- Mildred Pierce (TV miniseries)
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Mildred Pierce 
Promotional posterGenre Drama Directed by Todd Haynes Produced by Todd Haynes
Christine Vachon
John Wells
Pamela Koffler
Ilene S. LandressScreenplay by Todd Haynes
Jon RaymondBased on Mildred Pierce by
James M. CainStarring Kate Winslet
Guy Pearce
Evan Rachel Wood
Melissa LeoMusic by Carter Burwell Cinematography Edward Lachman Editing by Alfonso Gonçalves Country United States Language English Original channel HBO Release date March 27, 2011 (United States) No. of episodes 5 Official 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,[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.
Contents
Synopsis
Further information: Mildred PierceMildred 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 new man, all the while trying to earn her narcissistic daughter's love and respect. The plot of the miniseries follows Cain's original story, dispensing with the murder subplot which was added for the 1945 film, which starred Crawford.
Cast
- Kate Winslet as Mildred Pierce
- Guy Pearce as Monty Beragon
- Evan Rachel Wood as Veda Pierce (Sumi Jo as her singing "voice")
- Melissa Leo as Lucy Gessler
- Morgan Turner as Young Veda Pierce
- James LeGros as Wally Burgan
- Brian F. O'Byrne as Bert Pierce
- Mare Winningham as Ida Corwin
- Hope Davis as Mrs. Forrester
Production
Parts of the miniseries were filmed in three New York locations: Peekskill, Point Lookout and Merrick.[2]
Reception
Mildred Pierce received generally favorable reviews. Metacritic assigned the series an average score of 69/100 based on 28 reviews from mainstream critics.[3] Salon.com called it a "quiet, heartbreaking masterpiece",[4] 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".[5]
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,[6] but complained that the five-hour adaptation was "too damn long".
The series was shown Out of Competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival 2011.
Accolades
The miniseries was nominated for the following Emmy Awards:[7]
2011 Primetime Emmy Awards
Category Nominee Result Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Kate Winslet Won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Guy Pearce Won Brian F. O'Byrne Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Evan Rachel Wood Nominated Melissa Leo Nominated Mare Winningham Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or Movie Todd Haynes Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special Todd Haynes and Jon Raymond Nominated 2011 Creative Emmy Awards
Category Nominee Result Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie Won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries or a Movie (non-prosthetic) Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special Carter Burwell Won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special Won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music Nominated Ratings
Episode(s) Date Viewers Part One & Part Two March 27, 2011 1.270 million[8] Part Three April 3, 2011 0.987 million[9] Part Four & Part Five April 10, 2011 0.964 million[10] References
- ^ a b "About the Show". Mildred Pierce. HBO. http://www.hbo.com/mildred-pierce/index.html#/mildred-pierce/about/article/about.html. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- ^ "The Show". Mildred Pierce. Point Historical. http://www.pointhistorical.org/mildredpierce.html. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- ^ "Mildred Pierce". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/tv/mildred-pierce. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
- ^ ""Mildred Pierce" is a quiet, heartbreaking masterpiece". Salon.com. http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2011/03/24/mildred_pierce_hbo_overview/index.html. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ Stanley, Alessandra (March 24, 2011). "Television Review; Mildred Pierce". The New York Times. http://tv.nytimes.com/2011/03/25/arts/television/mildred-pierce-with-kate-winslet-in-on-hbo-review.html. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
- ^ "Stephen King Reviews HBO's ‘Mildred Pierce’". The Daily Beast. March 20, 2011. p. 1. http://www.newsweek.com/2011/03/20/mommie-dearest-and-her-devil-daughter.html. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
- ^ "Mildred Pierce". emmys.com. http://www.emmys.com/shows/mildred-pierce. Retrieved 2011-9-19.
- ^ 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. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/03/29/sunday-cable-ratings-army-wives-takes-the-crown-breakout-kings-rises-shameless-finale-steady-much-more/87543. 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. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/04/05/sunday-cable-ratings-army-wives-kardashians-lead-night-the-killing-the-borgias-breakout-kings-much-more/88403. 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. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/04/12/sunday-cable-ratings-the-killing-steady-breakout-kings-falls-plus-human-planet-khloe-lamar-much-more/89051. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
External links
Films by Todd Haynes Films Poison (1991) • Safe (1995) • Velvet Goldmine (1997) • Far from Heaven (2002) • I'm Not There (2007)Shorts Assassins: A Film Concerning Rimbaud (1985) • Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) • Dottie Gets Spanked (1993)Television Mildred Pierce (2011)HBO Network programming (Miniseries) 1980s debuts 1990s debuts From the Earth to the Moon · Laurel Avenue2000s debuts Angels in America · Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl · Band of Brothers · The Corner · Elizabeth I · Empire Falls · Epitafios · Generation Kill · John Adams2010s debuts Mildred Pierce · The Pacific- Complete HBO List
- (Series)
- (Miniseries)
Categories:- English-language films
- 2011 television films
- HBO network shows
- American television miniseries
- 2011 in American television
- Television programs based on novels
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