Before seeing the masterpiece “Precious”, I had never left a movie with such intense, empathetic identification with a main character. There was a lady who actually cried out with grief during one of Precious’ soliloquies. The movie tells the story of a sixteen year old girl and the verbal, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse experiences in all spheres of her life. The acting was superb, and Monique’, Paula Patton, and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, all provided powerful performances that held the audience captive. The writer used imagery and fantasy to help the character get through a terrible sequence of events. He made us think; he made us cry. He made us introspect and look at the man/woman in the mirror. I felt helpless to control the array of emotions that this movie compelled me to feel.

I did not have the opportunity to read the novel, but I am almost sure that this movie was based on a true story. You could not help but feel the pain of the main character. After watching the movie, I tried to figure out why I felt so helpless. After all, these life experiences did not happen to me or anybody that I knew. However, after really looking at little closer at my life’s experiences, I realized, there was a piece of this character that I could certainly identify both my life, and those I hold close.
The abuse, very vividly depicted in some scenes, certainly captured the experience of many silent young ladies in our culture. Precious never said a word, and neither did her mother. Professionally, I know that this is not unusual. Where do the hurting girls go for refuge and reprieve? How many people do you know like Precious? Do we provide an escape for those in need? Are we equipped for the next set of battles in out community? Are we prepared for 2010?

No matter how uncomfortable the experience may be, as it definitely was for me, everybody should take the opportunity to go and see this movie. I would caution you that the writer will challenge you to think. Moreover, he will force you to look at your own immortality. It appears that although Precious died very early in her life, she managed to press through life in her own open grave. I wondered if life could really be this tough for anybody. The answer is certainly yes. Most of our lives are cakes walk compared to this young lady. That being said, the most important message I took from this film can be summed up by the movie’s tagline:

“Life is hard. Life is short. Life is painful. Life is rich.

Life is….Precious.”

Enough Said,

Dr.O

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