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.