In Hollywood, no one man should have all the power.
But on the page, one scribe-turned-movie-maker reigns supreme. And on the small screen, one entertainment paragon of a woman still does as well – her legacy still felt all these years later.
Last year, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (“The Social Network”) earned his latest batch of Oscar nominations for Netflix’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
Wasting no time, he – in collaboration with Amazon, another streaming giant – is at it once more with another period piece destined to depict a monumental time in American history.
For “Being the Ricardos,” Sorkin – the political commentary-prone “West Wing” creator also sporting behind-the-scenes of a TV show (“Sports Night,” “The Newsroom”) prestige in his holster – tabbed Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem to play Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, respectively.
Reportedly, the “week in the life” tale will intimately depict the tension-filled production of an “I Love Lucy” episode – from Monday table read through Friday live taping – as seen through the prism of romantic drama between the revolutionary 1950s show’s married-in-real-life stars.
Spoiler-evading plot details indicate the “Lucy” episode most featured (in the film) ran in concurrence with threats to the career and marriage of the storied comedy duo who would eventually divorce in 1960. Therefore, it is no stretch to assume the recreation of “Lucy is Enceinte.”
Having originally aired on December 8, 1952, this episode – faced with incorporating Ball’s real-life pregnancy with Desi Arnaz Jr. – was naturally woven in controversy from the onset. CBS denied the show permission even to use the word “pregnant” in a live telecast. This was a time where showing man and wife together in a marital bed was still considered taboo and therefore, avoided altogether.
Even so, with Sorkin’s impressive use of long-form flashbacks, like those weaved into the three major scenes in “Steve Jobs,” do not fear “Being the Ricardos” will pledge an exclusive scriptural commitment to its five-day structure.
J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, and “Arrested Development’s” Tony Hale and Alia Shawkat also star in the film which notably earned the approval of Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Ball and Arnaz.
“It’s been a huge, huge relief,” Kidman told Deadline, “because it’s her [Arnaz’] parents and we wanted to honor them, but we wanted to show them with their flaws. Javier had his own conversations with her. She was very supportive of us. She wanted us to play the roles.”
The pair each assumed “double duties;” especially Kidman, who further opened up about the “daunting” task in a promotional interview with the Los Angeles Times. According to Kidman, the greatest challenge was finding a balance between Ball’s deeper-voiced delivery when cameras were not rolling, and the slapstick higher pitch synonymous with her iconic television persona.
Some fans have criticized Kidman’s lack of physical resemblance to Ball, and have ruled the casting of Bardem, a Spaniard, as the Cuban Arnaz, “problematic.” Any opposition to the pairing’s casting, however, dissipates with the accreditation of Lucie Arnaz’s celebratory blessing.
Furthermore, it is important to remember Sorkin, thanks in large part to his playwriting roots, understands true character work is not born from merely possessing the foremost facial and ethnic compatibility possible, but from actual performance – the act of acting itself.
Under the care of an industry veteran like Sorkin, worthy of earning the “slice of life” biopic treatment himself someday, fans of sharp dialogue fans should rejoice soon enough come December 10 (theatrical release) and December 21 (available to stream free on Amazon Prime Video).
