Guest Blogger: Abbie Movie 1

Precious, a movie based on the 1997 novel “Push” by Sappire, is the story of a 16 year-old girl struggling with life in the late 1980s. Precious lives with her abusive mother in Harlem, New York. Precious’ mother is an expert at taking advantage of the system, depending on welfare while she seldom gets up from her chair in front of the TV. Throughout the movie she continually orders Precious to give up on school and just go to the welfare office to get a check. Precious has a daughter who lives with her grandmother and only visits Precious when the social worker comes to verify how much government assistance is needed in the home. Precious is again pregnant. Again the pregnancy is the result of being raped by her father. To make matters even worse for Precious, she is illiterate and extremely obese. Precious’ mother constantly tells Precious that she is a nobody and that she is unloved. Precious somehow manages to struggle alone with her difficult life until a teacher, Ms. Rain, enters her life. Ms. Rain not only teaches Precious to read but also helps her to realize that her life, and her children’s lives, can be different. Ms. Rain helps Precious break the cycle of abuse.
Gabourey Sidibe plays Precious. Her performance is absolutely wonderful. Gabourey Sidibe was an unknown prior to this movie and hopefully she will be cast in many other movies. She fit the part so well you would think the part was made for her. Mo’Nique plays the role of the abusive mother. She does such a believable performance that you actually leave the theater hating her. Ms. Rain, played by Paula Patton, delivers the perfect performance as the intelligent, strong teacher who is able to touch the hearts of children like Precious. This is a story of survival and overcoming the worst of life’s obstacles. Most critics loved this movie. However one film critic, Sukhdev Sandhu, criticized the film very harshly. He felt the movie was unbelievable. I disagree totally with his opinions. This review sounds like it was written in the comfy office of a critic who has never suffered the cruelty of the world. The review was not only harsh, but also cold. Many critics had great things to say about the movie but the critic who said it best was Mary Pols of the New York Times who said that the movie was “too powerful for tears”. I agree. Precious is an extremely intense movie. It is the type of movie that stays with you for a long, long time. You leave the theater feeling that if Precious could survive her life you can survive anything life throws at you. I loved this movie and strongly recommend it.