Precious isn’t all that precious

Precious is, like its title, self indulgent and unnecessary. For Black History Month I wanted to give a review of “the black” film on everyone’s lips.

Precious is a fictional story of Precious, an obese black girl who was raped by her father, who gave her two kids. She is abused by her monster of a mother, played by Mo’Nique. She cannot read, is on welfare, cooks horribly unhealthy food, and she ends up getting HIV.

All in all, a pretty bad life for anyone, black or white. Yet, with all of Precious’ problems, the biggest problem with the films is that: A) it’s not true; and B) the direction is horrible.

Precious is based on a novel, written by Sapphire, who was a counselor for inner city girls in Harlem. The story is an amalgamation of every horror story she heard from her girls. So while these things may happen, they didn’t happen to one girl like the movie and director Lee Daniels want you to believe.

Lee Daniels directs two great performances, yet all of his decisions for the film are wrong and horrible. How is it that Daniels wants us to feel sorry for Precious yet doesn’t show her positive in any way?

The only connection the audience has in Precious is through Gabourey Sidibe who shows so much emotion in her eyes that we do care.

Also, through the film there is a hint of racism, not toward white people but aimed at blacks. Before you freak out, let’s go into that idea further.

There is an odd sense that the light-skinned people in Precious’ life are the only ones who can/will help her.  Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, and Lenny Kravitz help Precious through her journey…yet, they are all lighter than Precious and her mother.  

It’s funny. For all of the grief that Avatar gets for having a “white man” being a savior to the less fortunate as a white fantasy, shouldn’t Precious be held up to the same criticism?

For how badly it portrays black people, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lee Daniels gets thank you cards from KKK members.

Also, this is strictly a decision by Daniels, that Precious has fantasies about a better life and she has what she describes as a “light skinned boyfriend.” When Precious looks in the mirror, she imagines that she can be a blonde-haired white woman, not even a girl — a woman.

For a film that is supported by Oprah and Tyler Perry I would think that this movie would want to show black people in a positive light and not as if they were shaming the poverty-stricken African Americans.