Bulletproof (1996)

The documentary Lucy and Desi opens up with footage of Lucy herself, paired with a tape of Lucy’s familiar husky voice as she explains how she “admires cats for their self-sufficiency” and thanks Desi for “my two beautiful, healthy children, and my freedom.” It is revealed by Lucy and Desi’s daughter, Lucie Arnaz, that there are many tapes like this one, all containing key insights into the lives and minds of her parents, and all underlining one obvious truth about their partnership: unconditional love.

The film continues on, intercutting old footage from the show with voice-overs and interviews by those personally touched by Lucy and Desi. What makes this documentary so interesting are the audiotapes, provided by their daughter, which offers us a window into the secret world of Hollywood’s most famous couple.

I’m going to be honest: I’m not an "I Love Lucy" fan (insert shocked gasp here). I just never got the appeal. Growing up, re-runs of the show (a very practice invented by Desi and Lucy) would air, and as I flipped from station to station, sometimes I would land on "I Love Lucy". My family never watched the show, so I didn’t know much about it. But that didn’t keep me from picking up on its importance; people around me ubiquitously seemed to love the show and knew every episode. Television today—from Nickelodeon’s "Drake and Josh" to "That 70’s Show" (and now "Wandavision")—have referenced "I Love Lucy". So, why does this show from the 1950’s have such a hold on us as a society?

The answer, of course, is that there was really nothing like it at the time. "I Love Lucy" was groundbreaking. Its historical significance has long been known, but ultimately lost on me, I must admit. I think it was the slapstick style of humor I could never get behind. I found it…a bit infantilizing to say the least. Lucy was childlike—and Desi acted more like her stern father than her husband. But before I go on a Freudian tangent, I need to give credit where credit is due. Because the truth is, I was mostly ignorant about why "I Love Lucy" was so special. Lucy and Desi allows for a unique view into what makes this couple so exceptional and illuminates the show’s significance to a modern audience.*Spoilers ahead*