On the way to the movie theater, I was planning to watch a romantic comedy. I'm glad I went instead to see Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire.
If you're not moved and inspired by this film, you have a heart of stone.
At the end of the movie, the audience applauded.
It's a story about an obese African American girl from Harlem, who struggles to overcome the terrible hand she's been dealt in life. Her father sexually abused her, causing her to give birth to two sons, the first of whom has Downs syndrome. Her mother blames Precious for the loss of her husband's love, and the mother physically and emotionally abuses her. Precious is unable to read and write and is relentlessly teased by her classmates.
Precious is withdrawn. At school she barely interacts with other students and mostly ignores her teachers. But she fantasizes about having an affair with her math teacher, and is in fact talented at math.
During stressful situations (such as while being abused or teased), Precious escapes into vivid fantasies about an alternate life in which she is a beloved fat performer.
The actress (Mo'nique) who plays Precious' mother deserves an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress. At the end of the movie, we realize that as terrible as the mother is -- she's uneducated, selfish, violently and emotionally abusive, a smoker, and she failed to stop her husband from abusing her daughter -- she is largely a victim of circumstances.
The story revolves around Precious' efforts to lift herself out of the horrible situation she finds herself in. Precious leaves her regular school, where she doesn't fit in, and starts attending a remedial school, where a a teacher and social worker show concern for her plight. (Teachers and social workers will be inspired by their example.)
Some of the best scenes in the movie involve the interactions among the colorful, multicultural students who attend class with Precious. Their stories, hopes, and humor draw Precious out of her shell.
The movie made me appreciate the value of education, birth control, empathy, and social work.
The movie is not sentimental. The end isn't all cheery. But it is uplifting, and should cause some people to care more for the fellow human beings.
Precious is not only black, poor, and poorly educated. She's also extremely obese. So it's a minor miracle that the film is able to overcome our prejudices and to build up empathy for her.
