Lucille Ball Biopic starring Cate Blanchett

[YRBB]

Cate Blanchett is teaming up with Aaron Sorkin to play Lucille Ball in upcoming movie. I'm scared but this has great potential! Hoping it'll be good!

[DaytimeFan]

Cate Blanchett is my favourite 'serious' actress. If anyone can play Lucille Ball it'll be her.

[quartermainefan]

I wonder what there is really to say about Lucy at this point.   She didn't do the drugs and Hollywood tragedy the way Marilyn Monroe or Judy Garland did, but I guess they feel there is a compelling story there.

[MissLlanviewPA]

If it's about her marriage to Desi only--which I've heard it was--there's a LOT to go on. Namely, Lucy suffering because of Desi's cheating/drinking, and her being more strait-laced. Hell, the movie could end with her marrying Gary, it's not supposed to be about her whole life.

 

I'm mainly wondering whether or not Cate Blanchett is the best actress to cast as Lucy. Yes, she's a good actress, but that doesn't mean she might not have been miscast. Lucy was known to work on a gag on I Love Lucy--or any of her shows--until she felt she had it right; she almost NEVER improvised. Because of that and her reputation as a rather serious shrewd businesswoman, casting CB might be to an advantage. But being able to play both comedy and drama and pull it off isn't easy, and Cate isn't exactly known for comedic roles. Are there any good examples for her?

 

In a related note, Debra Messing must be ready to shank a bitch right about now, LOL. (DM IDOLIZES Lucy.)

[DRW50]

Lucille Ball didn't have a very happy life, and her last years in particular were reportedly quite lonely. She's one of those people where the more I read about them the harder it was to watch her onscreen, because it was very much night and day. I'm not sure they need another biopic of her, but then her family disliked the Frances Fisher one, so maybe they will have more input this time.

[Mr. Vixen]

I could not be more excited for this! 

[MissLlanviewPA]

 

Yep, Lucie Arnaz is on record saying she hated that TV movie. She especially hated that CBS--which was basically put on the map as TV network by I Love Lucy--were the ones to do it, and not long after Lucy's death.

 

The morbidly curious side of meis interested in seeing Mo as Desi, though.

[DRW50]

He is nothing like Desi, but he's not too bad. I watched that movie over and over at the time it aired (I especially remember the scene of "Desi" pulling "Lucy" into the tub fully clothed), so it was odd to later know they hated it. 

[Vee]

I think Cate is a great choice, but it'll be interesting to see if she veers into camp. I thought her Katharine Hepburn impersonation in the terrible Aviator - and that's what it was, an impersonation - was dreadful, but that whole movie was very bad, it's not all her fault. She's a fantastic actress even when she goes big, and she can do very well as Lucy, I suspect, but when it comes to playing real public figures any actor needs modulation, otherwise it turns into just drag. (Like Meryl Streep in that terrible Margaret Thatcher movie, where they apparently thought letting her just do quirky tough Meryl would make people like and admire the Iron Lady.) Lucy was certainly no stranger to going big.

 

What really interests me is Aaron Sorkin being attached, of all people. He's a talented writer, but can you imagine Lucille Ball doing Aaron Sorkin? I mean, I guess I can see her doing a walk and talk.