Precious is an American film that we watched on Tuesday, the 14th October at the arts centre in Puente San Miguel. The film is based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire. Lee Daniels directed the film, Precious was performed by Gabourey Sibide; Mary, her mother by Mo’nique; Ms Rain, her teacher by Paula Patton; Mrs. Weiss, the social worker by Mariah Carey and the nurse John by Lenny Kravitz.
The film won many prizes.
Precious is about a obese and illiterate girl called Clarieece Jones, she’s 16 years old. She lives in Harlem, a deprived area, with her mother. She hates Precious because she thinks that her daughter had stolen her husband. Mary usually said “You stole me my man”… Since Precious was three years old her father raped her and her mother didn’t do anything. At home Precious has to cook and to clean while her mother watches TV every day. It is common that she hits her and when she doesn’t like the dinner even if Precious isn’t hungry, she forces to eat it all.
When Precious was 12 years old she was pregnant of her first baby, the father’s baby was her own father, the baby was a girl and she had Down´s syndrome. She lived with Precious’s grand-mother so Precious never sees her daughter. Only when one social worker comes home and Precious’s grand-mother brings the girl and Mary could continue with the subsidy.
Precious is 16 years old and she is pregnant of her second baby, the father is also her own missing father who doesn’t live with them. The head teacher expelles her from school. Then she starts in an alternative school “Each one teaches one”; since then she becomes more sociable and she starts to look for help. Her teacher helps her very much. Precious begins to entrust Ms Rain and she tells her all her problems.
One day she comes back home, then her mother rocks the baby but when Precious goes to the kitchen, Mary throws the child against the armchair then Precious hits her and pushes her, Precious breaks the TV. She takes her baby and she escapes quickly. She falls but the baby is fine. Mary throws the TV from upstairs but Precious is able to move and the TV doesn’t hit them.
She leaves home and she goes to school where Ms. Rain helps her and Precious stays one or two weeks sleeping in Ms Rain’s home.
Later she goes to a refuge for women.
One month later Mary tells Precious that her father has died and he has got AIDS, so Precious goes to the hospital and she has it too.
She depresses very much but her classmate and Ms Rain help her and she continues with her life.
The social worker tells her that Mary wants to speak and she accepts.
In the meeting her mother says horrible things that she did in the past about the childhood of Precious that she will never be able to forgive.
Precious recovers her daughter and she will fight to survive with her children, 17 years old and herself.
by Araceli Husillos Ruiz
