Starring: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey and Leny Kravitz
Distributor: Icon Films
Runtime: 110 mins. Reviewed in Nov 2011
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The basic narrative is straightforward: the late 1980s, a completely dysfunctional family in the Bronx, where the pregnant 16 year old Claireece Precious Jones (already the mother of a daughter who has Downs Syndrome) by her father, lives with her indolent and abusive mother. One of the distinguishing features of the film is that at moments of deep hurt and crisis, Precious retreats into her imagination where she is beautiful, successful and admired. These imaginings the audience is privy to. But Precious is a very big girl, very big and this causes insults to be poured on her.
Praised by her maths teacher and supported, though at first quite ungratefully, by the principal, Precious is advised to go to a special Each/Teach organisation run by Miss Blu Rain, an elegantly beautiful, intelligent and sensitive woman.
The rest of the plot might be anticipated but it is seeing Gabourey Sidibe’s performance and her eliciting our interest and sympathy that makes the film worthwhile. The other performances are also strong: comedienne Mo’nique as the slatternly mother, Paula Patton as Miss Rain, singer Lennie Kravitz as a male nurse and Mariah Carey as the social supervisor.
The screenplay pulls very few punches: school behaviour, violence at home, incest, teenage pregnancy and motherhood, childbirth, choices for adoption or opportunity for development, illiteracy, lack of self-esteem, lesbianism, racism. But, this is all presented with such conviction and compassion that it wins audience hearts and minds.
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