In Harlem in 1987, Claireece "Precious" Jones is a 16-year-old African American girl born into a life no one would want. She's pregnant for the second time by her absent father, and at home she must wait hand and foot on her mother, an angry woman who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is chaotic and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and a secret – she can't read.
child abuse poverty welfare incest alternative school teacher social worker rape aids illiteracy unwillingly pregnant balloon school crying motorcycle cynical harlem new york city angry aggressive frantic 1980s abusive mother desperate furious apathetic callous derogatory enraged frightened frustrated harsh horrified
calvin reviewed Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire (2009)
Precious... but not excellent
I don't know what I expected really. I've read the excellent, tho heavy book my Sapphire called Push, and the movie is quite a faithful adaptation of the novel where she tells the story of a 16 year old Black girl expecting her second child by her father. Heavy topic and even heavier-weight performances especially by comedy actress Mo'nique as Precious's abusing mother, this is one of the Oscar front runners. I can see some awards hitting for the acting there but it is not a "nice" story by any means. Surprise roles from Lenny Kravits and an almost unrecognizable Mariah Carey as her social worker make this movie worth seeing. Especially for the final scene where she's quizzing Precious and her mum about the sexual and physical abuse she's endured. As for hope, yes Precious learns to read in the movie and gets the kids in the end, but somehow it all seems quite unfulfilling. Great acting, based on a great tho hard book, but something just doesn't transit in to the film.
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