Icons Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry present Precious, a story about an illiterate and obese, African-American 16 year-old girl. Directed by Lee Daniels, Precious is a Sundance Film Festival award-winning story based upon the critically acclaimed 1996 novel, Push by Sapphire. Both the novel and film portray the struggles of a young, poorly educated, mistreated and misunderstood teen mother, Clarice Precious Jones, growing up in impoverished Harlem in the 1980s.
Though Precious has never had a boyfriend, she has suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse, resulting in a three-year-old daughter with Down Syndrome and a son on the way.
The film foretells the hardships of some both passionate and terrorizing characters, in which an all-star cast are used, including actress/comedian Mo’Nique, actress Paula Patton and Grammy-award winning musicians Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz, to portray the sufferings and triumphs Precious endures.
This raw and inspiring film depicts an insecure and misguided teen-mom surrounded by violence and pain. It is only through the encouragement, understanding and compassion of her alternative school teacher Ms. Rain, the healthy birth of her second child Abdul Jamal and the confrontation of her abusive family’s past, that Precious learns how to regain her education, her independence and most importantly, her innocence. This recognition and newly found strength helps provide a better life for her and her children. Precious is a life-changing film and an instant reminder of how truly “precious” life and love really are.
RATING: 4 out of 4 stars
STARRING: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz
MPAA RATING: R