Precious - Movie review
Precious
The first time I saw "Precious" I remember thinking how I never wanted to watch it again. I liked it. Hell, I loved it but I wasn't sure I could take my emotions being dragged through beds of nails again. Since then, I have seen it at least 3 times. Because I do feel it is a film people should see and if a person is interested I have no problem being the person to watch it with them.
Now, I won't claim to know the struggles of being morbidly obese or growing up as a black woman. I am not the type to pretend I know the struggle of marginalized or oppressed people from my experience of being white but impoverished. But I can say I grew up in predominantly black ghettos in LA and (Highlandtown) Baltimore and I find this movie to be the most honest representation of a ghetto I have ever seen.
The movie, directed by Lee Daniels, is about a girl named Precious played by Gabourey Sidibe and her life living with her mother
Mary, played by Mo'Nique. This was a breakthrough role for both ladies and they both knocked it out of the fucking park. Mo'Nique does such a good job of playing a selfish, ignorant, abusive mother. She doesn't care about her daughter and it's obvious. She resents her actually. Mainly because she views the rape that occurs between Precious and her husband as Precious "seducing" him. But we are clearly shown that this is not the case, he is raping her and the scene is jarring.
During the rape scene Precious stares at the ceiling and fantasizes about being famous, and loved, on the red carpet. Sometimes in her fantasies she is thin, and white. This is a fantasy she has often throughout the film. She also fantasizes that her teacher is in love with her. She stares at him during class and imagines he wants to leave his family to be with her.
Precious ends up going to an alternative school when it is discovered she is pregnant. She doesn't tell anyone it is the product of her rape. In this alternative school she meats Ms. Weiss, played by Mariah Carey. She is the first person to treat Precious like a human, the first person to believe in her and the first person to dig to inspire her. We now find out Precious is illiterate but with Ms. Weiss' help she begins learning to read and even starts keeping a journal.
Throughout the entire film we watch Precious' mother abusing her violently. Calling her names. Telling her she is fat and stupid. A moron. Never going to amount to nothing. Then accuses her of being "too good" for welfare. She throws pans at her head, talks about her seducing her husband. Pretty hard stuff to watch, considering the stellar performances by the cast. Eventually, after Precious gives birth she decides to leave after her mother abuses her and tosses the baby. Precious leaves her mother's place and barely misses the TV she tries to throw on her head from the flight above her on the staircase. Precious eventually finds out that she has aids. She got it from her stepfather when he raped her. Her baby does not have aids.
This was the most powerful scene in the entire film for me:
Precious breaks down to Ms. Weiss about her abuse and about how nobody loves her. About how she's been beaten, raped, called an animal, made sick. She tells Ms. Weiss not to lie to her about people loving her and Ms. Weiss with tears now in her eyes tells her that her baby loves her, that she loves her. Very powerful scene.
There is so much more to the film that I haven't even touched base with but if you weren't put off entirely by this review and you feel capable of handling the incredibly sensitive subject manner I suggest you watch it. It will be emotional, it will hurt, but it is a good film that I genuinely think people should watch. It is easy to look right past people when we see them in the street, especially if they don't look like someone we feel we have a lot in common with. "Precious" breaks down those walls and has us identify with and crying with an obese, illiterate woman. We care about her, we love her, and we want her safe.
Just found out this is based on a book called "Push" and I am honestly not sure I could handle this in book form.
I never payed much attention to this film as haven't heard that much about it until now. Sounds heart wrenching, being an abused child myself I don't know if my heart or head could handle it but fantastic review
I am also an abused child and it was definitely rough. I kinda just take things head on and deal with the triggers. I do not, however, know that I could handle this in book form. D: It is definitely heart-wrenching but so well done. I more think that people who have not been abused need to see this film. So often people with no idea of what abuse does to a person judge victims harshly or tell them to "get over it" so movies like this that do a really great job of portraying the abuse I think can be helpful to give people perspective and maybe illicit empathy.
I agree to see and feel what abuse does to a person is a personal thing sounds like this film let's the watchers know more about it. I'm still dealing with the problems the abuse does to v your head, getting there slowly
That's all we can do. <3
Very true :)
That movie was rough, saw it recently. It was very raw and unflinching.
Push is a hard book to read. It's actually more explicit than the movie. There were entire paragraphs I just skipped over and with the movie, a few scenes where I looked away. It was so harsh especially once I remembered that there are real people out there experiencing this level of abuse and misery. We can't continue to close our eyes and ears to what is happening to children in our country and all over the world.