Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire is generating a lot of Oscar buzz, already taking home Grand Jury Prize Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Precious is 16 years old, morbidly obese, illiterate and growing up in the mean streets of 1987 Harlem. She is forced to leave school after it’s discovered she is pregnant for the second time by her father — but the officials don’t know that tragic detail. She begins attending an alternative school for girls working their way towards their G.E.D. It’s there where she finds the support and love she’s never had.
This heartbreaking Lee Daniels’ film is led by the amazing newcomer Gabourey ‘Gabby’ Sidibe. But watch out for the astonishing portrayal of the mentally and physically abusive mother by comedian Mo’Nique, and the entire supporting cast, including Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz, Sherri Shepherd, and Xosha Roquemore.
In both content and structure “Precious” is very much like “The Elephant Man.” There are many problems with “Precious” but its greatest problem is that it leaves the viewer without a sense of hope for a better future, and this is unforgivable. Precious goes forward into the world as an HIV positive woman with two inbred children, one with Down Syndrome. What hope can she or her children possibly have?
ooohhh i still have to see this!!
I found interesting the younger guy’s comment that the movie was boring and he was texting the whole time. When I went to see Precious, a small group of girls laughed during some pretty rough parts of the movie. I hope this reaction is just a coping mechanism because at least for me, pretty much everything that happened to Precious made me cringe and formed a knot in my chest.