Since it was announced that Kate Winslet is starring in Todd Haynes adaptation of Mildred Pierce, I have been excited for this HBO miniseries.
This is second adaptation of James M. Cain’s 1941 novel. In 1945, Joan Crawford portrayed the title character, a 1930s housewife who tries to maintain her family’s social standing and her daughter’s love during the Great Depression. Notably, Mildred Pierce is a prime example of maternal sacrifice, a key concept in feminist film theory that Linda Williams discusses in “Something Else Besides a Mother” Crawford won an Academy Award for her performance.
In the upcoming adaptation, Winslet is Mildred Pierce and Evan Rachel Wood is her daughter Veda. After seeing the trailer (below), Mildred Pierce has quickly become something I am most excited for.
Yup, I remember when I saw this trailer I was just like YOWZA. And though I still, STILL wish that Leighton Meester would have gotten the role (it’s a killer) but I’m so excited to see hat Kate does with it, even if it is a miniseries and that’s a lot of hours to invest in.