Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)

Director:

Lee Daniels

Writers:

Geoffrey Fletcher (screenplay)
Sapphire (novel)

Release Date:

3 December 2009 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Life is hard. Life is short. Life is painful. Life is rich. Life is....Precious.

Plot:

In Harlem, an overweight, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.

Plot Keywords:

Overweight | Alternative School | School | Domestic Abuse | Child Molestation

Awards:

8 wins & 2 nominations

US Showtimes:

The Bridge: Cinema de lux

12:15pm | 2:50 | 5:25 | 8:00 | 10:35

(personalize)

Cast

Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe	...	Precious (as Gabourey Sidibe)
Mo'Nique	...	Mary
Paula Patton	...	Ms. Rain
Mariah Carey	...	Mrs. Weiss
Sherri Shepherd	...	Cornrows
Lenny Kravitz	...	Nurse John
Stephanie Andujar	...	Rita
Chyna Layne	...	Rhonda
Amina Robinson	...	Jermaine
Xosha Roquemore	...	Joann
Angelic Zambrana	...	Consuelo
Aunt Dot	...	Tootsie
Nealla Gordon	...	Mrs. Lichtenstein
Grace Hightower	...	Social Worker
Barret Helms	...	Tom Cruise (as Barret Isaiah Mindell)

Also Known As:

Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire (USA) (working title) (USA) (working title)
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire (USA) (new title)

MPAA:

Rated R for child abuse including sexual assault, and pervasive language.

Runtime:

110 min | Canada:109 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | Dolby SR | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45477) | UK:15 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Lee Daniels Entertainment

Trivia:

Shot in only five weeks.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Early in the movie when Precious is shown in her original high school, the teacher has written the word "REQUIRMENTS" in large print on the blackboard. The word is misspelled.

Quotes:

Mary: [to Precious] Oh, so you're going to stand up there and look down at me like you're a woman? You don't know what real women do! Real women sacrifice!
[Throws glass at Precious, which shatters at her feet]
Mary: Now, laugh at that, fat bitch.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Access Hollywood: (2009-11-06)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Humpin' Around

a work of art

Gabourey Sibide looks and sounds a lot like the late Hattie McDaniel; if a biopic about McDaniel is ever made, Sibide should star. Starting from this superficiality, it is clear that the character Sibide plays, an abused, obese late- 20th-century Harlem teenager three or four generations down the line from the McDaniels era, seems to embody a sadly ironic regression in the status of black women in America. Precious's very existence and her debased environment speak to a grave social disease that continues to poison our civilization – the creation and perpetuation of a dependent underclass. At one point Precious compares her self image to "black grease that needs to be wiped away." The horror of it all is that as dreadful as Precious's situation is, she is actually better off than many others in similar straits. She is, despite obesity, strong and healthy, drug free and has a beautiful smile. There are plenty of underclass females much closer to an early grave and utter hopelessness than she.

The story takes us on the journey of this monstrously mistreated young female from near destruction at the hands of her violent, hyper-narcissistic mother (Mo'Nique) and her rapist father (who has impregnated her twice by age 16) to a rescue with the help of a frayed but still somewhat viable network of dedicated social workers who help her gain literacy and independence from her wicked elders.

Interspersed with the depressing realities of ghetto life is the constant flow of Precious's glamorous daydreams, the little fires generated by her undying spark of life, her only opening toward beauty and light, imagining herself wrapped in beautiful gowns, doted on by handsome men, cheered by adoring crowds on the red carpet; wealth, fame, as she knows them from the pop culture that is her only mental nourishment. For her mother and for herself, life is an endless round of TV–food–arguments-TV–food-arguments. In their dark and dingy apartment, practically the only illumination is from the TV screen.

Mo'Nique's performance is revelatory on multiple levels, down to the bone of the human condition and certainly up to the highest screen standards. It is bravura work. Sibide's performance is technically masterful but much of her effectiveness comes from her imposing physical presence; this is not meant to detract one iota from her acting skills – it is just a fact. The excellent supporting performances include a pleasing turn from singer Mariah Carey as a down-to-earth social worker with a playful personality; it's an inventive characterization. But the whole cast excels and they should be honored for great ensemble work, especially the young ladies in the special education classroom.

Flaws? The pacing seems to slow down unnecessarily toward the end and Precious's educational progression seems a bit confused and not completely fleshed out, but this is minor stuff. This is a very inspired work of art by someone with a fresh vision. It is not preaching morals or slogans, just revealing truth.