Mildred Pierce is an American historical drama miniseries created by Todd Haynes for HBO. Adapted from James M. Cain's 1941 novel of the same name,[1] It is about the titular heroine (Kate Winslet), a divorcée during the Great Depression struggling to establish a restaurant business while yearning for the respect of her narcissistic daughter (Evan Rachel Wood).[2] The miniseries also features Guy Pearce and Melissa Leo.[1] It is the second adaptation of the novel, after the 1945 film noir produced by Warner Bros. and starring Joan Crawford. Carter Burwell wrote the original score for the miniseries.
| Mildred Pierce | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Based on | Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain |
| Screenplay by | |
| Directed by | Todd Haynes |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Carter Burwell |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Producers |
|
| Cinematography | Edward Lachman |
| Editor | Affonso Gonçalves |
| Running time | 58–79 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Budget | $20 million |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | March 27 – April 10, 2011 |
Mildred Pierce aired on HBO from March 27 to April 10, 2011, consisting of five episodes. It received a limited audience but gained positive reviews, especially for the performances.[3][4] At the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, the series was nominated for 9 awards, winning 2: Outstanding Lead Actress for Winslet and Outstanding Supporting Actor for Pearce.
Synopsis
editMildred 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
edit- Kate Winslet as Mildred Pierce
- Guy Pearce as Monty Beragon
- Evan Rachel Wood as Veda Pierce (Dilber Yunus and Sumi Jo as her singing "voice")
- Miriam Shor as Anna
- 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 Moire "Ray" Pierce
- Waltrudis Buck as Mrs. Temple
Lena Dunham appears as a nurse in two of the episodes.[5]
Filming
editParts of the miniseries were filmed in three New York locations: Peekskill, Point Lookout and Merrick.[6]
Reception
edit
Mildred Pierce received generally favorable reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 81% based on reviews from 58 critics, with an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Loyal to its source material to a fault, Mildred Pierce compensates for its familiarity with elaborate production values and a knockout lead performance."[7] At Metacritic, the miniseries has a weighted average score of 69, based on 28 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[8] 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.[9] Salon.com called it a "quiet, heartbreaking masterpiece",[10] 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".[11]
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,[12] but complained that the five-hour adaptation was "too damn long".[12] He finishes with, "Winslet’s Mildred is a genuine star turn. How Joan Crawford would have loathed her."[12]
The series was shown out of competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival in 2011.[13]
Ratings
edit| Episode(s) | Date | Viewers |
|---|---|---|
| Parts 1 & 2 | March 27, 2011 | 1.270 million[14] |
| Part 3 | April 3, 2011 | 0.987 million[15] |
| Parts 4 & 5 | April 10, 2011 | 0.964 million[16] |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011
|
Artios Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Movie/Mini Series | Laura Rosenthal | Won | [17] |
| Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Motion Picture or Miniseries | Won | [18] | ||
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Kate Winslet | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Guy Pearce | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Melissa Leo | Nominated | |||
| Evan Rachel Wood | Won[a] | ||||
| Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Todd Haynes | Won | |||
| Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Todd Haynes and Jon Raymond | Won | |||
| Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Won | ||||
| Best Cinematography in a Non-Series | Won | ||||
| Best Costume Design in a Non-Series | Won | ||||
| Best Editing in a Non-Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best Makeup/Hairstyling in a Non-Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best Music in a Non-Series | Won | ||||
| Best New Titles Sequence | Nominated | ||||
| Best Production Design in a Non-Series | Won | ||||
| Best Sound in a Non-Series | Nominated | ||||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series | Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler, John Wells, Todd Haynes, and Ilene S. Landress |
Nominated | [19] | |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Kate Winslet | Won | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | Brían F. O'Byrne | Nominated | |||
| Guy Pearce | Won | ||||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Melissa Leo | Nominated | |||
| Mare Winningham | Nominated | ||||
| Evan Rachel Wood | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie | Todd Haynes | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or Movie | Todd Haynes and Jon Raymond | Nominated | |||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie | Mark Friedberg, Peter Rogness, and Ellen Christiansen-De Jonge |
Won | ||
| Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries or Movie | Laura Rosenthal | Won | |||
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie | Edward Lachman (for "Part 5") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Ann Roth, Michelle Matland, and Patrick Wiley (for "Part 2") |
Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Movie | Jerry DeCarlo and Jerry Popolis | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) | Patricia Regan and Linda Melazzo | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score) |
Carter Burwell (for "Part 5") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music | Carter Burwell | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie | Camilla Toniolo (for "Part 4") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Eliza Paley, Tony Martinez, Thomas O'Neil Younkman, Brian Dunlop, Todd Kasow, and Ellen Heuer (for "Part 5") |
Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie | Drew Kunin, Leslie Shatz, Bobby Johanson, and Joshua Reinhardt (for "Part 5") |
Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Lesley Robson-Foster, John Bair, Renuka Ballal, Nathan Meier, Constance Conrad, Marci Ichimura, Josephine Noh, Aaron Raff, and Scott Winston (for "Part 5") |
Nominated | |||
| Satellite Awards | Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Won | [20] | ||
| Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Kate Winslet | Won | |||
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television |
Guy Pearce | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television |
Evan Rachel Wood | Nominated | |||
| Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials | Nominated | [21] | ||
| Women's Image Network Awards | Actress Made for Television Movie | Kate Winslet | Nominated | [22] | |
| Evan Rachel Wood | Nominated | ||||
2012
|
American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Television | Affonso Gonçalves (for "Part 1") | Nominated | [23] |
| American Society of Cinematographers Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Motion Picture/Miniseries Television | Edward Lachman (for "Part 5") | Nominated | [24] | |
| Art Directors Guild Awards | Excellence in Production Design Award – Television Movie or Mini-Series | Mark Friedberg, Deborah Jensen, Peter Rogness, Kim Jennings, Michael Auszura, I. Javier Ameijeiras, Mark Pollard, Don Nace, and Ellen Christiansen |
Won | [25] | |
| Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movies and Mini-Series | Drew Kunin, Leslie Shatz, and Todd Whitelock (for "Part 5") |
Nominated | [26] | |
| Costume Designers Guild Awards | Outstanding Made for Television Movie or Miniseries | Ann Roth | Nominated | [27] | |
| Dorian Awards | TV Drama of the Year | Nominated | [28] | ||
| TV Performance of the Year | Kate Winslet | Nominated | |||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated | [29] | ||
| Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | Kate Winslet | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Guy Pearce | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Evan Rachel Wood | Nominated | |||
| Guild of Music Supervisors Awards | Best Music Supervision for Television Long Form and Movie | Evyen Klean[b] | Won | ||
| Producers Guild of America Awards | David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television | Todd Haynes, Pamela Koffler, Ilene S. Landress, and Christine Vachon |
Nominated | [30] | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries | Guy Pearce | Nominated | [31] | |
| Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries | Kate Winslet | Won | |||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Long Form – Adapted | Todd Haynes and Jon Raymond; Based on the book by James M. Cain |
Nominated | [32] | |
| Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special – Supporting Young Actress |
Quinn McColgan | Nominated | [33] | |
| Morgan Turner | Nominated | ||||
Notes
edit- ^ Tied with Maggie Smith for Downton Abbey.
- ^ Also for Cinema Verite, The Sunset Limited, and Too Big to Fail.
References
edit- ^ a b "About the Show". HBO.com. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- ^ Ellison, Jo (April 2011). "Solo Act". Vogue: 218–225.
- ^ Collins, Scott (March 29, 2011). "HBO's 'Mildred Pierce' With Kate Winslet Opens To Disappointing Ratings". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 5, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^ "Mildred Pierce". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 30, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^ "IMDb". IMDb. May 7, 2024.
- ^ "The Show". PointHistorical.org. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- ^ "Mildred Pierce: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
- ^ "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. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ Stanley, Alessandra (March 24, 2011). "Television Review: Mildred Pierce". TV.NYTimes.com. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Stephen King Reviews HBO's 'Mildred Pierce'". The Daily Beast. March 20, 2011. p. 1. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
- ^ Entertainment news Herald Sun [dead link]
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on April 1, 2011. 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. Archived from the original on April 8, 2011. 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. Archived from the original on April 17, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- ^ "2011 Artios Awards". www.castingsociety.com. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
- ^ "15th Annual TV Awards (2010-11)". Online Film & Television Association. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ "Mildred Pierce". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
- ^ "2011 Satellite Awards". Satellite Awards. International Press Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ^ "The Television Critics Association Announces 2011 TCA Awards Nominees". Television Critics Association. June 13, 2011. Archived from the original on February 13, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- ^ "Women's Image Network Announces Nominees, Honoree". www.marketresearchworld.net. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
- ^ Finke, Nikki (February 18, 2012). "62nd Ace Eddie Awards: 'The Descendants', 'The Artist', 'Rango'; TV 'Breaking Bad', 'Homeland', 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ^ "Past Nominees & Winners". American Society of Cinematographers. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
- ^ "Nominees/Winners". Art Directors Guild. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- ^ "'Hanna,' 'Hugo' and 'Moneyball' Nominated for Cinema Audio Society Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. January 19, 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
- ^ "12th Costume Designers Guild Awards". Costume Designers Guild. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
- ^ "Dorian Awards Past Winners". Dorian Awards. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
- ^ "Mildred Pierce – Golden Globes". HFPA. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ Kilday, Gregg (January 21, 2012). "Producers Guild Awards Name 'The Artist' Motion Picture of Year; 'Boardwalk Empire' Scores TV Drama (Winners List)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
- ^ "The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
- ^ "Previous Nominees & Winners: 2012 Awards Winners". Writers Guild Awards. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
- ^ "33rd Annual Young Artist Awards". YoungArtistAwards.org. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2012.