Actress Kate "The Reader" Winslet will star in "Mildred Pierce," a new TV mini-series adapting author James M. Cain's novel, with Todd "Velvet Goldmine" Haynes writing/directing.
The book was previously adapted into a 1945 feature that earned actress Joan Crawford an Oscar for the lead role.
Originally set in Los Angeles during the 1930's, "Mildred Pierce" is the story of a middle-class, single mother's attempt to maintain her and her family's social position during the 'Great Depression'.
Frustrated by her unemployed husband, and worried by their dwindling finances, Mildred separates from him and sets out to support herself and her children on her own.
After a difficult search, she finally finds a job as a waitress, encountering both success and heartbreak as she opens five successful restaurants while coping with the death of her younger daughter 'Kay'.
Older daughter 'Veda' enjoys Mildred's newfound financial success but increasingly turns ungrateful, demanding more and more from her hard-working mother, with Mildred's attachment to Veda forming the central tragedy of the novel.
Sneak Peek the original 1945 trailer from "Mildred Pierce" and a trailer from writer/director Todd Haynes 1998 feature "Velvet Goldmine"...
