Mildred Pierce (miniseries)
| Mildred Pierce | |
|---|---|
 Official poster of the miniseries released by HBO. | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Based on |
Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain |
| Screenplay by |
Todd Haynes Jon Raymond |
| Directed by | Todd Haynes |
| Starring |
Kate Winslet Guy Pearce Evan Rachel Wood Melissa Leo |
| Theme music composer | Carter Burwell |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) |
Todd Haynes Christine Vachon John Wells Pamela Koffler Ilene S. Landress |
| Cinematography | Edward Lachman |
| Editor(s) | Affonso Gonçalves |
| Running time | 336 minutes |
| Budget | $20 million |
| Release | |
| Original network | HBO |
| Original release | March 27 – April 10, 2011 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Mildred Pierce is a five-part miniseries that first aired on HBO on March 27, 2011. Adapted from James M. Cain's 1941 novel of the same name,[1] it was directed by Todd Haynes, and starred Kate Winslet in the title role, alongside Guy Pearce, Evan Rachel Wood and Melissa Leo.[1] Carter Burwell wrote the original score for the miniseries.
It is the second adaptation of the novel, after the 1945 film noir produced by Warner Bros. and starring Joan Crawford.
Synopsis
Mildred Pierce depicts an overprotective, self-sacrificing mother during the Great Depression who finds herself separated from her husband, opening a restaurant of her own and falling in love with a man, all the while trying to earn her spoiled, narcissistic elder daughter's love and respect.
Cast
- Kate Winslet as Mildred Pierce
- Guy Pearce as Monty Beragon
- Miriam Shor as Anna
- Evan Rachel Wood as Veda Pierce (Dilber Yunus and Sumi Jo as her singing "voice")
- Melissa Leo as Lucy Gessler
- Morgan Turner as Young Veda Pierce
- James LeGros as Wally Burgan
- Brían F. O'Byrne as Bert Pierce
- Mare Winningham as Ida Corwin
- Hope Davis as Mrs. Forrester
- Quinn McColgan as Ray Pierce
Filming
Parts of the miniseries were filmed in three New York locations: Peekskill, Point Lookout and Merrick.[2]
Reception
Mildred Pierce received generally favorable reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film currently holds an average score of 69, based on 28 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[3] In a WBEZ podcast on the best theatrical films of 2011, critic Jonathan Rosenbaum used the series as an example of television work that was on par with the year's best movies, calling it Haynes' best work to date.[4] Salon.com called it a "quiet, heartbreaking masterpiece",[5] while The New York Times reviewer, Alessandra Stanley, commented that while the miniseries was "loyally, unwaveringly true to James M. Cain's 1941 novel", it did not "make the most of the mythic clash of mother, lover and ungrateful child", and was "not nearly as satisfying as the 1945 film noir".[6]
Novelist Stephen King, reviewing Mildred Pierce for The Daily Beast and Newsweek, praised the acting of Winslet, Pearce and Wood, and admired the show's attention to detail and structure,[7] but complained that the five-hour adaptation was "too damn long".[7] He finishes with, "Winslet’s Mildred is a genuine star turn. How Joan Crawford would have loathed her."[7]
The series was shown out of competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival in 2011.[8]
Ratings
| Episode(s) | Date | Viewers |
|---|---|---|
| Part One and Part Two | March 27, 2011 | 1.270 million[9] |
| Part Three | April 3, 2011 | 0.987 million[10] |
| Part Four and Part Five | April 10, 2011 | 0.964 million[11] |
Awards and nominations
References
- 1 2 "About the Show". HBO.com. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- ↑ "The Show". PointHistorical.org. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- ↑ "Mildred Pierce". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
- ↑ "Call-in: The best and worst of the year in global film". WBEZ91.5. WBEZ. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
- ↑ "'Mildred Pierce' is a quiet, heartbreaking masterpiece". Salon.com. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ↑ Stanley, Alessandra (March 24, 2011). "Television Review: Mildred Pierce". TV.NYTimes.com. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
- 1 2 3 "Stephen King Reviews HBO's 'Mildred Pierce'". The Daily Beast. March 20, 2011. p. 1. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
- ↑ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/photos-e6frf9bo-1226126240982?page=25
- ↑ Gorman, Bill (March 29, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Army Wives' Takes The Crown; 'Breakout Kings', Rises; 'Shameless' Finale Steady + Much More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- ↑ Seidman, Robert (April 5, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Ax Men,' 'Chopped,' 'Army Wives', Kardashians Lead Night; + 'The Killing,' 'The Borgias,' 'Breakout Kings + Much More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- ↑ Gorman, Bill (April 12, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Army Wives', 'The Killing' Steady; 'Breakout Kings' Falls; Plus 'Human Planet,' 'Khloe & Lamar,' & Much More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- ↑ "Mildred Pierce". Emmys.com. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
- ↑ "Mildred Pierce". GoldenGlobes.org. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
- ↑ "Mildred Pierce". PressAcademy.com. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
- ↑ "The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". SAGAwards.org. Retrieved February 1, 2012.