Lucy and Desi

Lucy and Desi is a 2022 American documentary film directed by Amy Poehler in her documentary directorial debut.[1] The film explores the unlikely partnership and enduring legacy of one of the most prolific power couples in entertainment history, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

Lucy and Desi
Amazon Prime release poster
Directed by
Written byMark Monroe
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
  • Ernesto Lomeli
  • Axel Baumann
Edited by
  • Robert A. Martinez
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • January 22, 2022 (2022-01-22) (Sundance)
  • March 4, 2022 (2022-03-04)
Running time
103 minutes
Country
  • United States
LanguageEnglish

The film had its worldwide release on March 4, 2022 through Amazon Prime Video. It received positive reviews and was nominated for six Emmy Awards including the Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, winning two.[2]

Synopsis

Lucy and Desi is an insightful and intimate peek behind the curtain of the relationship between two remarkable trailblazers – featuring interviews with Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, Norman Lear, Desi Arnaz Jr, Carol Burnett and Bette Midler.

Production

The film is directed by Emmy Award winning actress, comedian and director Amy Poehler in her documentary directorial debut, and written by Mark Monroe. Poehler and the creative team were able to utilize never-before-heard audio interviews with Ball and Arnaz after producer Jeanne Elfant Festa discovered a box of audiotapes while exploring archival materials with Lucy and Desi's daughter, Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill.[3] Furthermore, the production team had full access to the Ball/Arnaz estate overseen by Arnaz Luckinbill.[4]

Release

Lucy and Desi debuted at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2022.[1] The film was released worldwide on Amazon Prime Video on March 4, 2022.

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 97 critics and assessed 91 as positive and 6 as negative for a 94% rating. The critics consensus reads "Equal parts entertaining and informative, Lucy and Desi takes a palpably affectionate look at the lives and legacies of its groundbreaking subjects." Among the reviews, Metacritic determined an average rating of 7.3/10.

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2022
 Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards Best Streaming Documentary Television Movie Lucy and Desi Won [5]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Music Composition For A Documentary Series Or Special (Original Dramatic Score) David Schwartz Won [2][6]
Outstanding Writing for a Nonficton Program Mark Monroe Won
Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program Amy Poehler Nominated
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program (Single or Multi-Camera) Robert A. Martinez, Dan Reed and Inaya Graciana Yusuf Nominated
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program (Single or Multi-Camera) Anthony Vanchure, Daniel Pagan, Mike James Gallagher, Jason Tregoe Newman, Bryant J. Fuhrmann Nominated
Outstanding Documentary/Nonfiction Program Michael Rosenberg, Justin Wilkes, Jeanne Elfant Festa, Nigel Sinclair, Amy Poehler, and Mark Monroe, produced by Nominated
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards Best First Documentary Feature Amy Poehler Nominated
Best Biographical Documentary Amazon Studios Nominated
Best Score David Schwartz Nominated
Peabody Awards Documentary Amazon Studios, Imagine Documentaries, White Horse Pictures in association with Paper Kite Productions and Diamond Docs (Prime Video) Nominated [7]
2023
 Producers Guild of America Awards Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television Amazon Nominated [8]
Writers Guild of America Awards Documentary Script – Other than Current Events Mark Monroe (Prime Video) Nominated [6]

References
  1. Verhoeven, Beatrice (2022-01-22). "Sundance: Amy Poehler on What She Learned About Lucille Ball Directing Doc 'Lucy and Desi'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  2. "Lucy And Desi". Television Academy. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  3. Carey, Matthew (2022-08-06). "'Lucy And Desi' Team On Finding Hidden Gems To Tell Love Story Of Lucille Ball And Desi Arnaz: "We Struck Gold" – Contenders TV: The Nominees". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  4. Dry, Jude (2022-03-05). "How Amy Poehler Brought the Love to Documentary 'Lucy and Desi'". IndieWire. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  5. "2022 HCA TV Awards Winners – Hollywood Critics Association". Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  6. "Consider Amazon". www.consideramazon.com. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  7. "Lucy and Desi". The Peabody Awards. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  8. "Nominations in Motion Picture and Television Program categories announced". Producers Guild. 2023-01-12. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
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