Mildred Pierce (1945)

[drinkanddestroy]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037913/

Mildred Pierce (1945) 8.5/10

Cast, courtesy of imdb

Joan Crawford    ...   Mildred Pierce
    Jack Carson    ...   Wally Fay
    Zachary Scott    ...   Monte Beragon
    Eve Arden    ...   Ida Corwin
    Ann Blyth    ...   Veda Pierce
    Bruce Bennett    ...   Bert Pierce
    Lee Patrick    ...   Mrs. Maggie Biederhof
    Moroni Olsen    ...   Inspector Peterson
    Veda Ann Borg    ...   Miriam Ellis
    Jo Ann Marlowe    ...   Kay Pierce


Plot Synopsis: During a police interrogation after her second husband is murdered, Mildred Pierce recounts the story of her life, which includes characters like a first husband, an obsessed business partner, and a successful business career pursued out of the desire to provide the good life for her beloved, spoiled daughter.



Joan Crawford won a well-deserved Oscar for Best Actress.
The movie was nominated for 5 additional Oscars: Best Supporting Actress for both Eve Arden and Ann Blyth, Best black-n-white cinematography, Best Screenplay, and Best Picture.

[dave jenkins]

The first husband was not a philanderer. Mildred misunderstood her husband's dealings with another woman, and he was too proud to disabuse her of the matter.

[drinkanddestroy]

The first husband was not a philanderer. Mildred misunderstood her husband's dealings with another woman, and he was too proud to disabuse her of the matter.

ok I removed that word from my plot synopsis.
Seemed to me like he had a little something with that neighbor

[dave jenkins]

His wife certainly thought so, but the way matters fell out appears to have validated the husband's account.

[drinkanddestroy]

His wife certainly thought so, but the way matters fell out appears to have validated the husband's account.

Well, when Mrs. Biederhof gets married, that proves that Mildred's first hubby wasn't in love with Mrs. Biederhof; perhaps Mildred was wrong to believe that her hubby loved Mrs. Biederhof, but does it mean that he hadn't been sleeping with her at all?

[dave jenkins]

Why do you think that love or sex (or love and sex) is the only explanation for their relationship? Where did you learn about life--at the movies?

[drinkanddestroy]

Why do you think that love or sex (or love and sex) is the only explanation for their relationship? Where did you learn about life--at the movies?

that's the implication from the movie. I didn't learn about life from the movies, but I have learned the language of cinema at the movies 

[dave jenkins]

No, it is NOT the implication from the movie. Mildred believes it to be the case (which is all that is necessary to get the plot moving), but Mildred is shown to be a bad judge of character (hence her relationship with the weasel played by Zachary Scott). You are assuming that she was right and that the husband was lying, but why can't the husband have been telling the truth? Nothing in his character is exposed to make us think he is a liar. In fact, given the way the film ends, it seems to me he was a stand-up guy all along.

[drinkanddestroy]

No, it is NOT the implication from the movie. Mildred believes it to be the case (which is all that is necessary to get the plot moving), but Mildred is shown to be a bad judge of character (hence her relationship with the weasel played by Zachary Scott). You are assuming that she was right and that the husband was lying, but why can't the husband have been telling the truth? Nothing in his character is exposed to make us think he is a liar. In fact, given the way the film ends, it seems to me he was a stand-up guy all along.

yeah I am not certain that he was sleeping with her. (And Mildred herself says that she should have stayed with him. Mildred is probably the real "villain" of the movie, for having ruined her life to spoil her daughter rotten, thereby ruining her daughter as well).

I'm just wondering if when we found out Mrs. Biederhof is getting married, does that necessarily mean that the hubby never slept with her, or just that he didn't love her? Mildred realizes she was wrong -- but was she wrong about the love part, or even the sleeping part?

I do not recall what business Mrs. Biederhof had with the hubby that would justify a business/platonic relationship