Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (Theatrical)

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---

Lee Daniels´ directorial debut "Shadowboxer" (2005) was so aggressively tasteless and obstinately implausible that it left some critics traumatized. A hitman/hitwoman melodrama that rapidly devolves into kitsch before collapsing into flat-out stupidity, it must have tinged expectations for Daniels´ second feature film "Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire." I can´t think of any other reason why this surprisingly conventional inspirational fairy tale would be described as audacious or potentially polarizing. How polarizing can a movie be if it wins audience awards at Sundance and Toronto?

Working from Geoffrey Fletcher´s screen adaptation of the Sapphire novel, Lee Daniels loads the deck against his title character from the very beginning and just keeps piling it on. Precious (newcomer Gabourey Sidibe) is a sixteen year girl who is severely obese, profoundly depressed and completely disconnected from the world. Home is no refuge. Precious is repeatedly raped by her father and is now pregnant with a second child by him. Precious´ mother-in-name-only Mary (Mo'Nique) reacts with jealousy rather than sympathy or any recognizable maternal instinct. Precious has stolen her man and he has given her more babies than mama ever got, so to hell with her. Almost a literal hell. It´s difficult to be an even worse parent than a child molester, but Mary pulls a Mommie Dearest act that should make Christina Crawford feel positively nostalgic about her youth.

Mary constantly calls her daughter fat, ugly, worthless and stupid and Precious has taken these words to heart, retreating from the world in favor of a fantasy life where she is glamorous, has a boyfriend and is the center of attention. At times, her fantasy world also involves her being white which she associates with being pretty. But even Precious´ considerable power of imagination doesn´t provide a sufficient bulwark against her nightmare reality.

Potential salvation arrives when Precious is steered towards an "alternative school" where she meets Ms. Blu Rain (Paula Patton) a teacher so patient and empathetic you may wonder if she too is one of Precious´ fantasy constructs. Here the film marks familiar territory. Precious´ classmates are a collection of "troubled" young women each with their own problematic but ultimately endearing personality quirks, producing many "feel good" comedic moments. With the close mentoring of Ms. Rain, Precious finally risks opening up and begins to write in her daily journal which she shares with both her teacher and her class, though never with mom.

There are more obstacles in the way for Precious, some so overwhelming the film ventures into the Story of Job territory recently covered by the Coen Brothers in "A Serious Man." But for all the ordeals Precious endures the film always promises hope. Precious´ road to redemption begins the minute she walks into Ms. Rain´s class and there is no point where we fear she´ll go astray. Perhaps this is an expression of Daniels´ protective feelings towards his abused main character but it limits the film´s ability to challenge the audience. It is safely harrowing, a trait it shares with last year´s indie darling "Slumdog Millionaire."