Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Review

Posted by Chad Webb on 11.19.2009

Does Precious live up to the hype? Click to find out…

Gabourey "Gabby" Idibe: Claireece “Precious” Jones
Mo'Nique: Mary
Paula Patton: Ms. Blu Rain
Mariah Carey: Ms. Weiss
Sherri Shepherd: Cornrows
Lenny Kravitz: Nurse John
Stephanie Andujar: Rita
Chyna Layne: Rhonda
Amina Robinson: Jermaine
Xosha Roquemore: Joann
Angelic Zambrana: Consuelo
Nealla Gordon: Mrs. Lichtenstein
Directed By: Lee Daniels
Written By: Geoffrey Fletcher
Release Date: November 6, 2009
Running Time: 110 minutes







Rated R for child abuse including sexual assault, and pervasive language.

People love to use the "it was a true story" argument when discussing certain films. Perhaps they feel it gives them ammo when debating, and that all flaws one uses evaporate because "it actually happened." Such is not the case with Precious, based on the book Push by Sapphire. Often the factual qualities of the story can augment the film version, but that is not always the case. Whether or not what viewers paid a ticket to see is true is not relevant. The question lies in whether or not it makes an entertaining movie. Precious is not based on actual events. The author, Sapphire, claims it is based on young women she met while she was a literary teacher in Harlem and the Bronx for seven years. The film, directed by Lee Daniels, and written by Geoffrey Fletcher, seems to be faithful to its source. In both the book and the movie, Claireece “Precious” Jones is encouraged to write about her story. Certainly the film would not want us to assume these writings led to a book based on reality...right?

It's a coincidence yes, but a convenient one. The tale has a ring of truth nonetheless. Of course there should be no confusion after seeing that title (the events are based on a novel after all). I will be referring to it simply as Precious, but please understand that the full title is Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. If this will become a trend, color me frightened. Thankfully critics did not have to write about Where the Wild Things Are: Based on the Book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Why anyone felt it necessary to tack on a fact most articles would already have made known is beyond me. Initially, there was confusion because at the same time Precious was dazzling people at Sundance, the horrid film Push starring Chris Evans landed in theaters. Time has passed, and I think Precious gets the job done fine. But at least it will be easier on folks scouring IMDB to look up Precious because if you enter "Push", it will register on both movies. Whew. We can all breathe a sigh of relief.

Sundance was in January. The month is now November. Precious has acquired two notable "Presenters" during that time in Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, which will obviously boost ticket sales, but those two are just on board for the ride. That is a long road of hype and buzz for a film to live up to, and with three months left until the Academy Awards, who knows how Precious will be viewed by then. In the past, some films that were acclaimed upon release have had trouble surviving the journey. I try to ignore this as much as that's possible. The trailer I saw enticed me, and I entered the theater with a clean slate, hoping for a satisfying experience. What I got was a mixed bag. While the film houses some of the most gut-wrenching and moving performances of the year, the structure and the direction have problems. As Lee Daniels’ sophomore effort, he shows that he still needs to find a proper stride.

Set in Harlem in 1987, the story picks up with Claireece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Idibe), whose life is the embodiment of just about everything that could go wrong for a teen. She is 16 years old, but is also obese, illiterate, and a mother to a child with Downs Syndrome (The name is Mongo as in Mongoloid?). She is also pregnant again from the same man, her father, who raped her. If this wasn't enough, her mother Mary (Mo’Nique) abuses her both physically and psychologically. As a middle-schooler with expulsion hanging over her head, Precious is invited to attend an alternative school called "Each One/Teach One". The concept of an alternative school is new to her, but she goes regardless, and meets Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), a caring teacher that only wants the best for her students. A brighter future seems possible. But before that can become a reality, Precious needs to battle plenty of adversity on the streets and at home.

Using narration and fantasy tangents, the audience learns more about Precious, her dreams, her desires, and her aspirations amidst so much hardship. Her fantasy moments include a handsome light-skinned boy who drives a motorcycle, flashing paparazzi cameras on the red carpet, and being a performer in a music video just to name a few. The opening voice-over conveys her tendency to have fantasies quite clearly. When the daydreams are actually shown, again and again, it quickly reaches overkill. It also undercuts the straight drama. Almost every time Daniels shakes us to the core with a poignant sequence, a fantasy is immediately inserted, and the effect is jarring. Moviegoers should be able to withstand the awful nature of the abuse without the light-hearted digressions. They serve a purpose I suppose, but not a memorable one. It's distracting. As a result, Precious is a film that seems to be afraid of its own emotional punch.

Upsetting as many of the scenes are, what was genuinely alarming was the desire for laughter on a handful of occasions. Surprising as that may seem, one sequence in particular displays a fantasy/nightmarish moment after Precious catches glimpses of a foreign film on television. In her head, she and her mother exchange harsh words in a foreign language while subtitles inform of us of the dialogue. This was unmistakably meant as comedy, but in my opinion, the relationship between Precious and her mother is not even remotely amusing. It was in bad taste. From then on the intended aim is visibly fuzzy.

Many of the classmates Precious encounters at Each One/Teach One are exaggerated ever-so slightly to induce chuckles. But what of the fights between Precious and her mother? The showing I attended had the audience erupting in uproarious laughter during many of these scenes. It was startling. Was the audience being rude, were they confused, or was I missing the point? I'll go with door #2, but even without that audience Precious teeters dangerously on the border of "so outrageous it's comical" territory. A little amusement is welcomed in dramas, but the placement and tone Daniels and company employ is uneven to say the least.

Undeniably stirring can describe each of the glorious performances. In that area, Precious is just about flawless. Though some claim she is the definition of a ghetto cliché, Gabourey Idibe rises above that remark. Her quiet, sensitive, and brave turn is not a scene-stealing portrayal like Mo'Nique, but Idibe fully realizes the character so that it is more than a one-dimensional stereotype. The welfare infatuated mother Mary, depicted by Mo'Nique, is jaw-droppingly powerful. Not to discount her resume, but I simply was not expecting this level of work from the comedienne whose titles include Beerfest, Phat Girlz, and Soul Plane. It also includes Shadowboxer, the debut feature from Daniels, and the name of her character? Precious.

Aside from the silly classmates, the supporting team holds their own well. Paula Patton is terrific as the influential lesbian teacher Blu Rain, whose leadership in the classroom appears comfortable and authentic. Mariah Carey, impressing Daniels when he was a producer on her previous film Tennessee, does better in her few scenes here than in her entire performance for Glitter. As a social worker, Carey is snappy and wonderful. The question "What color are you?" is thrown at her, and was also supposed to be humorous in more ways than one. Ha. Lenny Kravitz is also solid in his small role as Nurse John, and Rodney "Bear" Jackson is intimidating as Precious' father, the sweatiest man alive.

Despite the nuisance of the editing, and numerous songs of varying genres that were simply inserted in random spots, Precious manages to unload some scenes that are irrefutably penetrating and harrowing. Watching Precious finally break down to Ms. Rain is indeed compelling. Daniels clearly has a gift for carefully honing and shaping his cast to elicit the acting that is needed. If he can learn to ease back on the side-tracks and little directorial flourishes, he'll be on the right path.

When a cast arrives in prime form as they have with Precious, and when the "defying the odds" theme is built so effectively by the marketing campaign, one feels inclined to be generous. Leaving the theater firmly on the fence, I knew I had to weigh the pros and cons. What prevents me from granting Precious more points are two things, one which leads into the other. Precious' situation gets worse before it can get better, which makes the ending strike an artificial note. When it's all set and done, and the buzz has died down, I will not have the urge to watch Precious again. However, it will not be the first time one has championed the acting apart from the film as a whole.

The 411: Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire is a film that will provide you with some truly sensational performances, and some less than sensational direction from Lee Daniels. The marketing and positive buzz has worked. The theaters have been packed as the film gradually expands to a full wide release. This will definitely be nominated for plenty of awards, but I hold firm that the film has noticeable problems. It is not the first film to focus on a teenager whose life on the streets is bleak, but there have been many that did the job better. Giving a guaranteed recommendation to avoid or see this is tricky. Chances are the trailer was enough for you to make a decision. In case you’re still unsure, I would say wait for DVD. Precious has some bright spots, but not enough.

Final Score:  6.5   [ Average ]