# Mildred Pierce (2011)

> A Depression-era mother sacrifices everything to build a restaurant empire while chasing the love of her spoiled, narcissistic daughter.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/36252

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 5
- Episode runtime: 66 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama
- Network: HBO
- Cast: Kate Winslet, Guy Pearce, Evan Rachel Wood, Brían F. O'Byrne, Melissa Leo, James Le Gros, Mare Winningham, Marin Ireland
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1492030/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Tone: melancholic, tense, sumptuous, intimate, bittersweet

## What critics say

Audiences and critics broadly regard the miniseries as a positive, well-acted period drama, with Kate Winslet's lead performance central to its appeal.

## Synopsis

Mildred Pierce (2011) is an American HBO period drama miniseries created by John Wells, adapted from the novel by James M. Cain and presented as a five-episode limited series. Kate Winslet plays Mildred, an overprotective, self-sacrificing mother in Depression-era Southern California who separates from her husband Bert Pierce (Brían F. O'Byrne) and opens a restaurant of her own. Her daughter Veda (Evan Rachel Wood) is spoiled and narcissistic, and Mildred's struggle to earn her love and respect drives the story. Guy Pearce plays Monte Beragon, the man who complicates her new life with romance and business entanglements. Each episode builds on money, ambition, and resentment, as Mildred's rise through the food business costs her emotionally at every step. The mood is melancholic and tense, with a sumptuous, carefully observed look at 1930s California. Fans of Boardwalk Empire, Gone with the Wind, and Dynasty will find resonance in its blend of prestige period drama and family melodrama. Its tone stays grounded in the textures of everyday struggle, making it an absorbing limited series for viewers who enjoy character-driven stories of ambition and maternal devotion.

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