became my mother's soul." She also said that Javier Bardem didn't look like her dad but, "he has everything that dad had. He has his wit, his charms, his dimples, his musicality."

Goofs
The movie portrays Lucy's contract at RKO being dropped after her performance in The Big Street (1942) and has RKO's head of production state that at 39 years old she should try radio. In reality Lucy was only 31 when "The Big Street" was released in 1942. Her contract was not dropped by RKO, but rather bought out by MGM, who was impressed by her performance. While working for MGM, Lucy became a redhead. She remained under contract to them until 1946. Additionally, Lucy did not seek out radio until 1948 while concurrently working in movies as a freelance actress.

Quotes
Lucille Ball: I am the biggest asset in the portfolio of the Columbia Broadcasting System. The biggest asset in the portfolio of Philip Morris Tobacco, Westinghouse. I get paid a fortune to do exactly what I love doing. I work side by side with my husband, who's genuinely impressed by me. And all I have to do to keep it is kill every week for 36 weeks in a row. And then do it again the next year.

Connections
Featured in The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Javier Bardem/Gang of Youths (2021)

Soundtracks
She Could Shake the Maracas
Written by Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Produced by Michael Andrew
Performed by Javier Bardem with The Michael Andrew Orchestra

User reviews665

Review

Featured review

6/10

being the ricardos

Aaron Sorkin is a good TV writer and, when he has a director who can manage his diarreah of the word processor, such as David Fincher did on "Social Network", can deliver a good screenplay. However, giving this loggorheac the keys to the film kingdom (i.e. Allowing him to direct) is akin to letting a vampire loose in a blood bank. Things are going to get out of control and the viewer will soon be lost in the detritus of Sorkin's unending spew of verbiage, some of it clever, most of it compulsive, and way too much of it deadeningly repetitive. The result, for this viewer at least, was to gaspingly pull the plug about three fourths of the way through and, to mix the metaphor, come up for air. And once I was able to breathe and reflect upon what I had seen I was able to summon not one iota of interest in or sympathy for this skilled comedienne nor care whether her marriage succeeded or failed and quite honestly found Sorkin's evaluation of Ms. Ball as a great dramatic actress who could have been the equal of Bette Davis in "All About Eve" shockingly stupid. C plus.