Joan Crawford gives one of her most iconic (Oscar-winning) performances in Michael Curtiz's quintessential film noir and woman's picture of the 1940s.
Mildred Pierce (1945)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:30
Fresh:26
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7.6/10
Synopsis: A potent mixture of melodrama and film noir, and one of the finest "women's films" of all time--featuring a standout performance by Joan Crawford. The story begins as the police interrogate Mildred... A potent mixture of melodrama and film noir, and one of the finest "women's films" of all time--featuring a standout performance by Joan Crawford. The story begins as the police interrogate Mildred Pierce, a wealthy restaurateur, after finding her second husband shot to death. In flashback, we see Mildred's life: her obsession with Veda, her selfish oldest daughter; her troubled first marriage, which ended in divorce; the tragic death of her younger child. Left with only Veda, Mildred determined to become successful in order to give her the best of everything -- and she succeeded brilliantly. But the harder Mildred worked, the more the patrician Veda despised her. Now the moment of truth has come: will Mildred once again sacrifice herself to protect her child... from being convicted of murder? Adapted from the novel by James M. Cain. Academy Award Nominations: 6, including Best Picture, Best (Adapted) Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress--Eve Arden and Ann Blyth. Academy Awards: Best Actress--Joan CrawFord. [More]
Starring: Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott
Starring: Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Bruce Bennett, George Tobias, Lee Patrick, Moroni Olsen, Barbara Brown, Garry Owen
Director: Michael Curtiz
Director: Michael Curtiz
Producer: Jerry Wald
Composer: Max Steiner
Reviews for Mildred Pierce
A class feature, showmanly produced by Jerry Wald and tellingly directed by Michael Curtiz.
The film is a chilling demonstration of the fact that, in a patriarchal society, when a woman steps outside the home the end result may be disastrous.
Though all of its craft is accomplished, Mildred Pierce never gets deep under one's skin the way it ought to.
It shows its age in some scenes...yet it survives them all with its riveting performances.
Most of the story has nothing to do with crime, and is instead about the efforts of Crawford’s character to better herself (she starts a popular restaurant) so she can remain in the good graces of her relentlessly snobbish daughter. It is a clever b
Smart and brisk, just soapy enough to be as tragic as it is fun. "Mildred Pierce" is one of the best movies made by its star, Joan Crawford.
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