Mildred Pierce miniseries

[Snacks]

Has anyone been watching this miniseries on HBO starring Kate Winslet?

Its really good. Its a remake of a movie which was originally a book about a California woman in the 1930s. Her husband leaves her and shes broke, she has 1 daughter who dies and another who is a bitch and thinks she is above everyone. It centers around Mildred and her daughters relationship. Her daughter looks down at working class people and is embarrassed of her mother when her mother is forced to go and work. Eventually Mildred who is an incredible cook/baker saves up enough money to start her own Chicken and Waffle place. As the years pass she becomes more and more successful and opens up other places in Beverly Hills and a seafood steak place on the beach somewhere else in LA. All the while her relationship with her daughter continues to grow at the same time they also grow apart. Her daughter continues to thinks shes better then her mother and Mildred doesnt really do much to try and change it. She actually bows to her bitchy daughter.

What is so great about this story is how she is a woman who is told by many she has no worth yet she makes a great success of herself during a time when women didnt work and if they did they were waitresses or secretaries. I look forward to see the conclusion of this miniseries and now want to see the original movie that was made in the 1940s starring Joan Crawford.

Has anyone watched the movie? Any thoughts on the miniseries? If you have watched both which is better?

[realmenhatelife]

I'm enjoying it, I need to catch the finale that was last Sunday though. I wont watch the originaly movie but I'll probably wind up reading the book.

[A.J.]

The movie with Joan Crawford is great. Stick with that.

[underdog]

I've made it through the first episode and part of the 2nd episode and i really hate the story. The woman is an embarrassment to her family because she's a waitress? I don't get it. And it's so overacted by everyone so far, except Kate Winslet.

I'll keep watching though. I have nothing else to watch.

[realmenhatelife]

One of the wierd things, maybe its an influence of the time it was written or maybe it fits in to a greater question the whole story will ask, is it more or less looks like Mildred is being punished for her liberation.

She bangs Wally, which is slightly comic because she's so far out of his league. She's with Monty when her daughter dies, Monty turns into a total scumbag mooch, and when Mildred wants to break away from him he just starts grabbing her gotch and kissing her neck and she's powerless to leave

I agree that they needed a little more exposition, or maybe a stronger subtext about Mildred's sense of class roles and the source of her aversion to labor. Also would've liked to understand the breakup of her marriage a little better, since it becomes so amicable even though her husband has a mistress.

[Misteriosa]

The movie with Joan Crawford is great. Stick with that.

this. it was awesome.

[Jayw]

I think it was really well done. I didn't think I would last very long but I was hooked after the first act.

The way that the little girl, Veda acted like a bitch towards Mildred really got to me. It was so irritating how terrible she was.

That final scene with Veda, Monty and Mildred is fantastic. The look on Vedas face is so intense and the way she stands up naked from the bed is shot so great.

[Snacks]

I think it was really well done. I didn't think I would last very long but I was hooked after the first act.

The way that the little girl, Veda acted like a bitch towards Mildred really got to me. It was so irritating how terrible she was.

That final scene with Veda, Monty and Mildred is fantastic. The look on Vedas face is so intense and the way she stands up naked from the bed is shot so great.

so part 5 aired already? i thought there was 1 more week?

[Snacks]

One of the wierd things, maybe its an influence of the time it was written or maybe it fits in to a greater question the whole story will ask, is it more or less looks like Mildred is being punished for her liberation.

She bangs Wally, which is slightly comic because she's so far out of his league. She's with Monty when her daughter dies, Monty turns into a total scumbag mooch, and when Mildred wants to break away from him he just starts grabbing her gotch and kissing her neck and she's powerless to leave

I agree that they needed a little more exposition, or maybe a stronger subtext about Mildred's sense of class roles and the source of her aversion to labor. Also would've liked to understand the breakup of her marriage a little better, since it becomes so amicable even though her husband has a mistress.

I think when she married her husband he was pretty well of, not rich but upper class of the people around them. I think the only reason they live where they lived was that entire community was built or developed by her husband. So maybe thats why her daughter thought she was better then everyone? I think the break down in her marriage had something to do with his business failing, being sued, the depression etc? He was now out of work and Mildred was worried about money. I think he also became very close friends with a woman and Mildred thought there was something more going on then there really was. That fight at the beginning made it seem like she kind of pushed him out to her. Like he just liked her company but she thought it was an affair? Maybe the friendship did turn into an affair. I dont know but he didnt seem like a guy that would do that. He almost seems like a he has loved Mildred all this time but is gone because thats what Mildred wanted. They seem to have a great relationship through 4 eps.

[Jayw]

so part 5 aired already? i thought there was 1 more week?

Yep it was over last sunday.