Mildred Pierce (miniseries)
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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 daughter's love and respect.
Cast
- 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")
- 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. 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.[citation needed]
Accolades
| Award | Category | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime Emmy Awards[8] | |||
| Outstanding Miniseries or Movie | Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler, John Wells, Todd Haynes, and Ilene S. Landress | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie | Kate Winslet | Won | |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie | Guy Pearce | Won | |
| Brían F. O'Byrne | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie | Evan Rachel Wood | Nominated | |
| Melissa Leo | Nominated | ||
| Mare Winningham | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special | Todd Haynes | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special | Todd Haynes and Jonathan Raymond | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie | Mark Friedberg, Peter Rogness, and Ellen Christiansen | Won | |
| Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special | Laura Rosenthal | Won | |
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie | Ed Lachman | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special | Ann Roth and Michelle Matland for "Part Two" | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or Movie | Jerry DeCarlo and Jerry Popolis | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Make-up for a Miniseries or Movie (Non-Prosthetic) | Patricia Regan and Linda Melazzo | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special | Carter Burwell for "Part Five" | Won | |
| Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music | Carter Burwell | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or Movie | Camilla Toniolo for "Part Four" | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special | Thomas O'Neil Younkman, Brian Dunlop, Tony Martinez, Ellen Heuer, and Eliza Paley for "Part Five" | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or Movie | A. Josh Reinhardt, Leslie Shatz, Bobby Johanson, and Drew Kunin for "Part Five" | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Special Visual Effects | Lesley Robson-Foster, John Bair, Renuka Ballal, Nathan Meier, Constance Conrad, Marci Ichimura, Josephine Noh, Aaron Raff, and Scott Winston for "Part Five" | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards[9] | Best Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated | |
| 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 | |
| Satellite Awards[10] | Best Television Film | Won | |
| 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 | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards[11] | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Guy Pearce | Nominated |
| Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Kate Winslet | Won |
Ratings
| Episode(s) | Date | Viewers |
|---|---|---|
| Part One and Part Two | March 27, 2011 | 1.270 million[12] |
| Part Three | April 3, 2011 | 0.987 million[13] |
| Part Four and Part Five | April 10, 2011 | 0.964 million[14] |
International Broadcasting
References
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ a b c "Stephen King Reviews HBO's 'Mildred Pierce'". The Daily Beast. March 20, 2011. p. 1. Retrieved April 6, 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.
- ^ 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.