I'm feeling some kinda ways about the new movie, Precious, and the jury is still out over whether I want to plunk down my $10.50 to check it out. I mean, I get that the movie, about a Harlem teenager who is physically, mentally, and sexually abused by her parents and ostracized for being obese, has incredible buzz and folks are already whispering that a few of the cast members should get their gowns ready for next year's Oscars. And if Oprah's co-signing it, it has to have some kind of context and deeper meaning, seeing as she was the executive producer of a few flicks I liked that were equally disturbing/revelatory—Beloved, The Wedding, Their Eyes Were Watching God. But the idea of watching a mom try to bash her daughter's brains out with a frying pan, or a father make babies with his child, or an overweight kid suffer seemingly insurmountable nastiness from practically everyone she comes in contact with, doesn't exactly float my boat. From the moment I found out I was pregnant with my first daughter, I couldn't stand to see children suffer—still can't read newspapers stories about it, can't watch it on the news, gotta turn away from it when it shows up on my favorite TV shows. It's a no go.
What's more, I'm having a hard time supporting a flick that shows yet another poor, uneducated, rough-mouthed, hard-living black mom working through her screwed up pathologies. (Actually, usually, black moms aren't shown in movies at all, are they? Mostly as side-kicks who play the back while their super husbands save the world/have an affair/do something deep/find their way back home. But I digress.) I'm just afraid that folks with take the snapshot the film gives of a certain segment of the African American community and make it the sole picture of black motherhood. We all know better. Unfortunately, though, not enough folks—of all races, sadly, even our own—know this picture isn't in all of our albums.
Anyhoo, seems like somebody—or a whole lot of somebodies—were willing to see it; Precious made close to $2 million this weekend, even though it was shown in only 18 theaters nationwide. That's considered an impressive showing for an independent film that got hardly any theater play. And I have to admit that I'm curious to see Mo'Nique completely flip the script in her role as Precious's abusive mom, a role the late-night talk show host told me was a difficult but rewarding star turn for her movie career (I interviewed her for a story that ended up on the cover of Uptown magazine, see up top).
I don't know—help me out, sweeties: Have any of you seen it? If you haven't, do you plan to? Holla back!
AND, if you so please, come on back tomorrow to check out a new Home Made Love recipe written by my sweetie pie, Mari. She's going to hip you to her favorite dessert. Please, please, please show my baby some comment love!
In the meantime, for those of you who haven't seen previews for Precious, check out this one...
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I go to the movies to "escape," and it looks like Precious would have me in tears from the get-go. So, I probably will stay at home in order to avoid having "ugly sobs" in a public theatre.
ReplyDeleteHi Denene,
ReplyDeleteI'm with Lynn. And with you. I'm a new mom and feel the same - I just can't tolerate/ignore/whatever I used to do with violence since having my baby. I accidentally read an account of what that movie director did to that young girl years ago, and I just totally lost it.
I think it's important to make the art that you feel you need to make, and sometimes art can have an important political message about oppression, but what I have heard thus far about Precious is that is it gets dangerously close to poverty porn, without a balancing view/message. I don't think I'll see it at all, or if I do, it'll be on DVD at home...
CJ
I haven't checked out the movie yet. I am very NERVOUS and not sure that I will go and see it in the movies. I will probably wait for it to come out on DVD so that I can fast forward through the parts that will totally freak me out. The abuse topic hits very close to home for me so NO I will not go into a theatre to be up in there crying and slobbering and rethinking about my own abusive childhood. I'll wait for $1 Redbox.
ReplyDeleteI saw the movie and watching the abuse was grueling, but there are redemptive qualities. I don't want to tell you the end, especially if you haven't read the book, but there is hope. I will say that the movie is DEFINITELY an emotional rollercoaster.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important that we get out there and support Monique in this role. This is big for her and also for Mariah Carey. We've got to help put Soul Plane and Glitter in the past! I know how you ladies feel, and that is the reason I never watched the Wire. But this is real and there are people out there living that reality. Also, we keep complaining that we need more variety than just Madea and Barbershop movies (no disrespect to Tyler Perry and Ice Cube). Well guess what, here's an opportunity.
ReplyDeleteThe point of the movie is to make you cry and open your eyes to the real things that are happening to children all over the world. Many times we forget that things like this are happening so we tend to act like the world is doing just fine because our little lives are. But, the fact is, we may be walking right by Precious in a grocery store and not even know it. We might know a girl who is being abused and dont know what signs to look for. This movie is meant to make you think about every single child you see and be concerned whether or not they are ok.
ReplyDeleteI think the movie is far from porn. Its kinda sad that people are taking it there. There are children all over the world who are glad that someone can tell their story for them. The reason so many kids don't come out with their stories is because people liken their experience to porn.
Nobody (in their right mind) wants to see a child suffer but that doesnt keep it from actually happening. Just because we turn our eyes away doesnt meant that the abuse just stops happening. Sometimes things have to be thrown in your face to get you to see that it is real.
No, I'm not getting on the band wagon to go see the movie either. Why do we have to see realities on the movie screen; lets do something about bad behavior NOT promote bad behavior. Blacks around the world are always put into bad light and we perpetuate those same negatives. Everything negative is attached to us on screen; whether it is Martin Lawrence acting silly (a clown) in every movie; or Tyler Perry dressing as a fat black loud mouth woman in every movie; or some black man cheating on his wife; or some hyper sexual black female or black male … the list goes on.
ReplyDeleteNow we have an obese young woman that has been abused in every way by bad black people. When is it going to stop. The movie, "Precious" has made millions of dollars already, so a whole lot of people have already seen the film and are boosting about it. We have to speak with our dollar, in which we want positive images and we want action. Putting it on the screen is not action, because black people do just the opposite when we hear or see things (we do nothing).
i read push when it was first released years ago and i thought it was excellent so i just can't wait to see how the book will translate onto film.
ReplyDeleteI was going to write something but i think Melissa and Calypso said it best. This is a very important movie. I really felt that the movie speaks to the depth, strenghts and complexities of abused children in our community. There was no great-white-hope, no one in drag, no dont worry-be-happy of the situation. It was just a young abused child Pushing her self though the worst situation imaginable! I think you should definatly see and support it.
ReplyDeleteIf I did decide to see it, I would read the book first but honestly, the book hasn't called me so there's no plans in the future to read it.
ReplyDeleteI have seen enough Precious in my growing up years. I don't need to be reminded that such horrible abuse exists, I know it does.
I don't want to take away from the wonderful actors in the film but it's just not one that I plan to see.
I too read the book years ago and thought it was a good book, so I am interested to see if the film does the book any justice.
ReplyDeleteAs a counselor I am hoping that the movie will bring light to the seriousness of mental disorders...to many times people write off mental illnesses. There is this "oh she/he's just crazy" notion that sweeps the severity under the rug.
I believe that the truth must come to the light in order for change to come, and hopefully people see the movie (assuming that it gives a good depiction) and began to take mental illness more seriously and seek professional help.
My pastor once stated.. “God speaks to you thru the avenue that you receive the best.” Maybe this movie can be the avenue for many.
I am hesitatant to see this movie just because ..it does look like another movie with negative light. I must admit I think that its more of a lifetime movie than a box office hit...I am on the fence just like you!
ReplyDeletePlease let me know if you do decide to see it...I'm also torn.
ReplyDeleteI think Calypso's comments hit the subject right on the head. These issues as painful as they are, still exsist. The only way to begin to stop such issues from happening is to bring them to the light. This movie is real and brings about secrets that destroy individiuals and their families. I have had a friend similar to "Precious" and have watched the turmoil in this young woman because she held her abuse as shameful secret and felt no one would understand or accept her. I feel the goal of the film was to expose a dark place in human society to make a call to humankind to take more responsibility. I haven't yet seen it but I will on November 20th.
ReplyDeleteI think this movie is important, too. Yeah, it is another movie about a single mom but we have to support what we have. Then we can support what we want. I would love to see a movie where a black woman is the heroine. I see Vivica Fox playing her character because she can be a hard a** and sweet in two seconds flat.
ReplyDeleteWhen Precious comes to my town I am purchasing a ticket. I can enjoy and respect a good story.
I was running away from this movie on purpose also because I'm so sensitive. I'm known for allowing a movie, Lifetime, or a news clip to be the cause of snot running from my nose while also silently heaving. (Yes!...really!) I also have girls. Had my first just before that witch cut another woman's baby from her stomach, killing the mother in the next city minutes from mine in 1999. Since, several disturbed women have followed in this deranged woman's footsteps. Having to be in front of the news all day as part of my job at work, I am exposed to every detail of just about every crime against someone's child. Sometimes I have to leave my desk to go cry it out in the bathroom.
ReplyDeleteWhat I think about you going to see Precious? Well, after seeing this in depth preview, I think it's all of our responsibility to go see it, Denene. Not because it's a black film, or that we never turn out for our own, but because we are mothers. Any crime or mistreatment done against any child is a crime against all of us mothers! We have to know that which is committed against children even though it pains us in a deep spot. It will make us hug, squeeze, kiss, love, and keep our own babies just a little more close. It's so easy to turn away; to act like we didn't just hear the news anchor say what some mother or father did to their own infant/toddler/teenage son or daughter. All we have to do is listen, remember their story, and always be aware that sometimes unimaginable things happen to those that are not our own. That's so much easier than what they, the victims, have to endure.
I know I went all deep on you girl, but like I said, I'm in front of the news 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and somehow I can't not know what happened to a missing, kidnapped, stolen, raped, abused kid. I can't tune it out.
So, the trailer has me cringing and since I have over active tear ducts I'm taking my best hankies with me when I go see it.
ReplyDelete"Everyone has a story." That's what someone said the movie taught them.
We all make judgments about people or things we know partially or nothing about. Until you are the target of harsh judgment you will continue doing it and not even know it.
The Media here shows nothing good about Africa...ever. There's always that picture of a very dirty child sitting in the mud, a painfully big belly, very skinny arms and legs with snot running down his nose, flies buzzing around his head like vultures and you can tell malnutrition is the least of this child's problems.
So, I know this is not an accurate depiction of Africa. Would I rather the Media not show similar pictures over and over? Sometimes. But if that story educates even one person, then I'm happy.
The movie is a reality many of us know-have been there, are there or know someone who is. Not EVERYONE. So if you leave the movie and you have learn t just one thing, then you have been educated. What you do with that education is up to you!
I'm one of those people who love quotes, even as self serving as they are.
"Usually when people are sad, they don't do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they get angry, they bring about change."
If you watch the movie and learn something-do something about it.
If you don't watch the movie and learn something-do something about it!
Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?
I want to see it out of sheer curiosity. I'm not sure how I will make it through the moving seeing how the preview makes me cry every time. And yes, I agree, it is yet another negative depiction of black folks that will inevitably become another staple for blackness, but oh well, what's new. Recently I have had several conversations with people about whether or not there is a show on television right now that depicts black people in a positive non stereotypical light. The verdict: there isn't. I am also proud of Mo'Nique for the Ocar whispers. It's bitter sweet though because it's yet another black person up for an Oscar for playing a horrible character. Think about some of the black folks who have won Oscars.
ReplyDeleteHattie: a mammie
Denzel: Crooked cop, whipped almost to death
Cuba: Basically played a loud mouth fool
Halle: in an abusive relationship
Jamie: a heroin addict
Forrest: A heartless murderer
Just to name a few. I just would like to see us nominated and win for playing some more positive and non-stereotypical roles.
Sorry for the long comment. Can you tell you sparked something in me?
I cannot watch the movie. I refuse to. I read the book over 12 years ago in college and I hated it. Not that the author,Sapphire, didn't do a masterful job in her writing; but the content is too much for me, too tragic. I'm like you. I can't stand to see children suffer. And the abuse is too much for me. I don't read books or go to the movies to be reminded of all the ills in the world. So, while I hope that the movie continues to do well, I will not be contributing to its success.
ReplyDeleteI am torn too. I want to support the movie and actors, but honestly I don't think I can handle a movie full of so much drama and emotion right now.
ReplyDeletei get it. I do. Stories of black poverty just perpetuate the ideas of black folks as "ghetto." But the truth, sadly, is that a larger share of Black folks are living in poverty than they were a decade ago, and the trend is opposite what it was 30 years ago. If you can believe it, things - relatively speaking - are getting worse. Movies like this, if its true to what folks are saying, are immensely important. We need good stories about black lives and characters that reflect true experiences, even if uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteI am Precious. I walked in her shoes. My abusive outcome did not start in the exact same way, or end the exact same way. Make no mistake, it happened for almost the same exact reasons. I would really appreciate it if you would go to this movie. Please do not go to be entertained. Please go with the mind that we have a huge problem in Africa-America. This is a underground huge problem. Please be aware that there are more of us then you. You are the minority not us. This movie was not entertaining for me, it was a sigh of relief. Someone finally has the guts to reveal it. Black power, Black is beautiful, are all the mantras we like to hear. We don't like the deeper issues...that is why we keep them hid. We wonder why all the rap artist are putting women down with venom and why it sells. Well, Precious opens that all up. We have a huge problem in Africa-America with respecting little Black girls who grow up to be Black women. There are more Preciouses than Halle Berries.....did you notice? Not all are illiterate, not all the same story, but many have overcome with the scars still. It would be worth it because your babies are going to come in contact with Precious if you involve them in the Black Community. This place, called earth killed Jesus, now why is it so hard to believe Precious exists?
ReplyDelete