Lucy (2003) (TV)

Director:

Glenn Jordan

Writers (WGA):

Katie Ford (written by) and
T.S. Cook (written by)

Release Date:

4 May 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

When the comedy stopped...real life began.

Plot:

MOW about the life of Lucille Ball, focusing on the loving yet tumultuous relationship with Desi Arnaz. |

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Cast

Rachel York	...	Lucille Ball
Danny Pino	...	Desi Arnaz
Ann Dowd	...	Dede
La Chanze	...	Harriett (as LaChanze)
Madeline Zima	...	Teen Lucy
Rebecca Hobbs	...	Vivian Vance
Merv Smith	...	Grandpa Fred
Russell Newman	...	Bill Frawley
Zoe Carides	...	Lolita De Acha
Chris Brougham	...	Adult Freddy
Ray Woolf	...	Ed Sedgwick
Peter Mochrie	...	Don Sharpe
Andrew Robertt	...	Bob Carroll Jr. (as Andrew Mitchell)
Lauchlin MacDonald	...	Jess Oppenheimer (as Lachlan Macdonald)
Theresa Healey	...	Madelyn Pugh

Runtime:

USA:180 min (including commercials) | Brazil:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Auckland, New Zealand

Company:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the "Pioneer Women" Episode recreation, Lucy and Ethel are in the living room discussing the amount of yeast Lucy added to the bread. In the actual "Pioneer Women" episode, Lucy and Ethel were in the kitchen when this scene occurred.

Quotes:

Desi Arnaz: I work hard, I play hard, I drink hard and I love hard.

Movie Connections:

References Dance, Girl, Dance (1940)

Playing fast and loose with history

"Lucy" the movie, failed to live up to the promise of it's commercials, which featured recreated scenes from the famous "I Love Lucy" series.

The over long film juggled facts and dates to the point that any real Lucy fan watching couldn't help but spend the entire 3 hours raging about all that they got wrong or changed.

So Buster Keaton readied the couple for their vaudeville act? Funny, Desi's friend Pepito the clown has always been credited in every biography of the couple I've ever read. They've got Lucy as a blonde years after she went red - where was the movie "Too many Girls" for which MGM imported Desi from NY, and during the making of which the couple began dating?

Yeah, I'm nit-picking, but the film was so filled with little blunders like that! The kind of things that drive any hard core Lucy fan crazy!

I could've over looked much of this had the producers provided me with a more believable Lucy - but Miss York frankly did not cut it. Lucy was as famous for her beauty as for her talent, and Miss York is simply not even in her league.

With a running time of 3 hours, they had time to get it right - that they chose not to do so amazes me! All in all, a really tedious waste of viewing time. If you love Lucy - Avoid it!