Annette Arnold

Ends 12/31/13. Glendale, CA, 1931. Mildred Pierce, a young mother with a talent for baking, throws her husband Bert out of the house and goes in search of work to support herself and her two daughters. She starts up a casual affair with Wally Burgan, a stout, middle-aged lawyer. Later, at a diner, fate and a waitress named Ida end up playing a role in shaping her future. Also available on Amazon Instant Video

Glendale, CA, 1931. Mildred Pierce, a young mother with a talent for baking, is left as a 'grass widow' after throwing her husband Bert out of the house. Forced to hunt for work to support herself and her two young daughters, 11-year-old Veda and 7-year-old Ray, Mildred visits an employment agency, only to encounter job opportunities she feels are beneath her. Amidst her job search, she receives dating advice from her friend and neighbor, Lucy Gessler, and begins an unexpected affair with an ex-business partner of her husband's, Wally Burgan. When Mildred receives a call from the agency regarding an opening as a housekeeper to a wealthy socialite, she reluctantly agrees to meet with her. After cutting short the acerbic interview, Mildred seeks refuge at a local diner, Cristofor's Cafe, where fate, and a waitress named Ida, will play a role in shaping her future.

Mildred's business prospects get a boost when she starts selling her homemade pies at the diner. With the help of Wally Burgan, Bert's ex-business partner, she finds a perfect space to launch a chicken-and-pie restaurant as business booms, though her marriage to Bert threatens to short-circuit its financing. After an amicable divorce, Mildred becomes the owner of her own restaurant, but her relationship with her precocious daughter Veda is fraying. On her last day at the diner, Mildred finds unexpected romance when she impulsively joins a handsome customer, Monty Beragon, on a holiday at the Santa Barbara shore. Unfortunately, her happiness is short-lived, as tragedy strikes when the pair returns home. Also available on VUDU