Cinema Society

Just Added! PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL "PUSH" BY SAPPHIRE

Average
Rating

4.2

Tuesday, November 17, 2009, AMC La Jolla 12 Theatres

JUST ADDED FOR NOVEMBER!

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17

7:10PM: Introduction, Auditorium 4

7:15PM: Introduction, Auditorium 5

7:30PM: PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL “PUSH” BY SAPPHIRE

Auditoriums 4 & 5

Discussion will follow screening in Auditorium 4

AMC La Jolla 12 Theatres

Winner, Sundance Film Festival, Grand Jury Prize, Best Actress and Audience Award

Winner, Toronto Film Festival, People’s Choice Audience Award

Winner, Deauville Film Festival, Jury Prize

Winner, San Sebastian International Film Festival, Audience Award

Winner, Aspen Film Festival, Audience Award

Winner, Mill Valley Film Festival, Audience Award for U.S. Cinema

Winner, Milwaukee Film Festival, Selig Audience Award

Winner, Chicago International Film festival, Audience Award

Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry Present

A Lee Daniels Film

PRECIOUS

BASED ON THE NOVEL “PUSH” BY SAPPHIRE

Set in Harlem in 1987, PRECIOUS is the story of Clareece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), a sixteen-year-old African-American girl born into a life no one would want. She’s pregnant for the second time by her absent father; at home, she must wait hand and foot on her mother (Mo’Nique), a poisonously angry woman who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is a place of chaos, and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and an awful secret: she can neither read nor write.

Precious may sometimes be down, but she is never out. Beneath her impassive expression is a watchful, curious young woman with an inchoate but unshakable sense that other possibilities exist for her. Threatened with expulsion, Precious is offered the chance to transfer to an alternative school. Each One/Teach One. Precious doesn’t know the meaning of “alternative,” but her instincts tell her this is the chance she has been waiting for. In the literacy workshop taught by the patient yet firm Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), Precious begins a journey that will lead her from darkness, pain and powerlessness to light, love and self-determination.

Released by Lionsgate, PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL “PUSH” BY SAPPHIRE opens commercially in San Diego on November 20th.

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

Running Time: 109 Minutes

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9-Dec-09: SM - Rating: 2

I didn't like this movie nearly as much as I wanted to. I know it's getting almost universal raves here and elsewhere, but it didn't work for me. I thought the acting was very good, but the story didn't hold together for me. Wouldn't a pregnant 12-year old girl have been removed from her home? Wouldn't the teacher have just called Child Protective Services immediately? Would a 17-year old walk out of a social worker's office with a special needs child and a new born, away from her only support system? I think not. No willful suspension of reality for me. Guess I'm part of the quiet minority who didn't like the movie.

22-Nov-09: JAG - Rating: 5

Sadly the characters in this film were not educated enough to know the word "mongoloid" is extremely inappropriate. We, however should know better and use Down Syndrome to describe her child with special needs.

19-Nov-09: Karolen Linderman - Rating: 4

Had I read the book, I probably wouldn't have seen the movie. So I'm glad I didn't read the book. What a story! And knowing that things like this go on right here in our own community made it even more horrific. I'd be amazed if the Mother in this film doesn't get nominated for an Academy Award. Her performance/scene with Mariah Carey was so painful--but it made her cruelty somewhat understandable--so much of her own buried angst and abuse that finally came to the surface. I'm glad you brought in someone from "Home Start"--it's an incredible organization. "Precious" will surely be one of the top 10 at The Academy Awards next year. Thanks Andy for such a stellar season so far.

19-Nov-09: Mroe - Rating: 4

I couldn't get this film out of my head all night, the scenes even seeped into my dreams/nightmares. I couldn't even cry because I was more shocked and angered then sad or weepy. I am certainly not naive to the fact that situations like Precious's occur more often then not but when you add a system like high school education and welfare that both are broken to allow such a horrendous living situation to continue on without anyone noticing or helping it can be too much to try and comprehend. I am not sure I understand the comments from the fellow Cinema Society members about a this film and the last film making statements that this is a "racial profiling" of sorts to lead us to believe that these types of situations only occur black people...????? And that the Grandmother in the film was wrong for not stepping in and getting involved to help Precious get out. I did not get what those comments were about. I also felt bad that our guest speaker was given the "third degree" about answering questions specifically about Precious's situation, I hope she did not feel bullied or vilified. This film's story took place in 1987 and certain systems and procedures were not put into place at the time so it was very easy for individuals to fall through the cracks and made it easy for people (monsters) like Mary (Precious's mother) to work the system. That's not to say the things work perfectly now and there are no mistakes or oversights, I think regardless how well the system can work there is still the human factor to contend with and there in lies the problem. One can only hope that there are more good teachers like the math teacher that recommended Precious for the program, the Principal that at least tried to encourage her to pursue it an Ms. Rain who got involved. However I was left concerned that though it is understood that the behavior of Mary was most likely her part of a vicious circle that she too was a victim of, that is seemed like that circle was broken by Precious because of her feelings towards her children and desire to better herself with an education, yet Precious did show the tendency to violent outbursts (the student in math class that dissed her favorite teacher, and her quick to hit the girl in the new school that said "F was for fat" directed at Precious) and Precious lunged out and hit that girl.....and in the photo's that showed Mary and Precious when Precious when she was baby, (when she was under 3yrs, old before the horrible abuse started) even Mary looked happy and loving towards Precious....so my concern is that Precious may not be completely free from becoming an abuser herself because of some of the ways she has expressed herself.

I was confused by the scene where Precious said insect when she meant to say incest and a student who had not been introduced prior was just there all of a sudden with a line in the movie. I did have trouble hearing some of the dialogue particularly Precious's and I don't know if that was due to poor sound or if it was intended because that is how the character spoke because of her poor education and lack of social skills. I hope that the voice-over while people are still talking in the scene is not going to be a trend, it was done quite a bit in "Informant!" which I know bothered a lot of people but I did not mind so much as I thought it worked in that film because they were trying to establish that he was nuts, but in this movie it was bothersome. The camera bothered me a little bit too, there seemed to be scenes where the camera shifted in and out rather amateurishly or like it was supposed to look like a documentary but it would bring me out of the film because it was distracting (maybe that is why so many staff were fired from this film as Andy stated in the intro), in fact the film had a low budget feel which seemed odd considering Oprah and Tyler Perry were involved in this film. Like with most emotionally disturbing films it will be hard to happily recommend it but I certainly won't discourage anyone from seeing it.

19-Nov-09: JF - Rating: 5

Raw, fresh, characters that crawl under your skin and stay there-IMO the best film so far this year. Thanks Andy!!!

18-Nov-09: jh - Rating: 5

How can a morbidly obese, criminally abused, pregnant by her father, mother of a mongoloid, 16-year old find any hope in her condition? We know how- thanks to Lee Daniels' brilliant film. Through the use of thought projection, fantasy flashes, flashbacks, dialogue, soundtrack, and up-close cinematography, Daniels develops his protagonist and enables us to see into her mind, heart, and soul.

18-Nov-09: Georgi - Rating: 5

Rarely has a movie held up to its pre-hype. This certainly did. As disturbing as the subject matter was, it rang true throughout. Some have said it was melodramatic, but that would have been so if Precious' life had suddenly bloomed. Not so. She --and many like her-- are trudging a long hard road. (Clearly exemplified as she dragged herself up the stairway to her hellish life with her mother's apartment). The images of her escapism during abuse emphasized the reality of what is reported to truly happen to children who suffer this kind of horror. Thank you for the opportunity to see this film.

18-Nov-09: ebee - Rating: 4

I read the book and could not begin to imagine how they would bring that story to the screen. As with most movies from books, the book was better ( or worse depending on how you see the story). Mo'Nique was a revelation and I will never look @ her the same way again. What a performance. She ate up every scene she was in. A really well made movie. Just a tough subject. I am ready for something lighter .... thanks Andy for getting this for us!