shari-827-880711 I've watched the original many times and I've read the book at least ten times. This version strayed a bit from the original but was so very good. I would watch it over and over. I missed a certain character which i don't want to mention as a spoiler. All in all, A STRONG remake. I loved it. Kate Winslet was amazing, amazing and Evan Rachel Wood was spectacular as Veda. Watch it!!!!

rindy-69376 I had high hopes for this mini series. After all it was an HBO production with a great cast. If only the writing was as such. The first 2 episodes were actually good enough (if not a little slow) to make me want to watch the rest. The last 3 episodes are a waste of time. The characters were never really developed. This young Veda was not the heinous spoiled brat that we had come to expect and understand in the Joan Crawford version. We never see Kate Winslet spoil young Veda or see how truly spoiled and ungrateful Veda was. Veda as a young adult went on some tirades and talked in circles & at times I was wondering what she was screaming about. She never really acted ashamed of her mother or her station in life as in the original version. Nor did she ever act like she hated her mother (no more than any other teenage girl), which was the driving force behind everything Mildred did. She did it for Veda's love and approval. This Veda has a career and fame. The ending just left me scratching my head.

larcam1 All the actors did a great job. The 1930's scenery was great. However, (there's always an "however") It was a 2 hour story that took 5 hours to tell. By the time the 5th episode started I had lost interest in the characters and really didn't care about the outcome.I don't know what the director had in mind, but there were far too may facial shots of Mildred Pierce with this sad and bewildered look on her face. The camera slowly panned forever on scenes with no one in them.It was not entertaining at all. The original studio version with Joan Crawford was corny, but at least it was over in 2 hours.Don't waste your time on this one.I give it a 3 rating because the actors were so good, but nothing else worked.

Joe Day I remember Todd Haynes when he was making terrible "one-reelers" and so I'm not surprised he hasn't gotten further than this mess. OK. I'm a guy and so the Lifetime Television for Women stuff doesn't really grab me anyway. And that's what this was. Six hours dragged out when the whole thing could have been over in two. I didn't care for one single character. But the odd thing is, and maybe this is where Mr. Haynes exemplifies the "new" thinking, the bad guys come out as good and the good guys as just plain stupid. That young Veda for example was allowed to behave the way she did was to me unbelievable and all because she had somehow been spoiled. The father was a complete milquetoast who supposedly ran off to be with some other woman (and who could blame him)but can't seem to make up his mind if he'd rather be at home with Mildred or not. Mildred, for all her pride, still sleeps with every man she meets on the first date and seems to fall into the whole restaurateur business way too easily. And the opera singing. Really? And in the end it seems as if Veda triumphed. Unbelievable. Don't bother to watch this one. Even if you are sick in bed on a rainy day.