Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Director: Lee Daniels Lee Daniels

Overview

Monster's Ball producer Lee Daniels follows up his 2005 directorial debut, Shadowboxer, with this adaptation of author Sapphire's best-selling novel about an overweight, illiterate African-American teen from Harlem who discovers an alternate path in life after she begins attending a new school. Clareece "Precious" Jones is only a teenager, yet she's about to give birth to her second child. Unable to read or write, Clareece shows little prospect for the future until discovering that she has been accepted into an alternative school. There, with a little help from a sympathetic teacher (Paula Patton) and a kindly nurse (Lenny Kravitiz), the young girl receives something that most teens never get -- a chance to start over. Mo'nique co-stars in an inspirational drama featuring the debut performance of screen newcomer Gabourey "Gabbie" Sidibe.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/09/2010
UPC:	0031398119777
Original Release:	2008
Rating:	R
Source:	LIONSGATE - 600000-AEC LGE
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:49:00
Sales rank:	39,212

Special Features

Audio commentary with director Lee Daniels; "From Push to Precious" featurette; "A Precious Ensemble" featurette; "Oprah and Tyler: Project of Passion" featurette; A conversation with author Sapphire and director Lee Daniels; Deleted scene: "The Incest Survivor Meeting"; Audition: Gabourey Sidibe; Reflections on Precious

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Gabourey Sidibe	Precious
Mo'Nique	Mary
Paula Patton	Ms. Rain
Mariah Carey	Mrs. Weiss
Sherri Shepherd	Cornrows
Lenny Kravitz	Nurse John
Stephanie Andujar	Rita
Chyna Layne	Rhonda
Amina Robinson	Jermaine,Girl #2
Xosha Roquemore	Joann
Angelic Zambrana	Consuelo
Aunt Dot	Toosie
Nealla Gordon	Mrs. Lichtenstein
Grace Hightower	Social Worker
Barret Mindell	Tom Cruise
Kimberly Russell	Katherine
Bill Sage	Mr. Wicher
Susan Taylor	Fairy Godmother
Kendall Toombs	Abdul, newborn,Abdul, newborn
Cory Davis	Abdul, 9 months
Rochelle McNaughton	AIDS Clerk
Roy Anthony Tarell Harvey	Boy #1
Abigail Savage	Bunny
Rodney Bear Jackson	Carl
Sapphire	Day Care Woman
Linda Watson	Female Clerk
Emani Reid	Girl #1
Ashley Livingston	Girl With Jermaine
Maurizio Arseni	Italian Language Instructor
Mugga	KFC Cashier
Deborah Lohse	Lady #1
Joyce Davoren	Lady #2
DeWanda Wise	Miriam
Quishay Peanan	Mongo
Vivien Eng	Nurse
Silje Vallevik	Pretty Blond Girl
Matt Bralow	Reggie
Shayla Stewart	Ruby
Ephraim Benton	Skinny Boy #1
Shortee Redd	Skinny Boy #2
Timothy Allen	Skinny Boy #3
Kola Ogundrian	Skinny Man
Christopher Joseph	Unruly Boy #1
Victor Woodley	Unruly Boy #2
Joye Davoren	Lady #2
Chazz Menendez	Man #1
Roy Anderson	Man #2
Erica Faye Watson	Sheila
Mario Grigorov	Composer

Technical Credits

Lee Daniels

Geoffrey Fletcher

Lee Daniels	Director,Producer,Screenwriter
Geoffrey Fletcher	Screenwriter
Gary Magness	Producer
Sarah Siegel-Magness	Producer
Oprah Winfrey	Executive Producer
Tyler Perry	Executive Producer
Lisa Cortés	Executive Producer
Tom Heller	Executive Producer
Billy Hopkins	Casting
Jessica Kelly	Casting
Roy Farfel	Stunts
Gene Harris	Stunts
Robert Scupp	Special Effects
Peter Kunz	Special Effects
Ken Ishii	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

For a film that touches on so many challenging and controversial topics -- including sexual and mental/emotional abuse, teen pregnancy, HIV, and illiteracy -- Precious is told with such energy, style, and conviction that it's impossible not to be awed by the artistry of the film even when we're shrinking away from the devastation taking place on the screen. Even when things get so grim that all hope seems lost, director Lee Daniels keeps us emotionally involved by merging documentary-style filmmaking with urban surrealism in a way that's genuinely captivating and original. While some may argue that Daniels' stylistic flourishes have no place in a story like Precious, it's precisely his bold artistic choices that set the film apart from any number of inner-city underdog stories, and take us into the mind of a young woman whose devastating circumstances are preventing her from reaching her true potential. Clareece "Precious" Jones (Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe) doesn't have an easy life; poor, illiterate, and the victim of severe sexual and emotional abuse, she's just gotten pregnant by her father a second time. She is about to be kicked out of school when her principal recommends that she seek out an alternative form of education. Upon enrolling in the "Each One Teach One" program, Precious encounters benevolent teacher Ms. Rain (Paula Patton). Unlike Precious' distracted teachers back at public school, Ms. Rain recognizes that the emotionally fragile young student isn't defined by her shortcomings, and has an unusual gift for writing. But every time Precious experiences any form of trauma, she mentally withdraws to a place where all of her wildest dreams come true. After giving birth to her second child, Precious strives to make a break from her abusive mother, Mary (Mo'Nique), and become a responsible parent. With a little help from Ms. Rain and her classmates, she might find the strength to do just that, and break the cycle of abuse that began when her father started molesting her at the tender age of three. Though Daniels' unique portrayal of Precious' sporadic flights of fancy do succeed in elevating the proceedings to something far more profound than your typical inspirational drama, Precious really is an actor's film, and with it the director has established himself as a filmmaker who knows how to coax a memorable performance from his players. In her first starring role, young Sidibe displays a believable blend of fear and self-doubt that perfectly contrasts the cornered confidence just beneath the surface. She may not have the advantage of a good education, but her insight into her own situation is unusually perceptive and acutely observant. Everything about the character of Precious speaks to her condition -- from her manner of speaking to her body language -- and Sidibe hits every note wonderfully. As effective as Sidibe is at embodying her deeply troubled character, however, it's the villain who makes or breaks the protagonist's struggle, and as Precious' monster of a mother, popular comic Mo'Nique proves that making us laugh isn't the only thing she does well. Her portrayal of the mother who has allowed her daughter to be abused -- and then condemned her for being a victim -- is harrowing and horrifying, and the monologue in which she attempts to come clean is simply shattering in the way it reveals the inner workings of a damaged mind. Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz also get kudos for shedding their glamorous public personas to portray a concerned social worker and a compassionate male nurse, respectively, though it's ultimately Mo'Nique who steals the show as the kind of mother you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. She's the dark crowning jewel of a film that's at once horrifying, challenging, and bleakly beautiful.