The author of the book "Push" was a teacher in NYC during the 1980s and early 1990s. While the story, presented here as the movie "Precious", is fictional, the characters are composites drawn from real people she met and taught.
In her breakout performance Gabourey Sidibe is Precious, only 16, very dark and very overweight, and now pregnant with her second child. Much of her young life she has been told that she is stupid and worthless, but in fact she is bright, with a special aptitude for mathematics. Still, because of difficulties in her life she is expelled from school and an "alternative" school is suggested for her.
As good as Sidibe is in her role, the real star is Mo'Nique as her mother Mary. So good that she won the Oscar for best supporting actress. She was the abusive mother who did nothing every day, collected welfare checks, watched TV, and made life miserable for Precious.
Paula Patton was good as the teacher at the alternative school, Ms. Blue Rain. Also good in a very non-glamorous role was Mariah Carey as Mrs. Weiss, the social worker who finally was able to unravel the whole story. Singer Lenny Kravitz was in the role of Nurse John.
Excellent movie, but hard to watch at times.
MAJOR SPOILERS: What we learn quickly was that Precious had children only because she was raped. Her first had Down's because it was conceived by her own father. The second, a boy, appeared normal. The abuse had begun when Precious was only 3, and her mother did nothing to stop it, but was always jealous that her daughter was taking away her man. And that is why she was always mistreating her own daughter. To be sure, she was mentally ill.
In her breakout performance Gabourey Sidibe is Precious, only 16, very dark and very overweight, and now pregnant with her second child. Much of her young life she has been told that she is stupid and worthless, but in fact she is bright, with a special aptitude for mathematics. Still, because of difficulties in her life she is expelled from school and an "alternative" school is suggested for her.
As good as Sidibe is in her role, the real star is Mo'Nique as her mother Mary. So good that she won the Oscar for best supporting actress. She was the abusive mother who did nothing every day, collected welfare checks, watched TV, and made life miserable for Precious.
Paula Patton was good as the teacher at the alternative school, Ms. Blue Rain. Also good in a very non-glamorous role was Mariah Carey as Mrs. Weiss, the social worker who finally was able to unravel the whole story. Singer Lenny Kravitz was in the role of Nurse John.
Excellent movie, but hard to watch at times.
MAJOR SPOILERS: What we learn quickly was that Precious had children only because she was raped. Her first had Down's because it was conceived by her own father. The second, a boy, appeared normal. The abuse had begun when Precious was only 3, and her mother did nothing to stop it, but was always jealous that her daughter was taking away her man. And that is why she was always mistreating her own daughter. To be sure, she was mentally ill.