Precious
Precious
Genres: Drama, Adaptation
Running Time: 1 hr. 49 min.
Release Date: November 6th, 2009 (Limited)
MPAA Rating: R for child abuse including sexual assault, and pervasive language. Distributors: Lionsgate Films
Starring: Mo’Nique , Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Gabourey Sidibe, Sherri Shepherd Directed by: Lee Daniels
Produced by: Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Lisa Cortes
Synopsis: Clareece “Precious” Jones is an overweight, illiterate African-American teen in Harlem. Just as she’s about to give birth to her second child, Jones is accepted into an alternative school where a teacher helps her find a new path in her life.
Eyecalone says I actually originally saw this movie over a year ago at a private screening. It was slightly unpolished and not a quite finished product in that the soundtrack had not been added and the audio was occasionally slightly misaligned with the visuals, however all of the themes, events, and outcomes remain the same. I never read the book, Push, from which this film is adapted but I had heard about it and was familiar with the storyline. Hence, I knew I was going to see something pathological. A story about an overweight, illiterate, teenage Black girl in 1987 Harlem, who is being sexually and physically abused by her parents, already has had one child by her father and is pregnant with his second. Despite being forewarned, I left the theater with a sour taste in my mouth and mildly traumatized, wondering what I had just seen and how I should feel about it.
Well that was then, and Precious the movie is back, with a vengeance. Given the green light and backing of Black media moguls and titans of the entertainment community, namely Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, as well as the praise and adulation of many a White patron Precious is even generating mild early Oscar buzz for its lead actress, newcomer, Gabourey Sidibe and possibly comedian/actress, Mo’Nique. Mo’Nique plays Precious’ physically abusive “welfare-queen” mother, a truly vile and despicable character made even more so by her complete lack of context, rhyme, and reason for her wicked nature. She is the prototype of the image former president Ronald Reagan and the Right/Conservatives successfully created in many an American mind about people on welfare during the 1980s, particularly Black people on Welfare. Mo’Nique is excellent in the role and I found it even more believable because from her interviews and career work, it’s not hard to imagine her as being a miserable wench in real life, but if she gets a nomination much less an Oscar for this role it is just a further indictment of the rampant racism in Hollywood. Such an occurrence could be explained by nothing other than the adage that “White folks love nothing more than to see Negroes behaving badly”.
Truth be told however, it’s arguable that it’s not the over generalized, “White folks” that love to see Negroes behaving badly but Director/Producer Lee Daniels who is Black. At this point it’s hard not to at least have noticed a disturbing pattern in Daniel’s work which includes films such as Monster’s Ball, The Woodsman, Tennessee, and The Shadow Bower particularly. Taken together, they point to some serious personal demons with their constant and recurring theme of child abuse and/or molestation. Daniel’s himself says he was abused physically by his father but not sexually, but a history of abuse may explain the large amount of support for this film given by the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry who both claim to have been sexually and physically abused as children.
Another recurring theme or practice especially prevalent and disturbing in this film is the benevolent light skinned Negro or White person versus the malevolent dark skinned Black. The film’s lead “Precious” has very dark skin which is particularly relevant because it’s clear in the movie that this is a large part of her low self esteem, self-consciousness, and her generally being considered unattractive. Her vile mother is at least brown-skinned, if not dark-skinned, and her father, who appears in the film only briefly enough, to rape and impregnate “Precious” is darker still. Yet all of the characters who work toward her salvation, from her social worker played admirably by Mariah Carey, a really nice male nurse played by rock star musician, Lenny Kravitz, and her teacher are all played by very light skinned people, at least two of which are of “mixed” heritage. I normally try not to overly draw attention to such a dynamic but it’s hard not to with it being so blatant, and since complexion is such a relevant component of Precious’ character.
In light of what I’ve thus far described it should come as no surprise that Precious is reviewing well among predominantly White viewing audiences. Daniels describes it as a story that needed to be told, and a story that he needed to tell to cleanse himself, but I’m more than a little skeptical. I imagine many African-Americans will even be embarrassed by the film seeing it as some form of “airing dirty laundry”, but I don’t even see it as that because really the perverse circumstances and experience we are subjected to through Precious’ story are rare and are certainly not things that should be attributed to any one ethnic group or social class. Overall Precious is not a horrible film though it is lacking in realism and certain technical aspects at times. It’s likely to evoke some kind of emotional response whether it is anger, revulsion, or sadness but contrary to the critics I found it anything but uplifting. I’m still not completely sure how to feel about but I wouldn’t want to sit through it again, and unless your experience is so detached from the reality, possibility, and real life prospects (or lack thereof) of a Black, morbidly obese, illiterate teenage, HIV positive (surprise spoiled) mother of two existing in 1980s New York City, I’m not really sure how anyone could find this uplifting.
