Sometimes I wonder if there's ever too much heartache for one film. If, at some point, does it pile on so much pain that it goes beyond believability and becomes emotionally manipulative. While watching the heartbreaking film, Precious, it became tough to sit through watching one person endure so much. I forgot about all the overblown press coverage it's received and quit imagining Oprah's grinning all the way to the bank(she co-produced the film along with the hated Tyler Perry). All that outside stuff disappeared, and left me totally engrossed by one woman's tragically heroic story.
Precious is massively overweight. So much so that she looks like she's squinting. She lives at home with her "mother" Mary(Mo'nique), who abuses her in every way imaginable but the worst by far is the verbal. School is a disaster, where she's mocked and made fun of due to her size and quiet demeanor. Precious is 16, mostly illiterate. She's had one child and is pregnant again. Both of them by her father, who's been raping her for years. Precious's first child is mentally challenged. There ain't a country song in the world that can come close to the depressing state of Precious's life. If she had a dog, it'd be hit by a truck. Precious hates herself so much, she fantasizes about being a different person completely. When she looks in the mirror, she sees a thin, attractive, blonde girl.
Granted the opportunity to attend an alternative school, Precious meets the first real positive influence on her life, her teacher Ms. Blu Rain(Paula Patton). Even amongst a classroom of troubled women, Precious stands out as the most troubled and deeply hurt of the bunch. Ms. Rain introduces Precious to the therapeutic properties of the written word, opening Precious up to her feelings the way nobody has ever attempted to do before. The classroom scenes are vibrant and energetic, and not at all what I feared they'd be. They very easily could've turned into some poor man's Dangerous Minds, but thankfully it avoids cliche mostly.
Mo'nique stands out as the actress most are buzzing about for her turn as Precious's soulless mother. It's a role that easily could've fallen into caricature, but I gotta give credit where it's due. Mary is such a foul creature, a black hole of despair. She sits like a blob on her couch and smokes all day, collecting welfare on her daugher and her infant grandson. She's quick to impress upon her daughter the same defeated spirit that has beat. She claims to be doing what's best for Precious, but it seems more like she wants to turn Precious into her. Whatever her given reasons, she commits some truly heinous acts, ones that nearly had me covering my eyes in fear of what she might do. But in the end I almost felt sorry for her. Mo'nique delivers a sterling monologue that almost evoked some sympathy from me. Maybe it will for you.
As good as this story is, not all is perfect. I felt like Paula Patton's Ms. Rain was a little too pristine for her role. She acts the part well enough, I just didn't buy into this perfect little figure all her students could look up to without question. Mariah Carey, stripped down of all her beauty and glamour(and with a hint of a mustache), does some powerful work as Precious's social worker, one of the first people Precious confesses her life to. Seriously, it's good enough to make me forget Glitter and Wisegirls.
But it's Gabby Sidibe who carries the show as Precious. A newcomer to the big screen, she melts into the role and forces her way into your heart so casually and easily. Even though she's not all that talkative, her words are few but emotive. It's impossible not to feel for Precious, and want things to get better for her. Mo'nique might have the most showy performance, but it's Sidibe's that requires the most emotional strength to pull off.
When reading about the novelization this story is based on, I realized that the movie isn't half as disturbing as the book. I think it was in director Lee Daniels' best interest to cut some of the most heinous events, or to sugar coat them just a tad. It's still powerful and troubling enough, but it brings me back to my original question: Is there ever a point where it becomes too much? Absolutely there is, but only if there's no hope to balance it out. Precious will no doubt make you despair, but it finds a ray or two of light that make it all seem like it's possible for everything to be okay. Without that, I don't know how anyone could sit through this movie.
One last note: Don't be an idiot like some other parents and bring your child to see this movie. There was a dad in the row in front of me who brought like six kids to it, and then cringed when he realized the prevalent topics were incest; rape, teen pregnancy; and physical abuse. It's rated R for a reason, you dolt.
