"Precious" the Movie

My husband and I went to the Rave Theater in Little Rock on Friday evening to see the much anticipated movie, "Precious", directed by Lee Daniels and based off of the novel, "Push" by Sapphire.  This movie was also produced by Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey.  Because the movie is playing in only select theaters, the Rave Theater had to serve many (and I mean many) movie watchers on that evening.  For those who have not seen the movie, I will not go into great detail but did want to share a few of my thoughts.  If you haven't heard of the movie, here it is in a nutshell: Precious is an overweight, illiterate, HIV positive, sexually and physically abused poor inner city teen that is pregnant with her second child as a result of incestuous abuse by her mother's partner. Precious is played by newcomer, Gaborey Sidibe. Her abusive mother, played by comedian Mo'nique, sexually and physically abuses her.  She was also very jealous of Precious' two kids who were conceived by rape (from her father who has AIDS).  The mother is determined to soak up as much as she can from the government system by collecting welfare and insisting Precious do the same. Precious enters an alternative school to get her GED and meets a teacher (played by Paula Patton) who is stern and has special interest in seeing her students succeed.  Some of the humor of the movie comes from the classmates. Encouraged by her mother, Precious finally decided to go to the welfare office where she meets her social worker (played by Mariah Carey who is glammed down completely) to receive assistance.  During her meetings, Precious shares information about her life at home (which you'll have to see how it is for yourself). Other stars played in the film, such as:  Sherry Shepherd (receptionist) and Lenny Kravitz (nurse) …very small roles might I add. There's  a good chance that you might cringe in your seat and even shed a few tears as some of the scenes are quite brutal and harsh. The saddest part of this film is reality.  For those of you who don't know, aside from running Pink Tea Rose Events, I work full-time in Human Services at a local high school.  Our youth (and their parents) have to deal with so many oppressors that may affect the positive outcome for their future.  Obesity, poverty, depression, illiteracy, STDs, sexual and physical abuse, violence, and the lack of education is destroying our communities.  This horrible reality just doesn't affect the Black community and has no specific color or race.  There are quite a few shocking scenes to leave you wondering, "does this really happen in reality?".  Please believe me that it does.  Now, I'm not a movie critic and don't know the art of dissecting a film to tell you if it's Oscar-worthy.  I'm not that good at it.  But, I will say that Mo'Nique did a fabulous job portraying such a deep and troubled character.  And, hats off to Gaborey Sidibe for stepping into such a powerful, first role as an actress. Is this a film that I would want to watch over and over, probably not.  In my own personal opinion, I thought it still missed something like-- better musical scoring, a better timeline of Precious' rise, and even a better ending.  But, again, I am not a movie critic just a ticket paying patron who loves the Big Screen.  The issues embedded into this film are those that need immediate action in our country…in our communities.  Let's stand to empower our communities and equip our youth (and parents) with resources to help them improve their way of living, believing, and responding.  There's a message of hope that is highlighted in the movie "Precious" and I am all for that.  And, no matter how successful I am or become, I cannot ignore the fact that there are others who are in dire need.  My husband and I are teaching our children now about the importance of keeping our hand in our community and the power of outreach.  Have you seen the movie "Precious"?  If so, what are your thoughts on the film and the issues highlighted? Additional Arkansas resources: Arkansas Council for Literacy Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-482-5964 Department of Human Services Arkansas Health Department Coalition Against Domestic Violence Guide for Troubled Teens Food Banks AR Department of Workforce Services Mental Health Resources