BEING THE RICARDOS

Being the Ricardos has some serious material to work with: public accusations of communism, marital distrust, pressure from sponsors and the network, and the challenge of showing a pregnancy on television. But the movie turns the production of I Love Lucy into a nearly humorless series of arguments and anxieties.

The drama is almost entirely dialogue, with very little joy or happiness on the set. The movie also presents a Romantic worldview in which characters follow their own desires with little consequence. Its R rating and −2 Family Content rating make it unsuitable for children and young teens.

If you are hoping to recapture the warmth of I Love Lucy, skip this movie.

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz have created the enormously successful television show I Love Lucy. Now Lucy faces accusations that she supported communism, while reports of Desi’s alleged unfaithfulness threaten their marriage.

As the cast and crew prepare a new episode, rehearsals, rewrites, arguments, and pressure from sponsors and the network threaten the show’s future. Lucy also learns she is pregnant and wants that pregnancy included on television.

Three stars means this is a competently made but disappointing drama. The movie has a strong cast and a serious subject, but its scenes are almost all dialogue, with very little action. It often feels like a theater production.

Nicole Kidman does not have the twinkle or charm that Lucille Ball had in real life. For a movie based on a beloved television comedy, there is little to no laughter. The result has some dramatic weight but very little of the happiness or appeal audiences may expect from I Love Lucy.

Being the Ricardos has a Romantic worldview. Each character follows personal desires, and there are few repercussions for those actions. Lucille Ball makes a case for communism in dialogue, while Desi Arnaz argues for the American Dream and refutes communism through his family’s experience in Cuba. The film also includes a pro-life comment.

The movie focuses on the negative and hopeless burdens carried by people in the spotlight rather than showing that hardships and obstacles can be overcome through redemption and hope. That emphasis leaves little room for joy or moral resolution.

The film’s central longing is for personal desire and protection amid public pressure, but Scripture calls people to seek what is good rather than simply follow the heart. “The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9).

This drama has a worthwhile setting but little of the joy, charm, or laughter associated with I Love Lucy. Its mature content and bleak Romantic worldview make the answer straightforward: SKIP IT. For a more hopeful family viewing choice, see.