Precious Indeed

‘PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE’ is stunning. WARNING: This movie is NOT a popcorn movie!!! It is raw and horrific because of subject matter (incest) abuse of all kinds and skin color. Knowing that you know it is an independent film and there are happy moments. The story is about an obese, black (dark skinned) 16 year old girl named Claireece “Precious” Jones is abused by both parents--–her father sexually and her mother verbally and physically.

She fantasizes about being white, being thin and being loved by a light-skinned black man. In reality she is poor and can’t read, and is pregnant with her second child. She decides to go to an alternative school despite her mother’s objections. There, she begins to love herself and learns to read and write. She doesn’t lose weight, but gains knowledge as to why her mother was such a be-itch.

THE ACTING: Gabourey Sidible, is a newcomer who is just fantastic!! Lots of people know this story from the book or from their own life experience, but she shows every emotion and you have to cheer for her. If she is at least not nominated –--there should be no Oscars!!! Mo’Nique---yes, that plus-size pretty comic talk show host plays her always attacking mother. She too deserves an Oscar nomination. Others to mention who you would or couldn’t think could act, did an excellent job. Like Mariah Carey downplaying her good looks to be a good social worker, and Lenny Kravitz as a male nurse who showed Precious not all black men are brutal and uncaring.

BOTTOM LINE: This movie is really hard to watch, but if you want good acting and good directing this is the movie for you. You should always read the books before the movie, but I am ordering the novel as I write this!