Precious

“Precious” is the story of Claireece Precious Jones, a Harlem teen who has been through more hardships than most people experience in a lifetime. Precious is an illiterate, overweight an unloved teen who is ignored by her peers and abused by those who are supposed to love and protect her. Her mother (Mo’Nique) continually abuses her, both mentally and physically. Instead of encouraging her, she tells her that she is worthless and will never amount to anything, encouraging her to apply for welfare rather than waste her time finishing school. She has also been raped by her father which leads her to being pregnant for the second time.

In a last ditch effort to save her, she is referred to a program at an alternative school called ‘Each One, Teach One.’ Upon arriving at the new school she meets up with Ms. Rain, the first person that actually sees her as being ‘precious.’ Through her, Precious starts to learn how to find value in herself.

Offensive material

Let me quickly state that the film is filled with pervasive profane language, not as much as say a typical gangster movie, but the teenagers that form the nucleus of this story talk like typical teens and pepper their language with profanity. They utter every profane word in the book, multiple times.

Though this film is fictitious, the abuses and hardships that Precious endures are far too familiar to many—particularly African-American—teens in this country. The fact that this film bears witness of such events should be the matter that is truly offensive.

The film also contains the aforementioned rape scene which though it contains no nudity is very disturbing. There is a fight scene and persistent physical abuse inflicted upon Precious by her mother and others. There is also a scene of a child being breast fed. Some might find it offensive that one of the main characters in the story ends up being a lesbian.

As the overly long title crediting the book’s author indicates the movie is based upon a novel. And though the movie, and the book the movie is based upon, is fictional, the story of the abuses that Precious’ endures are far too familiar in our society.

Filmmaker Lee Daniels does a fine job in directing this rather troubling story. The performers are for the most part first-time actors or performers from other fields such as Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz.

Though many Christian audiences may have trouble with the content of the film, those that give “Precious” a chance will find themselves immersed in a powerful and tear-jerking story that may have the capacity to pull enough heart-strings to actually do something for the hundreds (if not thousands) of Precious’ in our society that go their similar struggles every day.

Editor’s note: According to this film’s director, it has a secondary agenda. According to Director Lee Daniels, “the movie is very gay-themed.” The openly Gay director explains, “I made this movie for my ‘family’ in the ghetto. I wanted them to see, three quarters of the way through the film, that the savior [the woman that helps Precious], that the goddess, that the sex vixen, was a lesbian.” [Source: Gregg Shapiro, “‘Precious’ moments: an interview with out director Lee Daniels,” Chicago Free Press, Vol. 10, No. 10 (Chicago: November 5, 2009).]

Violence: Heavy / Profanity: Extreme / Sex/Nudity: Heavy

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