Finally, after months of applause, festivals awards, and early Oscar buzz, director Lee Daniels' most bodacious film, 'Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire,' is being released in limited theaters before expanding nationwide in the weeks to come.
Featuring amazing performances from an ensemble that includes comedian/ actress Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, and newcomer Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe, 'Precious,' is a gritty and disturbing drama, but becomes more and more an uplifting, educational and powerful tale that folks will discuss once the impact sets in.
Set in Harlem around 1987, Claireece 'Precious' Jones is an overweight 16-year old African American who gets by in school until her administrators discover she can't read or write. Not only is her education lacking, but she is currently pregnant with her second child. Only her immediate family, which includes her mother and grandmother knows the truth. Her first child, a daughter with down syndrome's and her second, on the way, are the products of incest with her father, who's been abusing her with mommy dearest fully aware of the unlawful acts.
Speaking of her mother, Mary (Mo'Nique) constantly berates Precious for her stupidity, verbally and physically abuses her and takes her welfare checks while never leaving the house. Mary would rather watch television shows (like '227') and pet her cat while commanding Precious to cook and clean the house while pregnant.
Living in a fantasy world where she's white, has a light skinned boyfriend, and is seen walking down a red carpet while gaining fame in the fashion world (as Queen Latifah's music plays in the background) are what Precious imagines to escape her nightmare of a life. Things takes a new turn for the better when she's enrolled in an alternative school called 'Each One Teach One' at Harlem's legendary Hotel Teresa. The class is filled other students whose education level needs improvement and taught by Ms. Rain (Patton), who has the fortitude to stand up to these unruly kids and actually educate them.
With the help of social worker Ms. Weiss (an unrecognizable Mariah Carey), Precious is able to talk about and work through the demons that have haunted her for so many years.
With films like 'Monster's Ball,' in which Halle Berry won the Oscar for Best Actress, 'The Woodsman,' where Kevin Bacon played a reformed pedophile, and 'Shadowboxer,' featuring Oscar winners Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Helen Mirren, Daniels manages to get his actors to give him the best they have to fill a role that's not appealing on paper. This film is a step in the right direction for him as a director. He showed no bounds when it came to pushing the envelope. Mo'Nique, who was also in 'Shadowboxer' but in a smaller role, rose her status in the acting community. Her performance as an unrelenting dominant child abuser will never be forgotten. After this film, leading actresses everywhere will be on alert; Mo'Nique is a player whose game has stepped up big time.
After appearing in the little seen 'Tennessee,' in which Daniels also produced, and shedding her beauty for a small but key role, one can simply say that Carey reinvented herself as an actress. Patton is wonderful as the teacher/ surrogate mother/ angel who guides Precious towards a life of happiness with strength and pride. Aside from Mo'Nique and Carey, the one that stood toe-to-toe with them in her film debut was the new discovery Sidibe.
The other newcomers who are the Each One Teach One students (Chyna Layne, Xosha Roquemore, Angelic Zambrana, Stephanie Andujar and Amina Robinson),provide the comic relief that lessens the deep degradation that movie goers can feel for Precious.
The film was produced independently so that the 1996 bestselling novel by Sapphire would stay true without interference from Hollywood. Normally, one would hear about a story like 'Precious' on a talk show or television shows like 'Law and Order: SVU', but with the help of executive producers Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, the film is getting the exposure it deserves and hopefully will bring out the pain of many who have faced the same emotional and physically abuse as its lead.
The film is dark and depressing, but also uplifting and instrumental to the social problems that are rarely discussed. Incest is a heavy subject and many need to realize that 'Precious' is a testament that it does exist in society and it needs to be dealt with.
November 2009
