Reviewing Mildred Pierce (Todd Haynes, HBO, 2011) in the Age of Postfeminism

Adapted from Todd Haynes's perspective, James M. Cain's ironical take on a woman's desire for power in Mildred Pierce turns into a self-reflexive drama about the politics of postfeminism. This article shows how the HBO miniseries dramatizes the conflicting politics of feminism and postfeminism through the generational conflicts between mother and daughter. When Mildred Pierce fights for economic independence and embodies the struggles of second-generation feminists, Veda's social-class snobbism makes her an icon of the postfeminist culture that thrives in neoliberal times. Mildred Pierce is ultimately a sardonic reflection on the elitist nature of a miniseries produced for the culturally elitist audience of HBO, exploring the conflicting relationship between art and business through the strained relationship between mother and daughter in the adaptation.