Being the Ricardos

by Aprille Hanson-Spivey

Photo: Amazon Studios

Director: Aaron Sorkin
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem & J.K. Simmons 
Rated: R
Runtime: 2 hours & 5 minutes

Like the rest of the world, I love Lucy. I grew up watching “I Love Lucy” and though it’s from a long gone era – one that as a 33 year old I was never personally a part of – Lucille Ball’s prowess for physical comedy is something that transcends generations. 

So when it was announced that the great Aaron Sorkin was going to write and direct a Lucy and Desi Arnaz biopic, I was beyond excited. His quick-paced, witty style would make for perfect dialogue about not only the legend of Ball, but the stellar cast that made “I Love Lucy” what it was – her husband Arnaz playing her on-screen husband Ricky Ricardo and their best friends/neighbors Fred and Ethel Mertz (William Frawley and Vivian Vance). 

When the casting for “Being the Ricardos” was announced, my heart dropped and my face scrunched up in disgust – Nicole Kidman as Ball and Javier Bardem as Arnaz. Now, I have no problem with either of these actors and have admired their work. And while I was sort of OK with Bardem, Kidman seemed like the absolute wrong choice. 

I didn’t get it. But thankfully, Sorkin did. 

The Amazon original movie “Being the Ricardos” depicts a hell week for Ball, Arnaz and the show in 1952. While all the three main plotlines were true, they happened at different times throughout the years, but luckily for fans, we got to see all portrayed within a five-day span. 

The movie tackles Lucy’s second pregnancy and the couple’s demand to incorporate it into a storyline on the show – back when it was unheard of to even mention the word “pregnant” on TV. It also portrayed the red scare where Ball was accused of being a communist, which could have ended her career, and Arnaz’s cheating scandal. 

They are all set against the backdrop of filming the episode “Fred and Ethel Fight,” which, truth be told, was close to reality in that Vance (played by Nina Arianda) and Frawley (played by J.K. Simmons) did not get along well. 

Weaved within all the drama is a snapshot of Ball and Arnaz’s love story. As a fan, I knew pretty much everything that was discussed, but I didn’t know the nuances or the many layers to both Ball and Arnaz. I think it’s easy to think of Ball as the same person portrayed on screen. It does a disservice to her character to only see one side of her. “Being the Ricardos” shows how complex she was from her tough business sense, her genius understanding of what makes a scene funny and her obsessiveness to get it right, as well as her own insecurities. It also showed her deep love for Arnaz, completely preoccupied with trying to find out if he had an affair, all the while her career could be ending if the public believed she was a communist. 

Yes, the two were dysfunctional, but there was also passion and fire that was undeniable. While the show itself will always be classic and funny, its whole reason for existing was to try and help Ball and Arnaz be together and save their marriage. 

What made Kidman specifically perfect for this role is that it wasn’t a comedy. This was a drama and Kidman captured the cadence in Ball’s voice and her movements. No, her face didn’t look like Lucille Ball really and there were times early in the movie it was a bit jarring. But, she embodied her and I think it was important to have a skilled actress like Kidman in that role. 

Bardem and Arianda were also stellar, but Simmons always steals the show in every movie he’s in. 

In a December 21 Smithsonian Magazine article about the movie, it stated Sorkin got his blessing from their daughter, Lucie Arnaz who told him to “take the gloves off” to accurately portray the complexity of her parents' relationship, which ultimately ended in divorce.
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“Being the Ricardos” did just that and added to the legacy of Ball for all her fans.