Precious is an overweight illiterate teen pregnant for the second time with her father’s child. Emotionally and physically abused by her mother and society at large, Precious is encouraged by her school’s principal to go to an alternative school where she can turn her life around.
The tagline for this movie goes like this: “Life is hard. Life is short. Life is painful. Life is rich. Life is....Precious” and sums up the movie in a tidy nutshell. But as young Precious learns, life is anything but tidy.
I didn’t read the book and after seeing the movie, I know why. Not to say the movie is bad, just the opposite—it was EXCELLENT and made me cry, as expected. I never wanted to read the book because the storyline sounded so depressing. But watching Monique in her glory, skillfully and without restraint bring the mother to life alone, made seeing this movie a must. I can't say enough good things about this movie and the trip out of the neighborhood to one of the very few theaters where the movie was showing in limited release (after going to one theater where it was already sold out until that evening) was worth the time and effort.
I’m definitely smelling an Oscar in Monique’s future.
5 out of 5 Stars.