User Reviews

Several reviewers have criticized this movie as manipulative. If a director or a screenwriter's work causes an emotional reaction, can't any such movie be considered manipulative. If this had been a documentary, would you have embraced it because the facts would speak for themselves. It would seem that we should only have movies about sunshine and light when it comes to people who were born into poverty. We should have a happy ending but not show the sad facts leading up to it. I found the portrayal devastating. I found the performances to be outstanding, upsetting as they were. This is no movie for children or the faint of heart. Nevertheless, those who have the open-mindedness to look at the depth of this film should see it. Movies may have themes and ideas, but agendas? I'm not so sure.

I had an interesting experience today. I went to the theater to watch "Hurt Locker" and after a break for lunch, then went to see "Precious". I am very glad I did this, as it allowed me to compare and contrast the two great films.

Both films are terrific and it's sad that only one of these ("Hurt Locker") got the Best Picture award. There are some years when I wish no film got the award and others I wish two or even three could get it. It's just tough to say that one film is best when they are both so good for such completely different reasons. As for "Hurt Locker", it was great in creating a tense mood and the way the characters AVOIDED dealing with their feelings was a great thing about the film. With "Precious", this was no action film and the important part, especially towards the end, was the catharsis, or the emotional outpouring up pent-up feelings. It was interesting, however, looking at the audiences. With "Hurt Locker", the place was packed and the average age was about 70 and the audience was very white. In the same multiplex, "Precious" played in a theater half as large and the theater was half as full. The audience was mixed and the average age about 40. The reactions of the two audiences was also quite different. With "Hurt Locker", the audience left very quietly and said little during the film. With "Precious", there was clapping and crying at many points throughout the film--as if, in both cases, the audience was in tune with the characters' emotions.

So what made "Precious" so, well...precious? Well, I love how the film avoided the cliché and formula. Too many times, the film could have taken the easy way out--making itself like another "Stand and Deliver" or "To Sir, With Love". But, unlike the typical Hollywood film, there is no perfect happy ending with this film. In fact, the ending is very mixed--with some signs of hope and signs of doom. I know a lot in the audiences will hate this as they want or demand a happy ending--but too often, this sort of by-the-books ending just doesn't ring true. Plus, decades ago, I was a social worker in the inner city--and rarely did cases ever end so perfectly! In addition, the acting, writing and characters were amazing. A lot has justifiably been said about Mo'Nique's acting, but I'll reiterate that she did a great job AND took a risk playing such an unlikable and awful person. It must have been hard to play someone so hateful and selfish--and she clearly had a performance worthy of a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. The lead, Gabourey Sidibe, did not win for Best Actress, but at least was nominated. During the first half of the film, I might have said this nomination wasn't deserved, but as the film progressed, she proved herself to be a brilliant young actress. Her tears and poignant portrayal were amazing. I am just worried, however, that Hollywood will ignore her in the future as she is not the "proper image". Well the heck with this skinny perfection, then! I want to see Sidibe again...and not just in tiny roles here and there--but in things with meat on them, so to speak. The final wonderful acting performance I'd like to mention is Mariah Carey's. When her film "Glitter" tanked, people took great pleasure in trashing her acting. I saw the film and disliked it--but only because the script was so bad. I remember writing in my review that I'd like to see Miss Carey act again--as I thought she had promise in this department. Here, she not only did a great job, but I really must applaud the lady for being willing to "ugly herself up" for the part. The glamorous image was gone--instead, a very de-glamorized Carey appeared on screen. Good for you!

Overall, this is the sort of film we need to see more of in the future. Excellent acting, script and direction make this a great textbook example for how small films should be made. Let's hope this film spurs on other such projects that can both inspire and entertain.

By the way, if you even care, late in the film when Precious and her mother are watching a movie on TV, it is "Two Women" which was directed by Vittorio DeSica and starred Sophia Loren. Not exactly a movie you'd expect the two to be watching, but definitely a classic.

UPDATE: I saw the film again but this time with my youngest daughter who is 15. Despite the very adult language and situations, I felt comfortable letting her see this rated R movie with me. However, this is DEFINITELY a film to see with your teen--not one to let them see on their own, as this film definitely opens up a lot of questions and emotions.

Once every so often a film comes along that will change your perception of things. In one way or another it will give you elements to better yourself. "Precious" is such a film. Lee Daniels, the director, takes things to extremes, so much so that this could easily be an opera. When you think that things couldn't be worse, you discover that they have been worse already for a long time. Precious is played by a sort of miracle. Her name is Gubarey Sidibe and I don't even know how to pronounce it but I will certainly take her in my mind from now on, always. When she stands listening to the rantings of her mother, I surprised myself by feeling tears running down my face. The mother, a standout, once in a lifetime performance by Mo'Nique, is also a character we've never seen before. Brutal, unsentimental and truthful to the core. I saw the film over three weeks ago and I can't shake it out of my system, if that in itself is not a sign of greatness I don't know what is.

I should start out by emphasizing that I disagree with much of the criticism the film has been receiving. A common disparagement condemns the movie as "emotionally manipulative" and "superficially inspirational", much like other films that fall into the category of the "inspirational dramas" depicting stories of individuals overcoming obstacles and hardships that many people seem to hate. Well, I personally found that the film portrays a reality far too bleak and dismal and brutal for it to possibly be considered "inspirational"; in addition, while the film ends on somewhat of a high note, even that is laced with misery and becomes the lesser of two evils for the protagonist. Another criticism of the film – and of the book it is based on – is from the opposite end of the spectrum, and blames the film for portraying TOO bleak a situation to the point of exploitation. I personally found the scenario portrayed in the film to be strikingly realistic, and I think that people who are too ignorant to realize that such a grim existence can feasibly be led in 21st century America need a serious wake-up call.

One aspect of the film that deserves all the praise in the world is its cast, specifically the performances of its lead actresses and the surprising and unexpected quality of these performances considering the particular thespians involved. First and foremost, we have the breakout role of Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe, portraying the overweight, twice-pregnant and illiterate protagonist, Precious. The performance is a revelation both because of how convincingly Sidibe reacts to and interacts with her brutal day-to-day existence, but also because of how completely removed it is from the first-time actresses' actual life. It's always impressive to see a performer convincingly convey difficult and profound emotions that they probably would never feel themselves in their real lives, but for a first-time actress to convey these emotions is particularly incredible. Precious' life is populated by three prominent adult characters; two of which see past her daunting exterior and genuinely want to help her, and one who does the exact opposite. Mariah Carey plays a social worker who takes a personal interest in Precious' case and, in the film's most dramatically gut-wrenching scene, makes a genuine attempt to bridge the gap between the teenager and her monstrous mother. Carey has only ever acted in two or three other films, including the atrocious vanity project "Glitter", but in this role, she de-glams, puts on a convincing and raspy accent and actually manages to deliver a surprisingly well rounded and convincing performance. Paula Patton plays another alternate mother figure in Precious' life, her teacher at her alternate school who takes a particularly personal interest in Precious, to the point of letter her stay at her home when she has nowhere else to go. Unlike Mariah Carey, Patton never did anything to totally remove my confidence in her acting abilities, but then again, she's never actually given what can really be considered a "good" performance, which is what makes her tender and genuine turn in this film most impressive. But the scene-stealer is without a doubt Mo'Nique, probably one of my LEAST favorite "comedic" performers who totally redeems herself and manages to deliver a frighteningly convincing performance, incredibly transforming herself into Precious' villainous, sadistic and purely evil mother. It is an incredible and difficult and extremely brave performance, and is even more impressive considering that it's coming from the star of "Phat Girlz".

The performances are rich and incredible enough to hold up dramatic scenes, but not the narrative as a whole, which, as I mentioned before, suffers from a series of bad directorial choices made by director Lee Daniels. The film's biggest flow is emotional inconsistency: in an attempt to portray Precious' inner feelings, Daniels injects strangely conceived fantasy sequences at key dramatic moments in which Precious imagines herself as a glamorous and famous personality. While the intention of these sequences is clear, their abruptness just totally jolts the audience out of the emotional flow of the film, and they just seem out of place. For a similar reason, Daniels chooses to set grim and dramatic scenes to oddly inappropriate songs and musical cues, which once again just feel forced and out of place, and interrupt the emotional resonance of the scenes. Other than that, the film just seems poorly done at times, or simply unfinished: the cinematography is inconsistent and often features zooms and loss of focus that don't feel like stylistic choices but rather just like mistakes. In addition, the editing is quite disjointed at times, and many cuts interrupt musical cues in the middle or otherwise are just so sudden and jumbled that they completely ruin the dramatic flow. Finally, I just felt that while many separate scenes work wonderfully and are emotional and genuinely gut-wrenching, they are just too loosely connected for the film to actually carry a consistent dramatic arc throughout, as it jumps between Precious' brutal home life to her newfound support in her classroom to her day-to-day activities to her inner fantasies. For example, a major dramatic reveal near the end of the film end sup completely ignored and thus irrelevant to the dramatic arc. As I mentioned earlier, the performances are absolutely spectacular, but the inconsistencies in the film's tone and its jumbled and odd editing take away from what otherwise could have been a genuinely affective film.

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.

I found myself strangely unmoved by "Precious," director Lee Daniels' breakout film about a young black woman with just about every conceivable card stacked against her who nevertheless finds the reserves within herself to go about forging a better life. I think my reaction has largely to do with the fact that I found Precious's life and the everyday horrors it contains -- horrors that include a physically, verbally and emotionally abusive mother; rape by her father resulting in two pregnancies; and by the time the film is over a diagnosis of HIV in a time when AIDS wasn't as successfully treated as it is now -- so momentous that they remained largely abstract. All of these horrors exist in the world, and I'm sure there are people who must deal with all of them at once, but the film presents them as a kind of pile-up derby of every bad thing that can happen to someone, and they all happen to our protagonist.

It doesn't help that virtually every other character represents more of an idea than an actual person. Mo'Nique delivers a one-note performance as the mother from hell -- effective? Sure. But completely believable? Not so much. And the characters who are good to Precious suffer from some of the same problems. I believed in them in context of the film, but less so when I stepped back and started to think of them afterwards.

Which is a testament more than anything to the power of the performances. There's not a bad one to be found, and if characters sometimes stretch the boundaries of credibility, it's because they're written and directed to, not because the actors make missteps in portraying them. Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique received all of the acclaim, but Paula Patton, as a teacher who sees Precious's potential, and Mariah Carey (who knew?) in a small but powerful role as a social worker, stood out for me.

Grade: A-

Some people are lucky and grow up in healthy, prosperous families with good jobs, good education, and a life filled with love. Then there are some who are not so lucky, living near of the bottom of the barrel with poor income and trudging through harrowing lifestyles with parents who have seemingly nothing but darkness in their heart. That is the basis of this heartbreaking, yet unusually uplifting drama directed by Lee Daniels. Following the story of an underage with a home style that can only be described as unpleasant and with an unfair future in sight, this film strikes at your heart with gruelingly powerful storytelling with strong emotional resonance. And Daniels accomplishes the story without diving into the pratfalls of emotionally contrived clichés. Part of this is thanks to the rewarding performances by Gabourey Sidibe, who is making her feature film debut, and Mo'Nique who is firing with a performance that simply cannot be ignored. Set in the poor neighborhood of Harlem in 1987, this film follows Clareece "Precious" Jones (played by Gabourey Sidibe), an overweight sixteen- year old girl who is pregnant with her second child after being raped by her father. She is attending school while living a poor home life with her extremely poor excuse of a mother Mary (played by Mon'Nique) who beats her, calls her horrible names, and yells at her to quit school because she is too "dumb". If that's not bad enough, she doesn't even have a job, she just collects welfare checks. When she is transferred to an alternative school and enrolls in an English class taught by Mrs. Rain (played by Paula Patton), she is opened to a glimmer of hope for her future. That is if she manage to balance being a mother and excelling in school, which she manages to ask advice for by her social worker Ms. Weiss (played by Mariah Carey).

Lee Daniels knows the heart of its source material, and he breathes life into triumphant results. Based on the acclaimed novel 'Push' by Sapphire, this somber, yet deeply moving drama offers a realistic and heart-stirring account of an underprivileged girl trapped in the shackles of an unfortunate home life in the uprooted by her mother who does nothing but sits in front of the television, smokes, and treats her daughter like garbage for reasons that are revealed late in the story. Her life captured partially through a series of both happy dream sequences of her being a Hollywood star and harrowing flashbacks of her and her father. Both of which paint a picture of her a psychological state. The relationship between her and her mother functions as part of the emotional crux of the story, followed by her life-changing journey of mothering a second child while facing the ramifications of her past. It is a deeply powerful story that almost never holds back on pulling at your heart strings. Yes, there are some moments of levity, but they come few and far in between. And the performances placed some icing on the cake. Gabourey Sidibe is incredible as the eponymous character, channeling her depression and confusion in a role that doesn't understand her. It is Mo'Nique however, that supplies the acting gold here. This actress scarfs down her role with overwhelming ferocity without feeling overly manipulative or exploitative with anger. Each scene she is present is difficult to watch, particularly in during the final scene with Sidibe and Mariah Carey, who also plays the scene quite well. Paula Patton is also very charming in her role, full of humanity and heartfulness. And let's not the forget singer Lenny Kravitz in the role of a nurse who the title character fantasizes about in a few scenes. At the end, viewers are blessed with a message that in the midst of living an unholy lifestyle, there is always a silver lining and light at the end of the tunnel whether you see it or not.

Precious is a heartbreaking, yet triumphant picture soaring with powerful emotional swing uprooted by uncompromising performances by an inspiring cast. It is a movie that will grab your heart and never let go, even after it reaches the end credits. Do not feel remotely embarrassed if you find yourself reaching for the tissues. There is a true heart and soul to witnessed here.

Precious is a film that doesn't mess around. The passion of director Lee Daniels and company resonates throughout the picture. There is no better example of casting. Geoffrey Fletcher and Mo'Nique couldn't be more deserving of their Oscars. The writing and acting make for an altogether captivating experience. Paula Patton's great as Ms. Rain. I've respected Mariah Carey's ability to crossover into acting since WiseGirls. Gabourey Sidibe is heaven-sent as Precious.

I find it difficult to watch in parts, given how physically repellent Precious and her mother are. Be that as it may, it is a compelling story of a girl finding strength and purpose in an abjectly miserable life. For those who may think her troubles are laid on too thick, life is as bad and worse for some.

SPOILER: First of all, thank God that this doesn't claim to be "based on" or "inspired by" a true story. That would be too much to take, because this is truly the most brutal movie I have ever seen - brutal not in quality but in content. As Precious deals with her mother's ongoing and relentless abuse (both physical and verbal) you find yourself almost in tears. As she has flashbacks to the sexual abuse she endured at the hands of her father you just need to turn your head away for a while and catch your breath. It's brutal. It doesn't claim to be based on a true story. You hope it's an exaggeration. You wish it doesn't happen. And, somehow, somewhere, deep within you know there are young kids enduring this type of abuse on a daily basis. So, the movie definitely gets an emotional reaction from the viewer, and deserves credit for that. But let's think about the content.

As brutal and emotionally draining as it is, the story is at times lacking. Perhaps the flashbacks and fantasies are a bit too much, so that you're not always sure of the reality of what you're watching. You have to like Gabourey Sidibe's performance as Precious. Her absolutely unfeeling reactions to her mother struck me as the sort of reaction an abused child would have. For an inexperienced newcomer, her performance was great. An Oscar nomination? I'm not sure to be honest. One of the biggest problems I had with her was that I often had trouble understanding what she was saying. Maybe it was the character - Precious being uneducated and abused, so she mumbled a lot as if she really didn't want to be heard. Perhaps there's some reality to that, but it's frustrating from the perspective of watching the movie and wanting to hear the dialogue. I thought the confrontation with her mother in the social worker's office was well done. It seemed the logical climax to the movie as the mother is confronted with the evils that happened to Precious at her hands and at the hands of her boyfriend. I loved the fact that Precious walked away and left her behind. I was also a little confused, though. She walked away with 2 kids - one with Down's Syndrome? As she said herself, she's still only reading at a junior high school level. Sure. "Then high school. Then college." She has dreams. That's great. But she's not living in the "then" - she's living in the "now." How is she going to care for two kids? As the movie ended, I was worried about them.

It really is a brutal, emotionally wrenching movie. It's not a movie I would watch twice. It's full of horrendous abuse and some of the most sustained and foulest language I've ever heard in a movie. It deserves a lot of credit. But it's also not great.

To my surprise, this soul-baring 2009 drama is neither as painful nor depressing as the subject matter would imply. In fact, director Lee Daniels' treatment alternates so fluently between gritty realism, social uplift, and fanciful episodes of fantasy that the end result is as much enthralling as it is emotionally draining. First-time screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher does a solid job adapting the 1996 source novel by Sapphire, "Push", but the strength and honesty of the cast is what sears in the memory. Daniels could have been otherwise charged with stunt casting had he not drawn out such powerhouse work from the out-of-left-field likes of comedienne Mo'Nique and pop diva Mariah Carey. Granted Daniels in his second directorial effort is not the most subtle of filmmakers (his first film was the strangely exotic "Shadowboxer"), but he does bring a level of florid passion that the subject desperately needs to alleviate the unrelenting bleakness of the title character's existence.

Set in Harlem in 1987, the story centers on sixteen-year-old Claireece "Precious" Jones, a morbidly obese girl so void of self-worth that she refers to herself without irony as "ugly black grease to be washed from the street". Nearly illiterate, she finds herself pregnant for the second time by her father, and the school principal arranges to enroll Precious at an "alternative" institution. She recognizes this as an opportunity to better herself, but her mother Mary discourages it and forces Precious to apply for welfare. The unenviable mother-daughter relationship is the crux of the film, and it is here the film gives an unblinking account of monstrous physical and psychological abuse that explains the sharp contrast between Precious' inner and outer lives. On the outside, she is a forlorn yet formidable presence with a face so full that she can't express emotion without a great deal of effort. On the inside, she is loved and admired unconditionally. The two slowly come together at Precious' new school where she finds acceptance and redemption through a dedicated teacher (improbably named Blu Rain), who must get through to a classroom full of girls all disadvantaged in their own ways.

The birth of Precious' son, along with the bonding she feels at school, signals a harrowing showdown between mother and daughter and ultimately a confrontation between Mary and Mrs. Weiss, the no-nonsense social worker who seeks the truth behind Precious' home life. In the title role, Gabourey Sidibe is ideally cast given the film's semi-documentary approach. An untrained actress, she is able to elicit empathy by giving herself completely to the inchoate character, and when Precious breaks down from the weight of yet another seemingly insurmountable development, Sidibe gives the scene a halting honesty. Paula Patton ("Swing Vote") gets to play the Sidney Poitier role of the elegantly transformative teacher as Ms. Rain, but she gives the too-good-to-be-true character a palpable sense of passion. As Mrs. Weiss, a role originally slated for Helen Mirren (who co-starred in Daniels' "Shadowboxer"), Mariah Carey, bereft of her glistening make-up and diva mannerisms, brings an audacious toughness to her smallish but pivotal role.

However, it is Mo'Nique ("Phat Girlz") that gives the film's most shattering performance. I don't know what emotional reservoir she is tapping into, but she nails Mary with a fury so startling and realistic that it's impossible to trivialize the source of her villainy. She never compromises the hardness in her character, and her self-justifying monologue is an impressive piece of work. There is also solid work from a couple of other unusually cast performers, comedienne Sherri Shepherd (of the morning TV talkfest "The View") as a tough school administrator aptly named Cornrows and Lenny Kravitz as a sympathetic male nurse, and a scene-stealing turn from Xosha Roquemore as the ebullient Joann ("My favorite color is florescent beige"). Not all of Daniels' left-turn devices work, for instance, using Sophia Loren's "Two Women" as the basis of one of Precious' fantasies seems contrived given only a die-hard cineaste would understand the connection. Regardless, it's no wonder that Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry put their stamp of approval on the film as executive producers since Precious ultimately finds a personal triumph despite the hard life has dealt her.

A truly magnificent film that may be slow, but slow in an acceptable movie pace. Wonderful directing and acting. Definitely deserved the nominations and awards it received. A great film where everyone learns their lesson in the end. It's truly emotional and will have anyone watching it in tears for joy and sadness at the end of the film. This is one of those films that makes me want to fight against child abuse and help the unfortunate individuals who can't spell, read, write or barely do anything just like Precious in this movie. 10/10. One of the best films about child abuse since Mysterious Skin. Sad and moving and sometimes funny. Precious is a "Precious" film

I saw Precious at the New York Film Festival yesterday. As you may know, Precious is the only film to ever win the Audience Award at both the Sundance and Toronto International Film Festivals. The film has been highly hyped since January and I was afraid I would be underwhelmed. Well, I sure wasn't! Precious is a powerhouse piece of cinema that will rip your heart to shreds. The acting is pitch perfect from everybody and the film-making is unusual.

Precious is about Claireece 'Precious' Jones, an overweight girl who has already had a child with Down's Syndrome from when she was raped by her father. Her mother constantly abuses her and she's already pregnant with her second baby. When she gets kicked out of school and is forced to go to an alternative school to help her get her GED, she realizes that there may actually be hope for her.

The acting is easily the most important and best thing during Precious. Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe will absolutely be famous and definitely deserves the Best Actress Oscar. Her performance was so real and searing that you're just forced to sympathize with her. Other cast includes Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey, and Mo'Nique who are all unfamiliar to the genre, but still perform very well. Mo'Nique gives a really great performance as the abusive mother Mary and should definitely win an Oscar as well. Mariah Carey's performance is a bit dry, but her character is not very major. Paula Patton, the actress who plays Blu Rain, Precious' teacher, gives a believable and loving performance as well. Also, the girls in Precious' class are all great. I actually was sitting behind them at the screening and got the them to sign my Playbill. They were all very excited.

The crowd seemed to love the movie. At Toronto, people laughed at serious parts, but the New York audience ate it up. People clapped for Precious, cried at the right parts, and even gasped at the screen over some of the violence. The violence is often so abrupt that it feels as if you too could have just been hit over the head with a pan. Everybody was so engaged in watching it even Gabourey Sidibe herself who had already seen it three times. Even she had trouble watching some parts. At the end of the movie, everyone in the audience stood up and gave Lee Daniels and his cast about a ten minute standing ovation. Everybody loved the film. Precious is definitely one of the best movies of the year and will definitely at least be nominated for Best Picture if not win it. It may be a bit bleak, but Precious gives me and everybody else hope. Lee Daniels wrote a quotation at the end of the movie that said "For precious girls everywhere". This is what really put the icing on the cake. Precious is a magnificent and disturbing movie.

I'm not surprised that Push won both the Grand Jury and Audience Award at Sundance this year. Director Lee Daniels (Shadowboxer) has created a very powerful film that manages to entertain while evoking a broad spectrum of emotions, from anger and heartbreaking pity to optimism, joy and hope.

Clareece "Precious" Jones (Gabby Sidibe) is a fat 16-year-old illiterate black girl that lives in Harlem with her welfare-dependent, abusive mother (Mo'Nique). She has one autistic daughter (who lives with her grandmother) and is pregnant with another child, both from her mother's boyfriend, who is also Clareece's father. Her mother repeatedly tells her how stupid and worthless she is while other kids taunt her for her obesity. She has become hardened and heartless, lacking education and social skills. She spends her time cooking for her mother and fantasizing unrealistically about a glamorous life. She would be easy to dismiss. Based on a novel by Sapphire, this is some pretty bleak stuff.

But good things can happen in this world and Precious is blessed with an indomitable spirit that refuses to accept the negative reinforcement that bombards her. Through her efforts, and despite resistance from her mother, she finds an alternative school. It is staffed by Miss Rains, a caring teacher (Paula Patton) and classmates who, although anything but perfect, possess enough compassion to become supportive friends. It turn out that the world can be a pretty good place.

First-time actress Gabby Sidibe gives a powerful, emotive performance. Equally good is talented actresses Mo'Nique, who is almost frightening as Precious' mother, and Patton as the compassionate teacher. Lenny Kravitz and Mariah Carey also have minor roles, giving the film a little star power.

Daniels conveys a Harlem existence that is profane, hard-edged and brutal, but with rays of humanity and compassion that leave room for hope. It is at once both a message to the poor in spirit not to despair, and to the rest of us make the time and effort to reach out where we can. Push is an inspiring message that will fill you with optimism and joy.

Sundance Moment: When asked about her getting the role, Sidibe said that she had some acting experience--like a non-speaking role in a college production. Pretty funny! She said her friends encouraged her to audition because she "fit the profile." She also said she relied heavily on "Mr. Daniels" for direction. Daniels said there were parts of making the movie that were hard on him emotionally--like directing Precious to eat, or instructing her peers to bully her.

FaNTASTIC FANTASTIC FANTASTIC! I was in awe over the storyline, acting directing, omg you name it. I had just learnt while typing this that Monique won best supporting actress. All I can say is of coarse she did you have to see her in this movie her performance is so cutting edge. Shout outs to Gabourey Sidibe who was brilliant as precious in this and wishful for her to receive the actress award as well. This movie is not for the weak hearted who are bothered by reality checks that so so many children are in abusive families like this. Lee Daniels offers a brutal yet realistic look into young Precious's life which as i said earlier is not a very nice life . A lot of reviews i have read on this film state that its over the top violent and unnecessary, why is it un necessary that people will may e see this film and then go back to their jobs within child services in some of the projects and pick up their game, or politicians for that matter? Hey I have personally had afew movies effect my life a few times especially that make you think. It also makes you go to your nice home after the film and hug your kids/kid and maybe appreciate them a little more.

Just seeing the trailer for this movie, I was blown away by the striking realism of lead actress Gabourey Sidibe's performance. The entire trailer radiated PAIN. I thought this movie was going to be heavy, dramatic, and depressing - but it took it all so much further than I could have expected.

First of all, I would recommend this movie to just about anyone - but only if you can handle and take something from movies that are utterly disturbing in their depiction of a realistic CRAP LIFE. This is one of those movies that just does not let up. We've seen this a lot with dark comedies this decade - from directors like the Coen Brothers, but through those movies we are mostly laughing at the unfortunate events - this time around, we wish we could help but for people in these kind of dark holes, there is nothing we can do to help without damaging ourselves in our attempt to be saint-like.

Mo'Nique shows a new side of herself in her performance as the most disgustingly terrible mother you'd never want as your own. I hope Mo'Nique gets offered more serious roles in dramatic movies after this because god damn she deserves it. She was THE WORST PERSON... EVER!!!! I HATE HER!!!!!!!!!!!!! How dare you treat PRECIOUS LIKE THAT!!!! WE HATE YOU!!!!

I've never seen PIGS FEET used so effectively in a movie! So disgusting!!!

There are no weak cast members - everyone portrays an entertaining, realistic, and believable character in this 80's NYC setting. Even Mariah Carey shows up as the welfare counseler and for once she puts on a worthy performance. Alternative school teacher Ms. Blu Rain (what an awesome name) - also ends up being a very memorable and lovable character, seen almost as the angelic being in the end.

While I was thoroughly entertained throughout, I did feel like there were certain segments that were a little dragged out. Lots of shots of Precious walking around in slow motion for basically no reason. Whatever. I enjoy segments like this personally so it didn't bother me. Nice to create places to squeeze good music into your film. This was perhaps the only flaw of the film in general though. The movie was lengthy because of the drawn out scenes but it was a worthy ride.

This one's definitely gonna be making my top 10 list this year. A surprise gem out of nowhere.

I've never even thought about giant black girls raised into terrible life situations wishing they were a skinny blonde white woman. Now I know there's got to be a lot of them out there... Aside from that, mothers like hers belong in prison or dead. PRECIOUS is just a reminder... a warning... an effective cautionary tale... PRECIOUS deserves better. Precious deserves on Oscar.

This movie is the strongest and most serious movie I've ever watched. A young woman, a main character, has so many problems that I can't help covering my eyes with my hands.

After watching it, we have to think about these problems like home problem or individual problem, race, skin color, and so on. There are actually a lot of people like her in the world. They're supposed to suffer, but they also must know there are some people supporting them around them.

Not only them. Everyone in the world has to realize that we are living with each other's support. And a child can't choose his/her parents. I deeply think over that.

I almost didn't want to see this film, because the trailers to this movie,show'ed how depressing and unpleasant this movie was gonna be. But after hearing so many good reviews, I decided to give this movie a look.

Set in 1987, a teenager named Precious(Gabby Sidibe) is having the kind of life, you would not wish on anybody. She is pregnant with her second child by her own father.(Yes she has another kid by her own father, no what mean I by unpleasant). She's smart but can't read too well. And life at home ain't much better, her mother(the impressive Mo'Nique) constantly belittles and physically abuses her. Life seems to be pretty grim. But then Precious is invited to a school to help get her GED, And she feels things could start to look up. But the question is Will It?

Not an easy movie to sit through,but I guess that was intended. Co-stars don't disappoint, like Mariah Carey, Paula Patton, and Lenny Gravitz. But the two performances I hope won't be missed by the Oscars are Gabby Sidibe, who is really good, and brings you too tears in one scene. And Mo'Nique who really surprised me in such a monstrous role. Also it makes time for humor and fantasy, It was great film.

I can't decide.

I will say this: Precious' mom isn't unique to Harlem or the black community. as someone with a significantly different background, I found myself nodding and shuddering at turns.

some will say that it is too much bad to happen to one person. but it's the vulnerable ones who are most open to this sort of abuse.

I read around the internet such opinions as, "the inner cities are beyond repair, there is no hope for them, for the people who live there". this is some sort of political statement I imagine. but I would assert Precious' experience is a quintessentially American one; the America I know, after all, the America of enormous racial and economic inequality. Hollywood doesn't like to focus on this aspect of our society considering it not very interesting or likely to induce guilt in the upper-middle class folk most likely to buy movie tickets. but watching precious helped me feel vindicated: "here, at last," I said to myself, "is someone telling my story".

what *is* inaccurate is the portrayal of social workers as generally helpful or even moderately well-meaning people. this is blatantly false. the role of the social worker is that of an auditor; my experience with them is that they have nothing but contempt for the people who they are hired to help.

of course precious was right in the end. what could the nice lady do for her? but at least her heart was in the right place.

the problem with America isn't the inner cities but an utter lack of love, compassion, understanding.

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

That's the tag line for "Precious", a powerful yet wonderful movie that teaches how you are special no matter how hard your life is.Whether you are homeless or dying, you are special.Precious is a 16-year old girl living in Harlem in 1987.She has lived a very hard life.She's overweight, she's pregnant again by her own father, people tease her, she got kicked out of school, and she lives with an abusive mother played by Mo'Nique.Her principal tells her of a new school that she thinks Precious should attend.Once Precious attends this school, she faces new challenges by her new teacher, her mother, and even her own baby.

"Precious" is not a film for everyone.If you are offended by swearing and child abuse, then this is not a film for you.But here the swearing and abuse is in the movie for a reason, which is to move us and help us understand how hard Precious's life is.It really is a powerful film.Powerful enough to keep you entertained and making you want to get to know Precious.The movie would not be how it is today without Mo'Nique.Her performance is not shallow in any way and she really should win an Oscar.But the performance that makes this movie really come to life is Gabourey Sidibe's performance as Precious.Her role is not only excellent, but also moving and intelligent.There's also Mariah Carey, who doesn't quite live up to Mo'Nique or Gabourey, but she delivers a good enough performance anyway.

"Precious" is a movie that just simply can't be missed.It's a movie that grabs hold of you and refuses to let you go.To put it into one simple word, "Precious" is...precious.

Precious is an edgy,inner city drama,set in the late 1980's in Harlem, New York. The story concerns Claireece 'Precious' Jones (played by relative new comer,Gabourey 'Gaby'Sidibe),a 17 year old girl,for whom life is just one never ending dumping ground (she is morbidly obese,she can barely read,and is constantly abused by her harsh,foul mouthed mother,played by pop singer,Mo'Nique,as well as by her step father,who sexually abuses her on a regular basis,and has already had one Down's Syndrome baby with & his pregnant with her second child). To make matter worse,she's been kicked out of the middle school she is attending. Precious gets the open window of opportunity to attend an alternative school to try & make something of herself. Precious seems to live in a fantasy world,all her own (obviously to temporarily escape the Hell on Earth that is life,itself). While in her new school, she is assigned to a teacher,Ms. Rain (played by Paula Patton) who seems to believe in Precious (as Precious has nothing but the lowest in self esteem). Will Precious pull herself out of the dark void of despair & make good for herself? Lee Daniels directs from a very well written screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher,from the novel by Sapphire (who has a cameo in the film). The rest of the cast is rounded out by the likes of Mariah Carey,as Mrs.Weiss,a social worker at the Welfare Office,who seems to have risen from the smoldering wreckage of her previous attempts in film (does anybody really want to remember 'Sparkle'?),and rocker, Lenny Kravitz,as Nurse John,who Precious seems to take a fancy to. The rest of the cast,relative unknowns,turn in real fine performances. What I admired about this film was the cinematography of Andrew Dunn, who's hand held camera work reminded me of some of the Dogme films from a few years ago (what ever did happen to the Dogme series?). This is a grim,gritty & somewhat depressing,albeit powerful film that goes for the heart strings,as well as the jugular vein,alternatively. Rated 'R' by the MPAA,this film contains unpleasant child abuse,strong sexual content (including statutory rape references),pervasive strong language,smoking & other material that is not recommended for young viewers.