THE STORY – In New York City’s Harlem circa 1987, an overweight, abused, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that she can re-route her life in a better direction.
THE CAST – Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey & Lenny Kravitz
THE TEAM – Lee Daniels (Director) & Geoffrey Fletcher (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 110 Minutes
Following rapturous reviews at Sundance and Cannes, there was one name on everyone’s mind in 2009: “Precious”. In Lee Daniels’ “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” or simply “Precious,” moviegoers experienced a story not often shown on the big screen, and one that, despite its many devastating moments, still inspires hope. “Precious” is a film that manages to tug at one’s heartstrings in multiple directions. The film’s biggest triumphs are due to its fantastic cast, including Gabourey Sidibe’s impressive acting debut and Mo’Nique’s monumental performance, which earned her an Oscar. Its script, adapted by Geoffrey Fletcher, also shines in many ways, along with Daniels’ unflinching direction (even if, more often than not, it makes the film difficult to watch). But this is a film that has continued to demand our attention, even through its most harrowing details.
Though Claireece “Precious” Jones (Sidibe) is only 16 years old, she’s experienced enough pain and heartache for more than one lifetime. She is pregnant with her second child as a result of her father raping her; her unemployed mother Mary (Mo’Nique) emotionally and physically abuses her at home; and she is illiterate and struggling in school (although math is her strong suit). Once her pregnancy is discovered, Precious has an opportunity to attend an alternative school with the hopes of graduating with her GED and turning her life around. Through fantasy sequences, we see glimpses of what Precious wants out of life, including being a glamorous movie star and being adored by the masses. It’s a far cry from her reality, as her mother is only ever concerned about receiving welfare money and never her daughter’s well-being.
Daniels never shies away from showing the devastating aspects of Precious’s life, which for many viewers will be difficult to watch. We see the abuse that she endures from the two people who should be protecting her most, as well as the way she goes through life being ignored, ridiculed, and judged by others. But Sidibe never portrays Precious as the person people paint her as. She always keeps her head up as she remains steadfast in getting through the bad moments and never giving up on herself, and it makes us feel so much more for this young girl. The fact that “Precious” was Sidibe’s acting debut makes her on-screen achievements all the more beautiful to watch. She handles her character’s ups and downs with poise and never goes over the top in her delivery, which keeps the story grounded. It’s most at play when she faces off against her spiteful mother, who takes any and every opportunity to throw things at Precious, yell at her, and tell her that she’s nothing. Mo’Nique is relentless in this, truly giving all that she has in herself to bring this vicious and, as we come to find out toward the end of the film, very complicated woman to life. After a certain point, you start holding your breath whenever Mary comes on screen, bracing yourself for whatever she has in store for Precious.
As Precious starts to attend the alternative school, she finally finds a whole host of people who actually see her for who she is and encourage her. There’s her teacher Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), who sees potential in Precious and helps teach her how to read and write. Even the other young women at the school, all from troubled backgrounds, form a sense of community that Precious has been lacking, and we see her thrive and gain confidence. The teen also begins to meet with social worker Ms. Weiss (a grounded Mariah Carey), who helps Precious come to terms with the abuse she’s suffered throughout her life. It leads to an emotional meeting with Mary that takes the performances in this film to another level and reveals even more heartbreaking details in this family’s life. After Precious gives birth to her second child, a son named Abdul, a nurse (Lenny Kravitz) shows kindness to her when she needs it most. All these people give Precious, and us, hope that things will be OK and that she’ll come out stronger on the other side. But those blissful moments are, at times, cut short whenever Mary rears her ugly head back in Precious’s life.
After a certain point, as Precious continues to sustain abuse, and later receives devastating health news, many might view this film as “trauma porn.” On the one hand, there is certainly plenty of melodrama with this character and story, as evidenced by how difficult each and every day is for her. Daniels doesn’t make it any easier either by bringing so many of these issues to the forefront visually, and only giving her escape through her daydreams, which often feel so out of place compared to the rest of the film. On the other hand, it’s a deliberate decision on his and screenwriter Fletcher’s part to show it all and not sugarcoat it. In life, there are no easy routes, and the film is dedicated to all the Precious girls in the world. It makes one think about the struggles those young women face each and every day. The handling of this film’s subject matter can be talked about ad nauseam, but the fact that these two filmmakers didn’t compromise their vision is a courageous decision on their part.
While “Precious” will always be a tough sell for viewers based on its themes and topics, it’s a film that’s full of extraordinary accomplishments, just like its main character. Unflinching in its portrayal of abuse and poverty, fantastic performances from the whole cast, in particular Sidibe and Mo’Nique, take us on a rollercoaster journey that leaves us feeling emotionally drained by the end. Perhaps the greatest feat Daniels and Fletcher accomplish is that, despite Precious being dealt a bad hand in life, and that a tough road remains ahead of her, the film manages to end on a hopeful note. We may not know all that this young woman will endure, but with her head held high, her two children by her side, and a brighter outlook on life, we know that she’ll continue to fight for the life she deserves.
