HBO Mildred Pierce — Page 2

Boy did that take a nose dive.


SNOOZE

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I don't think that's quite true. If she had no remorse she would have just left for NYC without bothering to say goodbye to her parents. I think she felt some degree of remorse but it wasn't enough to really make a difference to her. She just pushed it down and went on.

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If I remember correctly,in the novel Veda is living with Burt and Mildred. It appears Veda has been humbled and they have something of a family again.

Then out of the blue a cab shows up and Veda waltzes out of the house telling everyone she is going to New York . It is made clear that she and Monty were simply biding their time. Monty working behind the scenes and Veda feigning illness to be dropped from you $500 a week contract in order accept her $2500 a week contract.

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I don't remember the remark Veda made in the final encounter with Mildred in the HBO series, but the scenario is not quite the same as the book.

In the HBO series, Veda stops by the party celebrating Mildred's return from Reno. It suggests that Veda is feeling "something," remorse maybe, but she is feeling an obligation of some sort towards Mildred. The person I saw it with wasn't even sure whether Veda was faking the illness or whether Mildred had just gone nuts and was inventing a wild scenario.

...but in the novel, as I remember it ...

Veda, living in Glendale, is secretly exploiting Mildred's guilt for killing her music career; she is faking her throat illness. Veda is also faking humility and warm feelings towards Bert and Mildred while waiting out the rumors circulating about what happened the night Mildred strangled her. It is clear that Veda was quick to play her cards in just the right way to get her higher salary, lover/step-father and once again heartlessly use Mildred.

Veda is a variation on the femme fatale.

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Updated On: 4/12/11 at 01:55 AM

IIRC it was Veda's comment that Monty was waiting for her in New York that made something click inside Mildred.

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I think it was that she mentioned that she had been speaking with the folks at Consolidated, who had offered her a contract she couldn't take the night she performed at the Hollywood Bowl.

I'm not convinced Monty would have bled Veda dry.

In the novel Veda's vocal coach is pretty detailed on what the life of a snake-like coloratura is like. He explains they earn tons of money yet expect others to pay for everything. Which is how Veda was living when he returned to Mildred's life.

I expect Monty would be Veda's lapdog until he got too old for her or she found another lover to sexually satisfy her. Financially Veda would be fine. Monty would have the sad gigolo past-his-prime ending.

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