Precious [DVD]

I was negligent in waiting so many years to finally watch this film. I had heard an interview with Ms. Sibide on NPR a long time ago and was intrigued by the story. After watching it tonight, I must say that I haven't been moved so much by a movie in a long time.Yes, it is difficult to watch, and there are many points where I wondered how much worse her situation could get or how much more I could take. I found myself screaming in anger a couple of times during the confrontations with her mother, then agonizing over her situation in the last scene. It is very seldom that a movie can elicit such extreme emotions from me, but this one did, and brilliantly so.The style of this movie is gritty and realistic with believable characters who actually make you care about them, despite the initial revulsion you might feel towards them. The situation of Precious is something you might read about in some Greek tragedy or Medieval morality play. The knowledge that is takes place in the present only adds to the weight of emotions that it brought about in me while I watched it.Whatever you might feel about Precious, her life, or her ability to pull herself out of the hell from which she came, you cannot watch this movie without wondering how, and why, we as a society haven't done more to prevent these circumstances from existing in the first place.

This is a difficult movie to view due to the subject - a poor teenager physically and mentally abused by her mother, and sexually abused by her father leading to two children before she's even of legal age.As the movie opens, Precious is pregnant for the second time, overweight, nearly illiterate, and withdrawn. She doesn't fit in at school, hates being at home, and escapes into her own world in her mind. These scenes are beautifully portrayed, and such a heartbreakingly accurate image of mental escapism at a time when it's desperately needed.Her mother's main interests include sitting on the couch, watching TV, eating food that Precious cooks, and collecting welfare money any way possible. She's portrayed almost until the end as violent, cruel, and heartless to her family members. The single scene that feels different - and explains so much - can't even be trusted as true emotion, the character's cruel, jaded nature has already been so established.Precious is moved to an alternative school, where she slowly learns to trust and open up due to her teacher and fellow students. She learns reading and writes daily, as the rest of the class does. She meets a male nurse when she gives birth to her second child who seems to become a friend as well. Without further spoilers, it's a difficult movie to view, but important to see. The situation isn't just a race issue, or class issue - abuse, incest, and evil exist in all segments of society. Viewing films like this, so well done and heartfelt, helps remind us of our own humanity and to show empathy for others.The acting is top notch by all parties - despite Mariah Carey's much-acclaimed "no makeup" role, I feel every part of the cast played their role perfectly. In some circumstances this means you care about them, in others it causes rage at the character.

I first saw Gabourey Sidibe in AHS Season 3: The Coven. Right away, I saw how sincere her acting was in this role. She plays a teenage girl who is pregnant with her second child and lives with an abusive mother, who encourages her to seek welfare instead of school. I related to the character's habit of daydreaming to escape the torment of abuse (physical, verbal, emotional, sexual). In my case, it was emotional and verbal abuse. If my narcissistic mother saw this movie, she'd lament about the abuse while failing to see the similarities between herself and the mother. It's uncanny, and the acting from the woman playing the mother (Mo'Nique) really makes you want to hate her. At times there is a dream-like, surreal feeling because Precious is either daydreaming or going through something big.

I am so late to this movie party, but I knew this would be a brutal movie to watch,I knew I wasn't ready until now, and I am so glad I did. Acting is fierce, subject matter is so hard to watch yet we know it's an honest portrayal. Certainly a higher calling must have gotten this acting crew through this movie. Acting is incredible and jarring - and I was impressed by two celebrities I generally don't care for: Mariah Carey and Paula Patton. Also, a perfect depiction of how not being able to read and write (no matter how intelligent one is) affects us in life and how our own loved ones will keep us down at any cost. One has to ask how humanity can be so very unhealthy and so absolutely horriific to each other. The perpetuation of poverty and ignorance is criminal, and the system is not improving this many years later.

Precious is a one of a kind story about poverty and all the extreme forms of dysfunction it can lead to. It features Gabourey Sidibe who has an abusive mother played by Mo’Nique, was a victim of rape, has two babies as a teenager, and gets sent to continuation school. The movie is about her struggle. The story comes in two parts. The first part is about all the troubles she went through and it is truly harrowing. The second part is about how she had her second child and hoped it would be a new chapter for her.Mo’Nique plays a mom who does nothing but criticize and beat Sidibe. It’s like her life was bad so she wants to make sure her daughter has it worse. Paula Patton is Sidibe’s teacher and the one person who shows some love for her. Mariah Carey even shows up as a social worker and Lenny Kravitz is a nurse. Most importantly this is a performance of a lifetime for Sidibe. She shows so many emotions during her ordeal. This was her first role as well.

Ground breaking film at the time with powerful performances from the lead cast that are normally associated with other genres (I was transfixed with the authenticity of Mo'nique's character).Mariah Carey is hardly recogniseable as the social worker and Gabourey Sidibe is utterly believable and outstanding in what will be her landmark performance.Great film with all too real life topics handled in a head on, no punches held approach.

A hard film to watch to have to watch the suffering Precious goes through. Disturbing, but very good film. Only wish the ending gave us some indication of what lied ahead for Precious rather than just knowing she had escaped the brutality of her mother and abuse inflicted on her by others.

Great film and story line! Fantastically acted! Loved every minute of it! Shows that not everyone is the same in the world and it matters not where you started it matters where you finish!

A very emotional and true to life film about a young girls life.

I understand it is based on true experiences from a teacher who taught girls like Precious.Constantly being raped by her father and the mental abuse from her mother - that girl's life was so horrific but she still kept her dreams and tries to build a better life.There is a really moving scene with Precious, her mother and social worker when her mother talks of the rapes when Precious was a child, I cried my eyes out and the acting is just superb and I include Mariah Carey too!This is a grim film you will be thinking about it long after you've finished watching it.