When Clareece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) realizes that her life may finally improve, she gives most of the credit to her teacher, Ms. Rain (Paula Patton). Precious recognizes that the teacher helping her once had problems of her own. In one of the film’s many voiceovers, Precious reflects on this and says, “I think that maybe some of them was in tunnels. And in that tunnel, the only light they had, was inside of them. And then long after they escape that tunnel, they still be shining for everybody else.” Beautifully directed by Lee Daniels and wonderfully acted by newcomers, pop stars and a comedienne, Precious  is a film about how small kindnesses can create a force powerful enough to combat unspeakable cruelty and suffering.  Although the film is gritty and uncompromising, there are moments of surprising beauty and humor, and Precious looks very different from most of the standard Hollywood offerings.  

Precious is an illiterate obese sixteen year old, pregnant with her second child, both children the result of rape by her own father.  Precious’ mother Mary (Mo’Nique) abuses her daughter physically and emotionally, and spends the rest of her time smoking and conning the welfare system.  Precious has no friends, but an active fantasy life saves her from giving in to despair. One of her fantasies involves her math teacher, Mr. Wicher (Bill Sage). In reality, they have no relationship, but he does tell a school counselor (Nealla Gordon) that Precious has an affinity for math. This small act starts a chain of similar acts. First, the counselor makes a visit to the Harlem neighborhood where Precious lives to give her the name and address of an alternative school.  Precious attends the class taught by the teacher who helps her. In this class she meets the students who become her friends.  These events lead Precious to a chance at a better future.

The two wonderful performances that drive the film are very different, but equally impressive. Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe is riveting as the shell shocked Precious.  She manages to seem both strong and afraid, as she struggles to hold on to her humanity while cooking her mother dinner and absorbing a hailstorm of abuse.  In a voice-over lamenting the crack addicts that ring her bell, Precious states without irony that, “they give the ghetto a bad name.”  The grim scenes of her home life are punctuated with fantasy sequences of an adored Precious in long red gowns cavorting with celebrities, transformed into a smiling and radiant woman. The fantasy sequences are the first time we see Sidibe smile, but as the film progresses, Sidibe’s subtle performance reveals more of Precious’ warmth. Comedienne Mo’Nique plays the despicable Mary without a trace of vulnerability or compassion. Mary is a bully who feels justified in abusing her daughter, and Mo’Nique never wavers in this uncompromising performance. Her Mary is unattractive and moves with difficulty. We understand why her withering look makes Precious cringe.  Mo’Nique manages to sound terrifying when yelling the words, “Get down to the welfare.”

With the exception of Paula Patton, whose performance as Ms. Rain feels a little flat, the rest of the supporting performances are unusually strong. Lenny Kravitz is appealing and likeable as Nurse John, who tries to help Precious by giving her money and health tips. An unglamorous Mariah Carey is convincing as the social worker who tries to help Precious as she explains that if she wants a check, she needs to divulge some details about her life. Stephanie Anduja (Rita), Chyna Layne (Rhonda), Amin Robinson (Jermaine), Xosha Roquemor (Joann) and Angelic Zambrana (Consuelo) all deliver delightful and believable performances as the other students in Ms. Rain’s class. In one of the film’s more enjoyable scenes, these girls visit Precious in the hospital after she delivers her baby. They are immature and authentic as they flirt inappropriately with Nurse John and giggle, but still manage to make Precious smile. They are not especially good or compassionate people, but they show up, and for Precious, that make a big difference.

Some of the credit for the excellent performances in this film must go to director Lee Daniels.  Harlem looks grainy and drab, in stark contrast to the bright red clothing in Precious’ fantasy sequences. But even the fantasy sequences are very different than the fantasy sequences in other films. For the most part, the dialogue in Geoffrey Fletcher’s screenplay sounds natural, and both Fletcher and Daniels do a good job of not allowing this film to become over–the-top melodrama. In many ways, the scenes that affected me the most are about small moments. Near the end of the film, Precious waits in a doctor’s office next to the little girl who has been following her, the little girl she yelled at and pushed earlier in the film. After the little girl’s mother yells at her daughter, Precious takes off her bright red scarf, the same bright red she wore in her fantasies, and gives the scarf to the girl. At the start of the film, the horrible abuse Precious suffers seems to completely submerge any inherent goodness she may possess.  In a way, that is the most important thing her parents take from her. By the end of the film, Precious rediscovers herself, and we see that as a parent, she will be very different from her parents. As a person, she is now capable of small kindnesses.

 

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. Directed by Lee Daniels.  Gabourey Sidibe (Precious), Mo’Nique(Mary), Paula Patton(Ms. Rain), Mariah Carey(Mrs. Weiss), Nealla Gordon (Mrs. Lichtenstein), Bill Sage(Mr. Wicher)Lenny Kravitz(Nurse John), Stephanie Anduja (Rita), Chyna Layne(Rhonda), Amin Robinson(Jermaine), Xosha Roquemore(Joann) and Angelic Zambrana(Consuelo). Lionsgate, 2009.

 

Gail sees a movie appears every Wednesday.

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