precious movie review essay

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Precious has shut down. She avoids looking at people, she hardly ever speaks, she’s nearly illiterate. Inside her lives a great hurt, and also her child, conceived in a rape. She is fat. Her clothes are too tight. School is an ordeal of mocking cruelty. Home is worse. Her mother, defeated by life, takes it out on her daughter. After Precious is raped by her father, her mother, is angry not at the man, but at the child for “stealing” him.

There’s one element in the film that redeems this landscape of despair. That element is hope. Not the hope of Precious, but that of two women who want better for her. It’s not that Precious “shows promise.” I think it’s that these women, having in their jobs seen a great deal, can hardly imagine a girl more obviously in pain.

That is the starting point for “Precious,” a great American film that somehow finds an authentic way to move from these beginnings to an inspiring ending. Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe, a young actress in her debut performance as Precious, says, “I know this girl. I know her in my family, I know her in my friends, I’ve seen her, I’ve lived beside this girl.”

We may have seen her, too, if we looked. People often don’t really look. They see, evaluate, dismiss.

Sidibe is heartbreaking as Precious, that poor girl. Three other actresses perform so powerfully in the film that academy voters will be hard-pressed to choose among them. Audiences may be hard-pressed to recognize them. The comedian Mo'Nique plays Mary, Precious’ chain-smoking couch potato of a mother, treating her daughter like a domestic servant and turning a blind eye on years of abuse. Paula Patton is Ms. Rain, Precious’ teacher, who is able to see through the girl’s sullen withdrawal and her vulgarities, and wonder what pain it may be masking. Mariah Carey is Ms. Weiss, a social worker.

This casting looks almost cynical on paper, as if reflecting old Hollywood days when stars were slipped into “character roles” with a wink. But Lee Daniels , the director, didn’t cast them for their names, and actually doesn’t use any of their star qualities. He requires them to act. Somehow he was able to see beneath the surface and trust that they had within the emotional resources to play these women, and he was right. Daniels began his career by producing “ Monster's Ball ,” in which Halle Berry shed her glamour and found such depths that she won an Oscar. Daniels must have an instinct for performances waiting to flower.

Carey and Patton are equal with Sidibe in screen impact; the film holds the girl in the center of their attempt to save her future. Why would a teacher and a social worker go to such lengths to intervene? They must see tragic victims of abuse every day.

Mary, the mother, is perhaps not a bad woman but simply one defeated by the forces she now employs against her daughter. Mo’Nique is frighteningly convincing.

The film is a tribute to Sidibe’s ability to engage our empathy. Her work is still another demonstration of the mystery of some actors, who evoke feelings in ways beyond words and techniques. She so completely creates the Precious character that you rather wonder if she’s very much like her.

You meet Sidibe, who is engaging, outgoing and 10 years older than her character, and you’re almost startled. She’s not at all like Precious, but in her first performance, she not only understands this character but knows how to make her attract the sympathy of her teacher, the social worker — and ourselves. I don’t know how she does it but there you are.

My interview with “Gabby” Sidibe .

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• Gabourey Sidibe as Precious
• Mo’Nique as Mary
• Paula Patton as Ms. Rain
• Mariah Carey as Ms. Weiss
• Sherri Shepherd as Cornrows
• Lenny Kravitz as Nurse John

Cinematographer

• Andrew Dunn
• Geoffrey Fletcher
• Lee Daniels
• Mario Grigorov

Writer (novel)

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Precious (2009): Patient Assessment and Treatment Essay (Movie Review)

Introduction, conducting the assessment of the patient, the development of the treatment plan.

It could be stated with certainty that the 2009 Lee Daniel’s movie Precious , which is based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire, is the work of art that elicits numerous problems that are highly relevant for the contemporary society. In particular, the movie depicts the life of the African American urban community, focusing on various health-related and social issue, such as single-parent households, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and interaction with society (Sweeney, 2010).

The majority of the mentioned topics has a direct relation to the question of care and self-care, making the movie a substantial source of information for healthcare professionals. Therefore, it is decided to conduct an assessment of the movie’s central character, Precious, in order to overview various factors influencing her health so that a comprehensive treatment plan could be successfully developed. The paper is supported by the vast academic literature research in spheres related to issues depicted in the movie.

Description of the Patient

First of all, it is essential to provide an overall description of the patient. Also, to put further reasoning in the proper context, it is critical to notice that the whole assessment and discussion of the treatment plan are based entirely on what is presented in the movie, and thus they might lack some features of a formal assessment. As it is presented in the movie, Precious Jones is a 16-year old African American female, who lives in a sing-parent household with her mother, Mary (Watkins-Hayes, Patterson, & Armour, 2011). The movie is set in Harlem, 1987; and the characters live in a tiny, dirty apartment in Section 8 project housing.

Precious is the subject to constant physical, emotional, and verbal abuse from her mother, also she was sexually abused by her father at the time when he was with the family (Watkins-Hayes et al., 2011). Also, she became HIV-positive because her father had AIDS (Watkins-Hayes et al., 2011). As the result, Precious is pregnant for the second time, and the principal of her school expels her, suggesting to enroll to an alternative education program (Watkins-Hayes et al., 2011).

It is evident that the situation depicted in the movie represents a situation which is to be thoroughly investigated from the perspective of a healthcare professional (Jarman, 2012). The overall thesis is that abuse in its various forms resulted in unwanted pregnancy, low literacy, and HIV-positive diagnosis, contribute to the adverse mental and physical condition of Precious (Jarman, 2012).

Case Formulation

On the basis of the overall information, it is possible to formulate the case. Generally, the problem is that Precious is put in the unfavorable situation in which she as an adolescent does not have enough power to confront the pressure from her familial members and the large-scale social conditions of her life. Thus, there are three evident issues that should be addressed.

Firstly, the various kinds of abuse that are experienced by Precious are caused by her family. Secondly, she is HIV-positive, which is a highly difficult disease to handle, both physically and emotionally, at her age. Thirdly, she is pregnant, and adolescent pregnancies are usually a very difficult case, both for mother and child. Accordingly, these three primary problems serve as the foundation for the development of change effort’s goals. These goals could be synthesized into one concise statement: it is essential to provide Precious with sufficient instruments for her to handle her unfavorable social conditions and support her struggle with AIDS and pregnancy. This statement will later serve as the basis for the development of the treatment plan.

Referral and Background Information

As the assessment is based on the movie, it is hardly possible to provide referral and background information in a complete and formal manner due to the lack of precise information. Precious Jones is 16-year old, and she lives with her mother Mary, as her father Carl left the family. Precious has a daughter, who was conceived in a sexual intercourse between Precious and Carl. The family lives in Harlem, in a small apartment from the project housing. In general, it is the maximum amount of referral and background information that could be retrieved from the film.

Individual and Family History

For the aspect of individual and family history, the problem is relatively the same as it is in the previous subsection. The movie does not provide concise information about the Precious’ individual and family health history. The most evident fact, which is revealed toward the end of the film, is that Carl is HIV-positive, and thus Precious also has AIDS. Further, it is apparent that Precious suffers from obesity, which might have been caused by the genetic legacy of her mother. Also, Precious’ daughter has Down syndrome, which is most likely caused by the fact that she was conceived be blood relatives as Carl sexually abused Precious, his daughter. Also, it is mentioned in the movie that when Precious went in labor, giving birth to her second child, it was the first time when she had been to the hospital.

Discussion of Data Collection Sources of Information for Analyses

Once again, the discussion of data collection sources of information for analyses is the subject to the same problem as it is in the previous two subsections. Due to the fact that the available information is limited to what is presented in the movie, the author has to rely solely on this information. Since the authors of the film were not concerned with creating a full set all data that is formally needed for thorough clinical assessment, it is apparent that the process of data collection is significantly restricted to what is shown in the movie.

Discussion of Cultural and Societal Factors

It is possible to state with certainty that cultural and societal factors play an immensely important role in the case of Precious Jones. The problems that she experiences are largely determined by her cultural and social background (Sutton, Lasswell, Lanier, & Miller, 2014). First of all, she comes from a low-income family that lives on the edge of poverty, and it is largely recognized that exposure to such social circumstances raises the probability of different kinds of abuse, low literacy, insufficient access to medical treatment and care, unwanted adolescent pregnancies, and increased HIV risk (Assini-Meytin & Green, 2015; Kinser & Masho, 2015).

For example, it is apparent that Precious can hardly escape the abuse within the family as she lives with her mother and could not provide for herself due to her age and lack of education (Watkins-Hayes et al., 2011). Moreover, Precious’ low literacy in the questions of sex and pregnancy, as well as the inability to escape the abuse from her father, contribute to her poor understanding of the effects of adolescent pregnancy (Coyle et al., 2016). Therefore, it could be observed that social and cultural factors have an immense impact on the development of negative effects on Precious’ health.

Discussion of Multidimensional Assessment

Regarding the discussion of the multidimensional assessment, it is worth mentioning that it is difficult to perform it due to the lack of information provided in the movie. As it was already mentioned, the authors of the film did not intend to develop a comprehensive and full set of medical information that is usually obtained from family and individual health records and personal interviews. Thus, based on the information that could be retrieved from the film, one can observe that the primary influencing factors within the multidimensional framework are social and cultural factors, as it was exemplified in the previous subsection. Other factors that should be mention are Precious’ obesity and HIV-positive status.

These factors contribute to the overall adverse physical and mental state of the young African American. For example, Chaney (2018) expresses the following point of view in her article. The author states that the negative stereotypes about young African American mothers largely drives people from outside the African American community to disregard these females’ intention and actual ability to successfully participate in the contemporary society (Chaney, 2018). From this perspective, it is evident that young African American mothers should be assessed with the understanding of numerous specific dimensions of their health, but without prejudice.

Discussion of Intervention Strategy and Treatment Goals

In general, the treatment goals for Precious were shortly formulated in the previous section. These goals could be states as follows: (1) to provide Precious with sufficient instruments for reducing the negative effects of physical and mental abuse on her health, (2) to ensure that both the mother and her children are provided with care and access to proper treatment, and (3) to ensure that Precious is treated efficiently from AIDS.

These goals cover a considerably large area of concern that covers several dimensions of life. However, as the instrument of reducing stress among African American adolescent mothers, Kinser and Masho (2015) propose yoga sessions. Additionally, Coyle et al. (2016) propose the promotion of Safer Choices intervention, which is intended to increase the awareness about sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents. Also, the antiretroviral therapy is recommended for Precious.

Discussion of the Application of a Theory and its Rationale

Based on the conducted assessment as well as on the development of the treatment plan, the most suitable nursing theory would be Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit nursing theory. The theory is based on the following assumption: it is a “theory created for a practical science such as nursing encompasses not only the What and Why, but also the Who and How” (Hartweg, 2015, p. 107). Viewed in the holistic context, nurses and patients should have active, dynamic, and meaningful relationships, in which the needs and the overall importance of the patient is the highest priority (Morton & Fontaine, 2017).

The historical context, within which the theory was created, is important for the understanding of the theory. Primarily, in the process of her practice in the Indiana State Board of Health between 1949 and 1957, Orem noticed that nurses are able to “do nursing,” but they cannot “describe nursing” (Hartweg, 2015). Thus, it was her initial motivation to combine a solid theoretical approach with her practical experience. Orem’s personal values, her formal education as well as familiarity with works of such philosophers as Aristotle, Aquinas, Harre, and many others, contributed significantly to the development of her theory (Hartweg, 2015).

The main concepts of the theory include six elements. Four of them are related to patients (self-care/dependent care, self-care agency/dependent-care agency, therapeutic self-care demand/dependent-care demand, and self-care deficit/dependent-care deficit), and other two are related to nursing professionals (nursing agency and nursing system) (Hartweg, 2015). In general, the connections between the theory’s concepts are presented by the interaction between “the self-care agent (person receiving care)/dependent-care agent (family member/friend providing care)” and “the nurse (nurse agent)” (Hartweg, 2015, p. 109).

Therefore, one can state with certainty that the theory under consideration is highly applicable to the case of Precious. The fact that the girl, as of the end of the movie, is left to care for herself and her children almost on her own, it is essential that she has self-care skills and competencies developed.

In conclusion, one should state with certainty that the Precious movie is an example of a work of art that raises highly important social and health-related problem in the context of the African American community. Despite the fact that it is not possible to retrieve information about the patient’s health and various multidimensional factors, it is still appropriate to use the character of Precious for the investigation of such problems as physical and emotional abuse, the effects of the single-parent household, low literacy, and adolescent pregnancies. In general, this paper represents a successful attempt at conducting the assessment of the patient and developing a treatment plan for her.

Assini-Meytin, L. C., & Green, K. M. (2015). Long-term consequences of adolescent parenthood among African-American urban youth: A propensity score matching approach. Journal of Adolescent Health , 56 (5), 529-535. Web.

Chaney, C. (2018). The movie “Precious”: A misrepresentation of most young Black urban mothers. Journal of Pan African Studies , 11 (6), 142-168.

Coyle, K., Basen-Engquist, K., Kirby, D., Parcel, G., Banspach, S., Collins, J.,… Harrist, R. (2016). Safer choices: Reducing teen pregnancy, HIV, and STDs. Public Health Reports, 116 , 82-93. Web.

Jarman, M. (2012). Cultural consumption and rejection of Precious Jones: Pushing disability into the discussion of Sapphire’s Push and Lee Daniels’ Precious . Feminist Formations , 24 (2) 163-185.

Hartweg, D. L. (2015). Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit nursing theory. In M. C. Smith & M. E. Parker (Eds.), Nursing theories and nursing practice (4th ed.) (pp. 76-81). F. A. Davis Company.

Kinser, P., & Masho, S. (2015). “I just start crying for no reason”: The experience of stress and depression in pregnant, urban, African-American adolescents and their perception of yoga as a management strategy. Women’s Health Issues , 25 (2), 142-148. Web.

Morton, P. G., & Fontaine, D. K. (2017). Critical care nursing: A holistic approach . New York, NY: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Sutton, M. Y., Lasswell, S. M., Lanier, Y., & Miller, K. S. (2014). Impact of parent-child communication interventions on sex behaviors and cognitive outcomes for black/African-American and Hispanic/Latino youth: A systematic review, 1988–2012. Journal of Adolescent Health , 54 (4), 369-384. Web.

Sweeney, M. (2010). A precious and painful life. The Lancet , 375 (9710), 189-190. Web.

Watkins-Hayes, C., Patterson, C. J., & Armour, A. R. (2011). Precious: Black women, neighborhood HIV/AIDS risk, and institutional buffers. Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race , 8 (1), 229-240. Web.

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Movie Review | 'Precious'

Howls of a Life, Buried Deep Within

• Share full article

By A.O. Scott

• Nov. 5, 2009

Claireece Jones, the Harlem teenager at the center of “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” lives in a world of specific and overwhelming horror. She goes by her middle name, Precious, which seems like a cruel taunt, since nearly everyone around her thinks she’s worthless and lets her know it.

Precious’s mother, Mary, played with operatic fervor by the comedian Mo’Nique, dispenses a daily ration of humiliation and abuse. The constant verbal and physical violence she directs at her daughter would be shocking even without the monstrous crime that hangs over their dim, dirty apartment like a cloud. Precious, overweight and illiterate — and played by an extraordinarily poised first-time actress named Gabourey Sidibe — has a young daughter and is pregnant for a second time. The father in both cases, who is nowhere to be seen, is Precious’s father too.

This information is bluntly presented at the beginning of Sapphire’s 1996 novel, a first-person narrative composed in rough, stylized dialect. In Lee Daniels’s risky, remarkable film adaptation, written by Geoffrey Fletcher, the facts of Precious’s life are also laid out with unsparing force (though not in overly graphic detail). But just as “Push” achieves an eloquence that makes it far more than a fictional diary of extreme dysfunction, so too does “Precious” avoid the traps of well-meaning, preachy lower-depths realism. It howls and stammers, but it also sings.

Mr. Daniels, directing his second feature (after the vivid and eccentric “Shadowboxer”), is not afraid to mix styles and genres. In his determination to do justice to Claireece’s inner life, as well as to her circumstances, he allows splashes of fantasy, daubs of humor and floods of unabashed melodrama into the drab landscape of her struggle. Ugliness is all around her, but beauty is there too.

There is something almost reckless about this filmmaker’s eclecticism, which extends from the casting — pop stars and television personalities alongside trained and untrained actors — to the visual textures and the soundtrack music. “Precious” is a hybrid, a mash-up that might have been ungainly, but that manages to be graceful instead. It’s partly a bootstrap drama of resilience and redemption, complete with a hardworking teacher (Paula Patton) wrangling a classroom full of disadvantaged girls. It’s also the nearly Gothic story of a child tormented by the cruelty of adults, as lurid as a Victorian potboiler or a modern-day tell-all memoir.

Above all “Precious” is unabashedly populist in its potent emotional appeal — not for nothing did Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey sign on as executive producers around the time of the film’s debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January — and at the same time determined to challenge its audience’s complacency as only a genuine work of art can.

Mary, brimming with rage, thwarted love and plain meanness, is a character bound to provoke discomfort. Even otherwise misogynistic hip-hop artists will pay tribute to the heroism of African-American mothers, and to see that piety so thoroughly dispensed with is downright shocking.

Other provocations are more subtle but no less pointed. There are virtually no men in this movie. Precious’s father is glimpsed briefly in flashbacks of his assaults on her, and in the fantasy sequences that provide escape from her pain Precious hobnobs with handsome boys, but otherwise the only male character of significance is a hospital worker played by Lenny Kravitz. Otherwise, Precious’s cosmos, for better and for worse, is a universe of women: the social worker (Mariah Carey, scrubbed of any vestige of divahood); the teacher, Ms. Rain; her co-worker in the remedial education program, played by the comedian and talk show host Sherri Shepherd; and Precious’s fellow students.

These characters all can be seen as surrogate mothers, aunts and sisters, who together provide Precious with a more functional family (to say the least) than what she has at home. But their love is also enabled by institutions and government policies. An unstated but self-evident moral of “Precious,” set during Ronald Reagan’s presidency and based on a book published in the year of Bill Clinton’s welfare reform, is that government can provide not only a safety net, but also, in small and consequential ways, a lifeline.

I will leave it for others to parse the truth or the timeliness of this message. But “Precious” is, in any case, less the examination of a social problem than the illumination of an individual’s painful and partial self-realization. Inarticulate and emotionally shut down, her massive body at once a prison and a hiding place, Precious is also perceptive and shrewd, possessed of talents visible only to those who bother to look. At its plainest and most persuasive, her story is that of a writer discovering a voice. “These people talked like TV stations I didn’t even watch,” she remarks of Ms. Rain and her lover (Kimberly Russell), displaying her awakening literary intelligence even as she marvels at the discovery of her ignorance.

And Ms. Sidibe, perhaps the least-known member of this movie’s unusual cast, is also the glue that holds it together. Nimble and self-assured as Mr. Daniels’s direction may be, he could not make you believe in “Precious” unless you were able to believe in Precious herself. You will.

“Precious” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). It has frank depictions of emotional and physical violence, including the sexual abuse of a child.

Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Opens on Friday in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta.

Directed by Lee Daniels; written by Geoffrey Fletcher, based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire; director of photography, Andrew Dunn; edited by Joe Klotz; music by Mario Grigorov; production designer, Roshelle Berliner; produced by Mr. Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness; released by Lionsgate. Running time: 1 hour 49 minutes.

WITH: Mo’Nique (Mary), Paula Patton (Ms. Rain), Maria Carey (Ms. Weiss), Sherri Shepherd (Cornrows), Lenny Kravitz (Nurse John), Kimberly Russell (Katherine) and Gabourey Sidibe (Precious).

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SUBJECTS — Health; ELA (for cross-curricular assignments); Psychology;

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING — Child Abuse, Self-esteem, GBLTQ; Parenting; Taking Care of Yourself;

MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS — Responsibility, Caring.

AGE : 15+; MPAA Rated R (for child abuse including sexual assault, and pervasive language);

2009; 110 Minutes; Color. Available from Amazon.com .

Note to Teachers: This film can be deeply disturbing. Be sure to watch it and the deleted scene of the incest survivor’s meeting before showing either to students. Especially for this movie, it is important to get administrative and parental permissions.

TWM suggests that Health teachers who use this film coordinate with ELA teachers for the writing assignments set out at the end of this Learning Guide.

Benefits of the Movie Possible Problems Selected Awards & Cast Helpful Background

Using the Movie in the Classroom Discussion Questions Social-Emotional Learning Moral-Ethical Emphasis

Assignments and Projects CCSS Anchor Standards Bridges to Reading Links to the Internet

MOVIE WORKSHEETS & STUDENT HANDOUTS

TWM offers the following movie worksheets to keep students’ minds on the film and to focus their attention on the lessons to be learned from the movie.

Film Study Worksheet for Precious [although the film is a work of fiction, it is so accurate that it requires a worksheet patterned from worksheets for documentaries]; and

Worksheet for Cinematic and Theatrical Elements and Their Effects .

Teachers can modify the movie worksheets to fit the needs of each class. See also TWM’s Movies as Literature Homework Project .

Additional ideas for lesson plans for this movie can be found at TWM’s guide to Lesson Plans Using Film Adaptations of Novels, Short Stories or Plays .

DESCRIPTION

Claireece “Precious” Jones is 16, morbidly obese, illiterate, and pregnant with her second child. Her teachers ignore her and her classmates tease her. Home life is a nightmare. Precious is required by her mother, Mary, to cook, clean, and go to the store. Mary spends her days and nights sitting in a chair watching TV. When Mary does get out of the chair, it’s usually to beat Precious for some minor infraction or for no reason at all. In the meantime, Mary spews streams of verbal abuse at her daughter, telling “Precious” that she’s stupid and worthless.

But Precious is valuable to Mary because Precious and Mongo, the Down Syndrome daughter to which Precious gave birth at age 12, increase the size of Mary’s welfare check — although Mongo lives with Mary’s mother, visiting only when the welfare worker comes to check on the family.

That’s really bad, but there’s more to come. Precious’ two pregnancies were the result of serial rapes by her father, tolerated but resented by Mary — not because Mary objects to incest — Mary resents the fact that Precious “stole” her man and that while he gave Mary only one child, he’s given Precious two! Perhaps another cause of Mary’s abuse of her daughter is repressed guilt that she did nothing to stop the abuse when it began — when Precious was three years old. But perhaps not; Mary isn’t the type to feel guilty about anything.

Can it get worse? It does. The incestuous father gave Precious HIV.

However, when Precious is sent to an alternative school and placed under the tutelage of a nurturing teacher named Blue Rain, Precious blossoms. She gets over the fact that Ms. Rain is a “homo”, a group that Mary told her were dangerous, and starts learning to read. Precious gains self-respect, successfully delivers a healthy baby, escapes from Mary, and sets about the task of raising her children and getting an education.

The film is based on the novel Push by Sapphire.

SELECTED AWARDS & CAST

Selected Awards:

2010 Academy Awards: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Mo’Nique); Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (Geoffrey Fletcher); 2010 Academy Awards Nominated: Best Motion Picture of the Year (Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness); Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Gabourey Sidibe); Best Achievement in Directing (Lee Daniels)’ Best Achievement in Film Editing (Joe Klotz)

Featured Actors:

Gabourey Sidibe as Precious; Mo’Nique as Mary; Paula Patton as Ms. Rain; Mariah Carey as Ms. Weiss; Sherri Shepherd as Cornrows; Lenny Kravitz as Nurse John; Stephanie Andujar as Rita; Chyna Layne as Rhonda; Amina Robinson as Jermaine; Xosha Roquemore as Joann; Angelic Zambrana as Consuelo Aunt Dot as Toosie; Nealla Gordon as Mrs. Liechtenstein.

Lee Daniels.

BENEFITS OF THE MOVIE

This film provides insight into what it’s like to be raised unloved, abused, and hopeless. It shows that with love and nurturing even children of the most dysfunctional families can move forward with their lives and attain a triumph of the human spirit. Showing this film and using the materials in the Learning Guide will increase understanding of the scourge of childhood sexual abuse. (CDC estimates are that about 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be victims of childhood sexual abuse.) The CDC states that in the U.S.   1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys experience child sexual abuse before the age of 18.

The story also provides graphic depictions of the psychological defense mechanism of dissociation.

Watching this film with the scaffolding suggested by the Learning Guide will increase resilience in children subject to dysfunctional families and to sexual and physical abuse. In children who do not have to contend with those problems, the movie will expand empathy for those who are not so fortunate. As Gabourey Sidibe, the college student who played the lead role said,

I know this girl. . . . I’ve seen her, I’ve lived beside this girl. . . . I didn’t want to be friends with those girls because they had too much drama going on in their lives. I feel guilty for having ignored them.” ( Interview with Roger Ebert ).

The intense emotions raised by this film will drive writing assignments for the development of skills required by the ELA curriculum.

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS

Serious. One incident of the incest/rape of a child and another of a woman masturbating are shown; however, the scenes are not graphic. Repeated instances of physical abuse of a child by her mother are shown. The film is shot through with profanity. The primary problem is the movie’s great strength: the issues raised by this film are very disturbing. However, they need to be addressed.

USING THE MOVIE IN THE CLASSROOM

Before Watching the Movie:

Tell students the following:

• The movie is based on the novel Push by the African-American writer Sapphire. The story shows a girl growing up in Harlem who is dealing with a terrible family situation.
• Precious and her parents are black because, like most writers, Sapphire felt that she could only write an authentic tale by describing the people and the community that she knew well. The reason that Push attracted national attention is because of the universal human condition described by the story, not because it was about black people or the community in Harlem. There are families of other races which are just as depraved as the people shown in this story.
• Dissociation is a psychological defense mechanism that occurs when a person subjected to a situation that they find uncomfortable or intolerable detaches from reality and goes into a fantasy world. It is often used as a coping or defense mechanism when a person is undergoing a trauma such as rape or sexual abuse.

Teachers should consider giving the class TWM’s Film Study Worksheet for Precious and review the questions with students before showing the movie. After the movie has been shown students can be required to provide responses as homework or as an in-class writing project. In the alternative, some questions on the worksheet can be used for class discussion.

After Watching the Movie:

Teachers should tell classes that since the story told by this movie was made, the social welfare system has changed and that social workers and police usually act quickly to protect children when there are substantiated incidents of child abuse. Mary’s father would have been arrested and sent to jail for raping Precious. If Mary’s physical and verbal abuse of Precious had been suspected, the home would have been investigated and Precious would have been placed in foster care. [This information can be transmitted to the class through direct instruction or through a class discussion using discussion question #1.]

Teachers should tell the class that despite efforts to stop childhood sexual abuse, it is still rampant. The CDC states that in the U.S. , “About 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys experience child sexual abuse at some point in childhood.” In a 30 student class with as many boys as girls that’s three or four girls and one boy who will be victims of sexual abuse by the time they reach the age of 18.

Teachers may want to have the class read the last paragraph of the narrative section of the novel. It supplements the ending of the film. The best time to read this passage may be at the end of the class discussion.

It’s Sunday, no school, meetings. I’m in dayroom at Advancement House, sitting on a big leather stool holdin’ Abdul. The sun is coming through the window splashing down on him, on the pages of his book. It’s called The Black BC’s. I love to hold him on my lap, open up the world to him. When the sun shine on him like this, he is an angel child. Brown sunshine. And my heart fill. Hurt. One Year? Five? Ten years? Maybe more if I take care of myself. Maybe a cure. Who knows, who is working on shit like that? Look his nose is so shiny, his eyes shiny. He pulling my earring, want me to stop daydreaming and read him a story before nap time. I do. pp. 139 & 140.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. This story took place in the 1980s. Had Precious lived today, how would the child welfare system and the criminal justice system have reacted to her situation in ways that are not shown in the film?

Suggested Response:

See the section on “Before Watching the Movie”.

2. In which scenes is Precious shown dissociating?

All of her fantasy scenes. One example is the scene in which she is being raped by her father and bursts through the ceiling into a world in which she is a celebrity.

3. This story has many important themes. Identify two major themes of the story.

Students will formulate the themes in their own way. The substance is what is important. Students may also see additional themes in the film. The following suggestions are not in order of importance. They may overlap.

You are ultimately in control of your own life and you can build your own self-esteem.

It is never too late to take control of your life and be the person that you want to be.

People don’t choose their family or their circumstances in life, it’s what you make of the hand you were dealt that is the source of self-respect.

If nurturing love cannot be found at home, it can be found in other places.

A good and caring teacher can change a life.

A person who others ridicule for being overweight, ugly, damaged, or different is still a person worthy of understanding and respect. The college student who played Precious in the movie, Gabourey Sidibe, was referring to this theme when she said, “I know this girl [Precious]. I know her in my family, I know her in my friends, I’ve seen her, I’ve lived beside this girl. . . . I didn’t want to be friends with those girls because they had too much drama going on in their lives. I feel guilty for having ignored them.”

Some people, like Mary, are simply malevolent and damaged beyond repair. All you can do is to remove them from your life.

Parents are responsible for protecting their children, no matter how difficult it may be. Mary utterly failed in her duty to nurture Precious.

4. What is the significance of the names of the major characters in this story? Look for irony.

Until Ms. Lichtenstein came to the front door of Precious’ building and spoke to her through the intercom, everyone treated Precious like she was anything but precious. (Even her favorite math teacher did very little for her.) In that way her name is ironic. It was not until Precious started to take care of herself by going to the alternative school that she began to live up to her name. Only then did people start to treat her like the jewel that she was. There is also irony in the mother’s name. “Mary” is the name of the mother of Jesus and in Christian tradition she is the loving, nurturing force of the universe. However, the Mary in this movie is just the opposite. Finally, Blue Rain is the name of the teacher whose love and attention help Precious bring her strength and beauty to full flower. That is the essence of rain, which nurtures the plants on which all life is based.

5. At the end of the movie, Mary schedules an appointment with the social worker in which she tries to explain herself. First, Precious and then the social worker get up and leave. Was Mary simply evil and irredeemably broken as a human being? Or were Precious and the social worker wrong to reject Mary’s request for understanding? Also, under what circumstances, if any, would you advise Precious to try to reconcile with Mary later in life?

There is no one correct response. A good discussion will include the following positions.

• The argument that Mary was Simply Evil and that Precious was Right to Leave and Should Stay Far Away from Mary: Adults have obligations to protect children and Mary simply failed to fullfil that duty. In fact, she actively hurt Precious and used Precious for Mary’s own selfish needs. According to Mary, the sexual abuse began when Precious was three years old. There is no way that a child of three or for that matter a child of ten or fifteen can protect herself (or himself) from abuse by an adult. Mary also cheated the government and used Mongo for that purpose. Mary also intimidated her own mother and forced the older lady to cooperate in the deception of the government. There is, in fact, no element of Mary’s personality that shows any positive or redeeming feature. For Precious, the only way to protect herself from Mary is simply to leave. The social worker’s first responsibility was to Precious and she was correct to leave as well and to refrain from taking any further steps to get mother and daughter together. In fact, a strong argument could be made that all Mary really wanted out of the interview with the social worker and Precious was for Precious to come home so that Mary could get a welfare check again.
• The argument that Mary Should Be the Subject of Understanding and Compassion and that Precious, at Some Time in the Future, Should Give her Mother Another Chance: Much of the evil in this family was caused by the rapist-father Carl. When he rejected Mary in favor of Precious, he caused Mary to hate her own daughter. In addition, part of the reason that Mary hated Precious was Mary’s own guilt that she had not protected her daughter from the father’s sexual abuse. Mary couldn’t face that guilt and it was easier to think that Precious had no worth. Were Mary to admit her own failings, go to therapy, and truly repent, there is an argument that Precious should allow Mary a chance to be close to her daughter.
• Synthesis: The description of the psychological mechanisms that were working in Mary do not excuse Mary’s conduct. Mary was the adult, the mother, and she had obligations to her daughter that she did not fulfill. Whether Mary, with a lot of therapy, could reform and find a way to redeem herself would really be up to Mary. People have done worse and redeemed themselves. In any interaction with Mary, Precious must fulfill her own responsibilities to her children by making sure that Mary is never in a position to hurt them.

6. How should Precious explain his parentage to Abdul? Should she tell him the truth?

There is no one correct answer. One argument would contend that the truth is always better. Abdul needs to be taught that we don’t choose our parents, we choose who we become; we don’t choose our circumstances in life, we choose what we make of those circumstances. What Abdul needs to know is that his mother loves him and that she seized control of her life and made the best of her circumstances. Another position might be that if the secret could be kept, then it would be better to lie. If the secret could not be kept, then it may or may not. It might depend upon the whether during the period that the lie was maintained Abdul could develop enough self-respect to weather the disclosure if the truth came out.

Additional Discussion Questions.

8. What was the strongest emotion that you felt when watching the film?

There is no one correct answer.

9. What happens to Precious’ self-image over the course of the story?

She has a very poor self-image at the beginning of the film. By the end of the film her self-image is stronger: strong enough for her to reject her mother’s description of her as dumb and not educable, that she can care for her children, that she can live on her own.

10. What happened to Precious would totally destroy many people. Yet, Precious was able to respond to Ms. Rain’s caring and teaching. What made Precious able to withstand abuse that would have crushed many people?

There is no one correct response. A suggested response is that Precious was just strong. At the first sign of nurturing love, she was able to blossom. She had an inner strength.

11. The name of the novel on which this movie is based is “Push” What is the significance of that title?

This is an injunction that one must push the boundaries of one’s life. Precious must work hard to learn to read, to learn to take care of her children, to overcome the injury caused by the incest and abuse etc. “Pushing” is what life is all about.

12. What do you think of the ending of the story?

There is no one correct answer to the question. A good response will discuss hope and HIV.

13. The author of the novel said, “One of the myths we’ve been taught is that oppression creates moral superiority. I’m here to tell you that the more oppressed a person is, the more oppressive they will be. (Bomb, Fall 1996) Do you agree or disagree?

There is no one correct answer to this question.

See Discussion Questions for Use With any Film that is a Work of Fiction .

An Exploration of Why Children Don't Report Child Abuse

7. [Before asking this question consider showing the deleted scene of Precious in the incest survivor’s group. In that scene Precious discloses that eventually she came to enjoy the sexual intercourse forced upon her by her father. This scene was too raw and truthful to put into the movie but is included in the deleted scenes section of the DVD.] Ask the class to think of the reasons that children who are physically and sexually abused usually don’t report that abuse. A full discussion will cover the following topics; a good discussion will cover most of them. The reasons are not set out in any particular order.

a. Fear for the Personal Safety of the Victim or Others: Abused children are often afraid that the perpetrator will hurt them or others; abuse is ultimately an exercise of power by the perpetrator over the victim. Often abusers will threaten to hurt the victim or other family members.

b. Guilt: The perpetrator will convince the child that the abuse was the child’s fault; that somehow the child caused the perpetrator to take the wrongful action, either because the child is too pretty or seductive (sexual abuse) or that the child was too disobedient or willful and caused the adult to loose his or her temper (physical abuse).

c. Shame and embarrassment:

The child will feel ashamed or embarrassed at being the subject of abuse or about actions that the perpetrator led the child to take; either in cooperating in the abuse or extending the abuse to others.

Biologically, sexual contact is made to be pleasurable and often the child will feel pleasure in sexual abuse. Precious described this to the incest survivor’s group. The child will then feel ashamed and embarrassed about having these feelings and that there is something wrong with him or her when in fact it’s only natural. Guilt also plays a role here; the child may feel guilty about the pleasurable feelings. One of the terrible things about childhood sexual abuse is that it turns what should be a wonderful experience into something sordid and conflicted.

d. Fear of Disrupting the Family — Family Loyalty:

Children may fear that if the abuse is reported, the family will be broken up or that a perpetrator who is a family member will be punished and that the family and thus the child’s life will be drastically disrupted. Perpetrators often play on this fear to secure silence from their victims.

The child accepts the abuse because the child is emotionally attached to the abusive family member and wants the love of the family member.

In some cultures sexual activity or what happens in the home is very private and not to be disclosed to non-family members.

When relatives are economically or psychologically dependent on the perpetrator, children will be reluctant to cause problems in those relationships; e.g., the mother will be hurt if the child were to disclose that the father was abusing her and the family could not survive economically if the father was jailed.

e. Protecting Siblings: Children may believe that by accepting the abuse, they are protecting other siblings from abuse.

f. Becoming Co-opted by the Perpetrator: In situations of sexual abuse, the perpetrator will enlist the child as co-participants in keeping the abuse from others: “it’s our little secret”. It’s very flattering to a child to be a co-participant with an adult in taking some action. Co-option of the victim also occurs when the perpetrator leads the child to participate in the acts of abuse or in assisting the perpetrator in abusing others. This is compounded by guilt.

g. Fear of Disbelief: Many children feel that they will not be believed, especially when the perpetrator is an important and respected member or friend of the family.

h. Abusive Activity as Normal: Some abusers may convince the child that the abuse is a normal way of showing love within the family.

CHILD ABUSE

All of the discussion questions related to this topic.

SELF-ESTEEM

1. What does it take for Precious to develop self-esteem?

Love and caring from an adult. In this case, it was primarily her teacher, Ms. Rain who nurtured her. Then Precious had to learn to act on her own behalf, i.e., to make decisions for her own interests, even if she would act at the expense of others. The first good decision that Precious made this was to go to the alternative school in response to the slight amount of interest in her shown by principal Lichtenstein. Another was to keep going to the alternative school despite resistance from her mother. Another was to leave home.

2. What is the theme of this film that relates to self-esteem?

See Themes A-C in the suggested response to Discussion Question #3 in the Guide.

3. What does this story try to tell us about people who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual?

They can be caring, nurturing individuals and great teachers just like other people.

MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS (CHARACTER COUNTS)

(Be kind; Be compassionate and show you care; Express gratitude; Forgive others; Help people in need)

1. State two themes of this film that relate to caring?

See Themes D — H in the suggested response to Discussion Question #3 in the Guide.

See the question relating to GBLTQ topics in these Supplemental Materials.

See also Discussion Questions which Explore Ethical Issues Raised by Any Film .

ASSIGNMENTS, PROJECTS & ACTIVITIES

Most of the discussion questions in this Learning Guide and in the Supplemental Materials can be used as essay prompts. If students were given TWM’s Film Study Worksheet for Precious teachers can have them prepare written responses as homework or as an in-class writing assignment.

Additional ideas for assignments are set out below.

1. Write a description of where Precious and her family will be in five years. The description should at least answer the following questions: Will Precious be able to survive as an HIV positive person? Will she still be a mother to her children? How good a mother will she be? Will she be pursuing her education?

2. It is five years later and Precious is dying of AIDS. Write the letter that she would write to Abdul to be opened when he was 12 years old.

3. Imagine that you are a film critic for a major newspaper. Write a review of the film, “Precious”. Be sure to support your conclusions with evidence and logical arguments. Your review should provide a one-paragraph description of the film that will tell the audience a little about the movie without giving away the entire plot. It should also include your view of the strength and weaknesses of the movie and your evaluation of the experience of watching it.

4. Read and analyze the Langston Hughes poem em>Mother to Son and describe whether the themes of this poem relate to the themes of the film. Who in this story can you see reading the poem to whom?

5. Read the Screen Play for Precious and pick out four scenes that relate to important themes of the film. Describe the theme and how the passage relates to the theme. Try to avoid scenes in which the theme is explicitly stated.

See also Additional Assignments for Use With any Film that is a Work of Fiction .

CCSS ANCHOR STANDARDS

Multimedia:

Anchor Standard #7 for Reading (for both ELA classes and for History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Classes). (The three Anchor Standards read: “Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media, including visually and quantitatively as well as in words.”) CCSS pp. 35 & 60. See also Anchor Standard # 2 for ELA Speaking and Listening, CCSS pg. 48.

Anchor Standards #s 1, 2, 7 and 8 for Reading and related standards (for both ELA classes and for History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Classes). CCSS pp. 35 & 60.

Anchor Standards #s 1 – 5 and 7- 10 for Writing and related standards (for both ELA classes and for History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Classes). CCSS pp. 41 & 63.

Speaking and Listening:

Anchor Standards #s 1 – 3 (for ELA classes). CCSS pg. 48.

Not all assignments reach all Anchor Standards. Teachers are encouraged to review the specific standards to make sure that over the term all standards are met.

BRIDGES TO READING

The novel on which the movie is based raises additional issues such as Mary’s sexual abuse of her daughter. TWM recommends the book for sophisticated high school students and college classes.

LINKS TO THE INTERNET

• Sexual Abuse Statistics from the National Center for Victims of Violent Crime;
• The Movie Review: ‘Precious’ by Christopher Orr, The New Republic, November 13, 2009;
• Precious, Sexual Abuse & Eating Disorders Published on December 28, 2009, by Susan Albers, Psy.D. in Comfort Cravings in Psychology Today;
• In-Depth: Understanding Dissociative Disorders by Marlene Steinberg, M.D.;
• Reasons that Children do not Tell from Child Safe of Central Missouri;
• Why Don’t Child Sex Abuse Victims Tell by David M. Allen, M.D. in Psychology Today, October 22, 2012;
• Child Sexual Abuse Facts Children’s Assessment Center; Houston;
• Screen Play for Precious.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

See Links to the Internet and the Reader’s Guide at the end of the novel Push by Sapphire, First Vintage Contemporaries Edition, May 1997. All page references in this Learning Guide are to that edition.

This Learning Guide was written by James Frieden .

This Guide was last revised on April 19, 2020.

Film Analysis: Resilience and Redemption in ‘Precious

This essay about “Precious,” directed by Lee Daniels, examines the film’s portrayal of resilience in the face of adversity. Set in Harlem in 1987, it follows Claireece “Precious” Jones, a young woman enduring severe abuse and systemic neglect. The narrative focuses on Precious’s struggle and her journey towards empowerment, facilitated by her teacher, Ms. Rain. Through a raw and authentic depiction of Precious’s life, the film explores themes of race, class, and gender, highlighting the systemic injustices that compound her personal suffering. The essay emphasizes the film’s exploration of human resilience, the power of imagination as a means of escape, and the potential for personal transformation. “Precious” is presented as a significant cinematic work, notable for its emotional depth, social commentary, and the inspiring story of its protagonist’s fight for a better future. Also at PapersOwl you can find more free essay examples related to Film Analysis.

How it works

In the realm of cinematic achievements, “Precious,” directed by Lee Daniels and based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire, stands out as a poignant exploration of human resilience in the face of despair. This film, set in Harlem in 1987, tells the harrowing yet hopeful story of Claireece “Precious” Jones, a young woman navigating a life marred by abuse, neglect, and societal indifference. Through its raw narrative, “Precious” offers viewers an intimate look at the struggles and triumphs of its protagonist, making it a masterpiece of emotional depth and narrative complexity.

At the core of “Precious” is the character of Precious herself, portrayed with breathtaking authenticity by Gabourey Sidibe in a debut performance that earned widespread acclaim. Precious’s life is one of unimaginable hardship; she suffers at the hands of a physically and emotionally abusive mother, Mary, played with ferocious intensity by Mo’Nique, and carries the burden of two pregnancies resulting from sexual abuse by her own father. The film does not shy away from depicting the stark realities of Precious’s world, including poverty, illiteracy, and the systemic failures that often trap individuals in cycles of abuse and neglect.

However, “Precious” is more than a catalogue of suffering; it is a testament to the indomitable spirit of its protagonist. The narrative arc of the film is defined by Precious’s journey towards self-discovery and empowerment. Through her enrollment in an alternative school, she encounters Ms. Rain, a compassionate teacher who recognizes Precious’s potential and nurtures her sense of self-worth. This relationship becomes a pivotal source of support for Precious, offering her a glimpse of a life beyond her immediate circumstances and the possibility of breaking free from the chains of her past.

The film’s portrayal of Precious’s inner world is one of its most compelling aspects. Despite the external horrors she faces, Precious’s imagination serves as a refuge, a place where she envisions herself as a star adored by millions. These fantasy sequences, interspersed throughout the film, not only provide a stark contrast to the grim reality of Precious’s life but also offer insight into her resilience and hope for a different future. It is through these moments of escape that “Precious” underscores the power of the human spirit to endure and aspire, even in the darkest of times.

“Precious” also engages with broader themes of race, class, and gender, examining the intersectionality of Precious’s identity and the ways in which systemic injustices compound her personal struggles. The film does not offer easy answers but instead presents a nuanced portrayal of the complexities faced by those at the margins of society. It challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about inequality and the often invisible barriers that prevent individuals from realizing their full potential.

In conclusion, “Precious” is a film of profound emotional resonance and social significance. It confronts viewers with the harsh realities of its protagonist’s life while simultaneously celebrating her resilience and capacity for growth. Through its unflinching depiction of abuse and its heartfelt portrayal of redemption, the film invites reflection on the human condition and the potential for transformation against all odds. “Precious” remains an essential cinematic work, not only for its artistic merits but also for its ability to inspire empathy, understanding, and, ultimately, hope.

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