The new "Mildred Pierce"

[LuckyCharm]

I found someone who's doing recaps of each episode, and though I haven't seen any of the miniseries yet, I have to say they're pretty funny. The recapper agrees with those of you who think it's boring.

My new siggy?

You kicked your husband out, you miserable floozy, eat the whole chicken by yourself!

And the description of the sex is just .

[Tinami Amori]

I ran across Mildred Pierce in the bookstore today, and out of curiosity, I read the ending. It's a very good ending. But I still think the murder story works fine, too.

Spoiler

Honestly, I don't see any reason why they couldn't have used the book's ending in the original film, even in Production Code days. It's not much more salacious than what they did do.

Spoiler

I kind of do….. If we are to apply Hays code…. see many reasons not to be able to use the original story line, especially the ending.

Veda is “sinner” – but she ends up living happy in NY and used her fight with mother and injury to her throat as a way to get out of an old singing contract and sign up for a better job….

Mildred “sinned a lot” according the moral values of the times: closed her eyes on daughter's bad behavior, then injuring her daughter instead of “turning the other cheek”, had sex outside marriage, and few other “sins”, including drinking towards the end of the plot.

Yet she also ends up “happy and married to her first husband”, with prospering business and luxurious home….. If I am not mistaking – the book ends with them drinking and enjoying their evening together….

Hays Code prohibited good endings or good lives for the “sinners”. The original book ending does not show enough punishment and repentance…. (in my eyes… ). .

[Wyliefan]

Spoiler

Yet she also ends up “happy and married to her first husband”, with prospering business and luxurious home….. If I am not mistaking – the book ends with them drinking and enjoying their evening together….

Spoiler

Drinking, yes -- enjoying, I'm not so sure. "Let's get stinko" sounds more like resignation than enjoyment to me. As for Veda, they could've stuck in a last-minute plane crash on the way to New York. They were pretty resourceful about that sort of thing in those days.

[Matryeshka]

The characters in this story are insufferable. I'm going to slap them all. Some of them three or four times. And then a fifth--just for fun. Seriously, there's not a single perosn in this story that I'd root for, especially the main characters. And Melissa Leo is damned annoying in this role.

I'd rather watch Law&Order reruns.

[screech]

I'm looking forward to Evan Rachel Wood starting next week. I think she'll be amazing in the role of older Veda. She seems to have that haughty attitude down pat. Plus, since she always dresses in that 40s kind of style, you know she'll look gorgeous.

I agree that the characters are pretty slappable, though Mildred wasn't so bad this week, and Melissa Leo actually did something for once. I don't mind the ex hubby though.

[Matryeshka]

Really? I thought Mildred was worse this week. The woman has pride in all the things that don't matter and none of the things that do.

[screech]

Really? I thought Mildred was worse this week. The woman has pride in all the things that don't matter and none of the things that do.

She won't win any 'person of the year' awards, but at least she was working hard at her job, tried to do something for her brat, and tried (then succeeded) in standing up to Greasy.

I kind of like how the main character isn't exactly one that you automatically feel sympathy for. Yeah, she started out the series broke with an adulterer husband, but most of her hardships have been brought on by her own attitude issues. I find we're usually forced to try to find likeable things in main characters in series, and I like how they don't make Mildred out to be a saint.