Precious

[C-Martin88]

is anyone planning on seeing or have seen the Mariah Carey (wtf? i know) movie "Precious" i know it's based on a book, but i've never read it. has anyone here ever read or or have seen the movie.

[Obsidian]

I've heard of it and have read excerpts from the book. I am highly excited to see it. It's one of those stories that just make you wince as if someone punched you in the eye and told you that "hey life can also be THIS unfair".

[LesYpersound]

i'm just hoping it's not exploitation and i'm trying not to get my expectations too high because it looks really good... shadowboxer was the director's previous movie and that was crap b/c it came off as really forced and cuba gooding jr and helen mirren were terrible casting choices.
the book is also called Push by Sapphire and all that sticks w/ me from comments of the folks who've read the book is that the mother forces Precious to go down on her (luckily, this isn't in the film--and from the positive reviews the director is celebrating Precious' ability to survive given the shit dealt to her) and that convinced me that i'll never read it... i mean i don't doubt bullshit like that happens, i just don't want to subject myself to it in my own imagination (when it comes to film i have a higher tolerance maybe? dunno.)

[Mlle d. Sade]

That's the exact same reason I haven't read it.

LesYpersound said:

i'm just hoping it's not exploitation and i'm trying not to get my expectations too high because it looks really good... shadowboxer was the director's previous movie and that was crap b/c it came off as really forced and cuba gooding jr and helen mirren were terrible casting choices.
the book is also called Push by Sapphire and all that sticks w/ me from comments of the folks who've read the book is that the mother forces Precious to go down on her (luckily, this isn't in the film--and from the positive reviews the director is celebrating Precious' ability to survive given the shit dealt to her) and that convinced me that i'll never read it... i mean i don't doubt bullshit like that happens, i just don't want to subject myself to it in my own imagination (when it comes to film i have a higher tolerance maybe? dunno.)

[Darkness Unlimited*]

I was going to see it, but i had to have tickets for Wacko Jacko's new movie This is It, instead. I'll watch Mariah Carey's movie next week. After that, i will have myself re-circumcised & become a Jewish Scientologist.

[CocoaPuss Zine]

I think I'm going to read the book and then see the movie later, except everytime I go to the library to get it, it's checked out and the list to get is about 30 people long.

[Angelica Johnson]

I was just talking with my supervisor today about this movie. He said it got really good reviews from respected film critics. I think I will go see it this weekend.

[kifaru]

Precious

I am going to see it. I hate to say it though it looks like all the negative black stereotypes seem to be there
fat, darkskinned, ignorant sounding, black women
abusive, sexually animalistic black males
fair skinned "decent" blacks
and heart wrenching violence as a backstory.

There's already talk of academy award nominations for Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique. It seems like we always get awards for doing a good job fitting in to that box we claim to want out of, doing something antisocial, demeaning or degrading and yet we still cheer when we see ourselves doing it on screen. Slave, highly sexualized woman (read prostitute/ promiscuous woman), violent male, criminal, drug addict, or servant. I hate to say it put white folks i.e. the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters only playing love seeing black folks playing "niggas".

I know I got to bring a box of tissues for this one.

Copyright K.L. Jones

[Obsidian]

^^^

The story of Precious, I feel addresses these stereotypes and throws it back. The character of Precious is someone who is at lowest of low on the social totem pole - teen mom, black, fat, poor, sexually abused, perverted and predatory family, bad neighborhood; generally unwanted, unloved, and totally given no chances by a society dominated by class and "Eurocentric" standards. You think - how can someone like Precious ever rise above the misery that she has inherited? Reading parts of the book I was taken by the style of writing - as if the thoughts of a teen-aged girl were slangly put to prose. Her thoughts were laid bare.

Perhaps you are right and the praise for this films is due in part to that hard knocks black stereotype that it portrays and the love of seeing Blacks being the "Black" they created. I've known a few women like Precious in my life though. I'm sure we all have ... and I am thankful for a movie that finally tells their hard grit story.

[Darkness Unlimited*]

kifaru said:

Precious

I am going to see it. I hate to say it though it looks like all the negative black stereotypes seem to be there
fat, darkskinned, ignorant sounding, black women
abusive, sexually animalistic black males
fair skinned "decent" blacks
and heart wrenching violence as a backstory.

There's already talk of academy award nominations for Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique. It seems like we always get awards for doing a good job fitting in to that box we claim to want out of, doing something antisocial, demeaning or degrading and yet we still cheer when we see ourselves doing it on screen. Slave, highly sexualized woman (read prostitute/ promiscuous woman), violent male, criminal, drug addict, or servant. I hate to say it put white folks i.e. the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters only playing love seeing black folks playing "niggas".

So i've gotta ask, what on Earth makes this over-cooked turkey worth seeing? I was perfectly willing to shit all over this movie only b/c it's based on Marah Carey. But after all you've said, i now know that there are ligitimate reasons for why it must be horrible.

[LesYpersound]

yeah the attempt to humanize the people involved w/ the violence (giving it out, witnessing it, or receiving it)... an odd balancing act, but i think these things are better if seen in the light versus being ignored.

[C-Martin88]

it's not based on Mariah Carey! i should've reworded the intro to this topic. i'm more then interested in reading the book then seeing the movie. Like Obsidian said, we all know people who've been through some of this trauma, so it will hit close to home for some. simply dumping all over a movie to appear "punk" is as childish a display as i've seen. come up with actual reasons why you probably wouldn't want to see the movie like the others.

Darkness Unlimited* said:

kifaru said:

Precious

I am going to see it. I hate to say it though it looks like all the negative black stereotypes seem to be there
fat, darkskinned, ignorant sounding, black women
abusive, sexually animalistic black males
fair skinned "decent" blacks
and heart wrenching violence as a backstory.

There's already talk of academy award nominations for Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique. It seems like we always get awards for doing a good job fitting in to that box we claim to want out of, doing something antisocial, demeaning or degrading and yet we still cheer when we see ourselves doing it on screen. Slave, highly sexualized woman (read prostitute/ promiscuous woman), violent male, criminal, drug addict, or servant. I hate to say it put white folks i.e. the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters only playing love seeing black folks playing "niggas".

So i've gotta ask, what on Earth makes this over-cooked turkey worth seeing? I was perfectly willing to shit all over this movie only b/c it's based on Marah Carey. But after all you've said, i now know that there are ligitimate reasons for why it must be horrible.

[JahQues]

I've read the book. The story is very raw and gut wrenching. Enough to make a grown man cry. I don't know if the movie will give the book and justice, but, I think it should be worth seeing. Even Hollywood can't dilly dally around the content of this book. Child Molestation, rape, abuse, learning disabilities, etc. If they do screw up this film, they'll probably get a lot of flack from people who've read the book. Plus the writer, Sapphire played a major role in bringing the movie to life and has been on NPR and other news shows drumming up its release. I know when we think Mariah Carey and Monique, we gotta think, WTF!!! lol . But even they can't screw up this story. I smell an oscar coming for this one.