Nov, 2009 the movie tells the story of preciouss gradual escape from that ravenous gravitational well, out of the apartment of cigarette smoke and pigs feet and bed springs and casual cruelty and into. Mary does nothing but smoke, watch television and collect welfare through fraud as she doesnt ever look for a job and believes that education does nothing for precious, who she would rather also collect welfare if only to bring money into the household. Given whats going on in real life, including the family in the white house. Its a glimmer of hope that keeps the story moving in a world that is hard edged and usually leads nowhere. They are two africanamerican success stories who have helped to. Weve collected 7 of the best inspirational and beautiful short stories to help you get through lifes challenges. Precious lives in the new york ghetto harlem and they survive on welfare since the mother faces unemployment. The movie got a lot of praise for the acting and the story that was portrayed but it also got a lot of heat from the race that was portrayed in the movie.
The movie revolves around precious who lives with her abusive mother monique and step father rodney. Rather, precious is a composite character, she says, created from the reallife stories she encountered while teaching for seven years, from. Poverty, abuse and hope unflinchingly portrayed in precious. Jan 16, 2010 stories like precious do happen in the real world, often in oppressed communities where assistance from one person can be the beginning of turning a horrific situation around. Dec 27, 2009 you thought precious was good check this out. She brings abdul home and runs into the little girl ruby who pesters her. The true story of pocahontas history smithsonian magazine. How author created film character precious through her own sexual abuse. Aspects of the story help illuminate many of the reasons emotional, physical, and particularly sexual abuse, are risk. Nov 29, 2009 in her real life, precious is invisible. Originally called push but recently renamed precious to coincide with the film, the book, by the writer known simply as sapphire, tells the story of a darkskinned, heavyset, illiterate african. Push is the 1996 debut novel of american author sapphire.
Originally known as smeagol, he was corrupted by the one ring and. Preciouss life is like a grand guignol version of reallife tragedies, with a mother who. It happens the guardian asked risthardh hare, a social worker in hackney, east london, what he thought of mariah careys film portrayal of social work and sexual. The movie tells the story of preciouss gradual escape from that ravenous gravitational well, out of the apartment of cigarette smoke and pigs feet and bed springs and casual cruelty and into. Based on the novel push sapphire interview youtube. Precious, the movie, which is based on push, the novel, irritates some.
Precious, the harrowing story of a 350pound illiterate teenage girl who is pregnant. The heartbreaking movie seems ripped from the headlines. For precious it starts when the white bitch school counsellor rang mary and preciouss doorbell with vital information about how to enrol in an alternative school. In much of the conversations regarding the impact of the movie precious, the debasement of black motherhood, incest, rape, and poverty feature as primary topics for discussion. Sapphire interviewed about new book, the kid, and child. Discussion guide developed by heartland truly moving pictures to accompany precious. Precious story, precious hollywood movie story, plot. Whatever you might feel about precious, her life, or her ability to pull herself out of the hell from which she came, you cannot watch this movie without wondering how, and why, we as a society havent done more to prevent these circumstances from existing in the first place. Based on the novel push monique interview duration. Thirteen years after its release, it was made into precious.
Not all movies have remained true to the genuine history of the event or the characters they are portraying, often adding action and drama to increase the substance and popularity of the movie. The previous night, at the gala screening of his movie precious, which he. Even though the film precious packs quite a wallop, the gritty realism of the novel upon which the movie is based is even more. Lee daniels gives us howls of a life, buried deep within. True to this belief, sapphires second novel, the kid, is even more unflinching. This is a list of films that are based on actual events. She is the daughter of her two antagonist villain parents carl and mary jones. A life story doesnt just say what happened, it says why it was important, what it means for who the person is, for who theyll become, and for what happens next. Discussion guide developed by heartland truly moving. Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. I pray that it stops happening but sadly with the evil rampant in this world it still does. Precious finds a way out of her traumatic daily life by escaping into.
The movie follows the hopeless romantic tom hansen, played by. She even gets pushed around by strangers on the street. The story s world is stacked against precious, and the movie s marketing engine is stacked against sidibe, but in some ways those structures explain why were hearing about this young woman in the. How push became precious the gritty realism of the film precious is even more intense in the novel push, upon which the film is based. But lee, due to his charm and belief, makes his fantasies real. Sapphire, who is in her early 60s, was born ramona lofton. Claireece precious jones, referred to as precious throughout the movie has been played by the actress gabourey sidibe who made her acting debut with precious. The story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician ray charles, from his humble beginnings in the south, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s. Claireece precious jones is the main protagonist of both the book, push by sapphire and the 2009 film, precious. But these women saw true stories reflected onscreen. Ever since then its lived in one form or another, right up to the disney movie and even today. And, yes, tony lip played by viggo mortensen really did eat 25 hot dogs in one sitting according to vallelonga, everything depicted. Birth of a nation has a mainstream movie demeaned the idea of black american life as much.
Donoghue was actually inspired to write her novel by a reallife. A movie like this that tells a precious story maybe is only way to stop it. Based on the novel push by sapphire because it told me two moving stories at once. In real life, pocahontas was a member of the pamunkey tribe in.
Oprah, tyler perry and a painful, precious life the queen of all media and the king of the urbanaudience comedy have lined up to make sure youll want to see lee daniels wrenching drama, the. Precious, the movie, which is based on push, the novel, irritates some africanamericans who say the harsh portrayal of one teenagers life demeans the black community. How author created film character precious through her own sexual. The films first story is about precious herself, a character whose endlessly miserable life is like something out. Based on the novel push by sapphire, or simply precious, is a 2009 american. Was the movie precious a true story based on someones life. The gritty realism of the film precious is even more intense in the novel push. Mar 16, 2012 a social worker grace hightower comes to check on mary monique who puts on an act that life is decent in the apartment. Based on the novel push by sapphire had racked up plaudits for its groundbreaking depiction of the inner life of a. Discussion guide developed by heartland truly moving pictures. Based on the novel push by sapphire, recipient of the truly moving picture award, an honored distinction given to films that unlock the vast potential of the human spirit and enable us to view stories that display courage, integrity and hope. Based on the novel push by sapphire, with gabourey sidibe in the title role, opens friday in selected cities. Gollum was a stoor hobbit of the riverfolk, who lived near the gladden fields.
Claireece precious jones is an obese, illiterate 16yearold girl who lives in harlem with her abusive mother mary. Sapphire interviewed about new book, the kid, and child abuse. Precious finds a way out of her traumatic daily life by escaping into daydreams in which she is loved and appreciated. Based on the novel push by sapphire, recipient of the truly moving picture award, an honored distinction given to films that unlock the vast potential of the human. The films first story is about precious herself, a character whose endlessly miserable life is like something out of the trojan women.
The difference compared to the movie is only in the fact that in real life the couple knew each other before the accident, and her husband doesnt have to win the love of his wife every day. Precious 38 movie clip a visit from a social worker. Nov 20, 2009 precious is a film that is driven by a strong story and an emotional cast that cares about the work they are doing. Seven amazing films about reallife love stories which every couple should see. I wish i had a lightskinned boyfriend with real nice hair. Im quite sure that nobody i know has lived a life like preciouss. Its based on a bestselling 1996 novel called push, by the poet sapphire. Sapphires first book became the oscarwinning film precious but, she says, her. Anne marie foxgabourey sidibe stars in lee daniels film precious. Precious tells the unsparing story of a teenage girl in harlem whos obese, illiterate and horribly abused. Precious has ruined her life, she claims, when precious revealed the truth and welfare cut off the checks. At once a plea to end human suffering and a ray of hope for israelipalestinian harmony, journalist shlomi eldars documentary precious life chronicles. He was introduced in the 1937 fantasy novel the hobbit, and became an important character in its sequel, the lord of the rings.
Some people tell a story n it dont make no sense or be true. Sep 28, 2009 oprah, tyler perry and a painful, precious life the queen of all media and the king of the urbanaudience comedy have lined up to make sure youll want to see lee daniels wrenching drama, the. He started by telling the story fairly objectively, then clearly became more and more involved emotionally in the. Her story illuminates a far greater tragedy than her own. Sapphire, author of the novel push, talks about writing the book and the making of the film. As the movie opens, precious is pregnant for the second time, overweight, nearly illiterate, and withdrawn. Based on the novel push by sapphire had racked up plaudits for its groundbreaking depiction of the inner life of a black, overweight, ghettodwelling. Precious s life is like a grand guignol version of real life tragedies, with a mother who isnt just uncaring and angry, but sexually. The novel centers on claireece precious jones, a 16yearold girl from harlem who has been repeatedly raped by her drugaddict father and physically and mentally abused by her invalid mother. Jul, 2017 sapphire interviewed about new book, the kid, and child abuse. Never content to resort to pat answers or sappy lifetime madefortv movie melodrama, precious is a memorable story of hope thats really difficult to watch. Mary is not happy she asks where precious has been but also asks to hold the baby.
The worldindeed, this very country of oursis in many places overwhelmed with pain and misery too horrible to speak of. The only thing that got me through the movie precious was knowing that it was a true story, other than that i couldnt help but question who in the world would come up with something so horrific. Seven amazing films about reallife love stories which. Each must face their most profound biases as they inch towards a possible friendship in an impossible reality. Precious finds a way out of her traumatic daily life by escaping into daydreams in. Nov 20, 2009 precious lives with her mother mary, who abuses precious both physically and emotionally. Much like in real life schools, conformity is part of the agenda. Precious has critical eating disorders and finds comfort in constant eating. Cooing at first, she throws the baby down and throws a glass at precious. Precious is saved as her story concludes, but what oprah is hinting at is this. Inspired by her new teacher, blu rain paula patton, precious finally learns to read and write.
A great story of real genuine people, life, consequences, empathy, surviving, compassion, and more. Its not some feelgood, friday night datemovie or some bigbudget popcorn thriller. Section a the movie under analysis is precious and the character whose diagnosis will be presented is precious herself. With the help of a prominent israeli journalist, precious life chronicles the struggle of an israeli pediatrician and a palestinian mother to get treatment for her baby, who suffers from an incurable genetic disease. I just thought this is someone who is willing to take a risk, sapphire said, and at the same time, is a real artist. Shlomi eldars documentary precious life examines a theme that also illuminated several dramatic features shown at this years telluride film festival. Aunt dot told me, filling in the blanks that daniels intentionally kept in his life story. Based on the novel push by sapphire, a film that won two academy awards and was directed by lee daniels.
Precious excessive weight and eating plays a central role in the movie. May 25, 2011 the films first story is about precious herself, a character whose endlessly miserable life is like something out of the trojan women. Mar 08, 2010 it should be intellectually possible to see a story like precious first of all as a story of a young girls battle against sexual abuse with marginal racial connotations, but white is overwrought by the idea that the movie might be taken as a brushstroke depiction of the whole black race especially the lower classes. Based on the novel push by sapphire the other journal. When shes not getting raped and impregnated by her father, shes getting sexually, physically, and verbally abused by her mother mary monique. Create beautiful life story keepsakes that will be treasured forever register here to enter your precious life story interview.
Anne marie fox gabourey sidibe stars in lee daniels film precious. At once a plea to end human suffering and a ray of hope for israelipalestinian harmony, journalist shlomi eldars documentary precious life chronicles the plight of mohammad abu mustafa, a four. Great film with all too real life topics handled in a head on. But then if we use those jokes or sterotypes in real life your practically stoned to death. Based on the novel push by sapphire isnt an easy sundayafternoon watch by any stretch of the imagination, but theres a devastatingly heartbreaking story about the hardship of inner city life and illiteracy within young poor american society. The movie precious tells two stories at once huffpost.