Mildred Pierce was a 1941 novel by James M Cain set in 1930 America and follows Mildred Pierce's struggle to support her family when she kicks out her cheating, unemployed husband. The 1945 movie-version adds a noir murder-mystery to the story, while this newer one, directed by Todd Hains, goes back to the novel, eliminating the noir elements and emphasizes the Great Depression setting.