Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Theatrical Release Date: 2009 11 06 (USA - Limited) / 2009 (USA - Limited)

UPC: 031398119807

Studio: Lionsgate

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Rape & Sexual Abuse, Profanity, Children in Peril]

Summary: Monster's Ball producer Lee Daniels follows up his 2005 directorial debut, Shadowboxer, with this adaptation of author Sapphire's best-selling novel about an overweight, illiterate African-American teen from Harlem who discovers an alternate path in life after she begins attending a new school. Clareece "Precious" Jones is only a teenager, yet she's about to give birth to her second child. Unable to read or write, Clareece shows little prospect for the future until discovering that she has been accepted into an alternative school. There, with a little help from a sympathetic teacher (Paula Patton) and a kindly nurse (Lenny Kravitiz), the young girl receives something that most teens never get -- a chance to start over. Mo'nique co-stars in an inspirational drama featuring the debut performance of screen newcomer Gabourey "Gabbie" Sidibe. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Best Female Lead – Independent Spirit Awards Film Presented – Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize – Sundance Film Festival Audience Award – Sundance Film Festival Film Presented – Cannes Film Festival Film Presented – Toronto International Film Festival Film Presented – New York Film Festival Film Presented – San Sebastián International Film Festival Film Presented – London Film Festival Best Supporting Actress – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Presented – Chicago International Film Festival Best Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Breakthrough Performance – Washington D.C. Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress – Boston Society of Film Critics Breakthrough Performance by an Actress – National Board of Review Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Supporting Actress – Washington D.C. Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress – Detroit Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actress – New York Film Critics Circle Producer of the Year – Producers Guild of America Best Supporting Actress – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress – National Society of Film Critics Producer of the Year – Producers Guild of America Best Breakthrough Performance – Detroit Film Critics Society Producer of the Year – Producers Guild of America Best Actress – Screen Actors Guild Best Ensemble – Screen Actors Guild Best Supporting Actress – Online Film Critics Association Best Director – Directors Guild of America Best Supporting Actress – Florida Film Critics Breakout Artist of the Year – Florida Film Critics Best Adapted Screenplay – Writers Guild of America Best Actress – Florida Film Critics Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Moti – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Supporting Actress – Screen Actors Guild Best Feature – Independent Spirit Awards Best Actress – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Adapted Screenplay – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Director – Independent Spirit Awards Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best First Screenplay – Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Female – Independent Spirit Awards Best Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Director – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Adapted Screenplay – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Actress – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Supporting Actress – British Academy of Film and Television Arts

Features: Audio commentary with director Lee Daniels
"From Push to Precious" featurette
"A Precious Ensemble" featurette
"Oprah and Tyler: A Project of Passion" featurette
A conversation with author Sapphire and director Lee Daniels
Deleted scene: "The Incest Survivor Meeting"
Audition: Gabourey Sidibe
Reflections on Presious

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 03/09/2010

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DHMA null, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 109 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: Blu-ray region A (North America, Central America, South America, Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia)

Jason Buchanan

For a film that touches on so many challenging and controversial topics -- including sexual and mental/emotional abuse, teen pregnancy, HIV, and illiteracy -- Precious is told with such energy, style, and conviction that it's impossible not to be awed by the artistry of the film even when we're shrinking away from the devastation taking place on the screen. Even when things get so grim that all hope seems lost, director Lee Daniels keeps us emotionally involved by merging documentary-style filmmaking with urban surrealism in a way that's genuinely captivating and original. While some may argue that Daniels' stylistic flourishes have no place in a story like Precious, it's precisely his bold artistic choices that set the film apart from any number of inner-city underdog stories, and take us into the mind of a young woman whose devastating circumstances are preventing her from reaching her true potential. Clareece "Precious" Jones (Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe) doesn't have an easy life; poor, illiterate, and the victim of severe sexual and emotional abuse, she's just gotten pregnant by her father a second time. She is about to be kicked out of school when her principal recommends that she seek out an alternative form of education. Upon enrolling in the "Each One Teach One" program, Precious encounters benevolent teacher Ms. Rain (Paula Patton). Unlike Precious' distracted teachers back at public school, Ms. Rain recognizes that the emotionally fragile young student isn't defined by her shortcomings, and has an unusual gift for writing. But every time Precious experiences any form of trauma, she mentally withdraws to a place where all of her wildest dreams come true. After giving birth to her second child, Precious strives to make a break from her abusive mother, Mary (Mo'Nique), and become a responsible parent. With a little help from Ms. Rain and her classmates, she might find the strength to do just that, and break the cycle of abuse that began when her father started molesting her at the tender age of three. Though Daniels' unique portrayal of Precious' sporadic flights of fancy do succeed in elevating the proceedings to something far more profound than your typical inspirational drama, Precious really is an actor's film, and with it the director has established himself as a filmmaker who knows how to coax a memorable performance from his players. In her first starring role, young Sidibe displays a believable blend of fear and self-doubt that perfectly contrasts the cornered confidence just beneath the surface. She may not have the advantage of a good education, but her insight into her own situation is unusually perceptive and acutely observant. Everything about the character of Precious speaks to her condition -- from her manner of speaking to her body language -- and Sidibe hits every note wonderfully. As effective as Sidibe is at embodying her deeply troubled character, however, it's the villain who makes or breaks the protagonist's struggle, and as Precious' monster of a mother, popular comic Mo'Nique proves that making us laugh isn't the only thing she does well. Her portrayal of the mother who has allowed her daughter to be abused -- and then condemned her for being a victim -- is harrowing and horrifying, and the monologue in which she attempts to come clean is simply shattering in the way it reveals the inner workings of a damaged mind. Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz also get kudos for shedding their glamorous public personas to portray a concerned social worker and a compassionate male nurse, respectively, though it's ultimately Mo'Nique who steals the show as the kind of mother you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. She's the dark crowning jewel of a film that's at once horrifying, challenging, and bleakly beautiful. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Oprah Winfrey  Executive Producer 
Mario Grigorov  Composer (Music Score) 
Lee Daniels  Director 
Lee Daniels  Producer 
Lisa Cortes  Executive Producer 
Tyler Perry  Executive Producer 
Gary Magness  Producer 
Sarah Siegel-Magness  Producer 
Tom Heller  Executive Producer 
Geoffrey Fletcher  Screenwriter 
Gabourey Sidibe  Actor 
Lenny Kravitz  Actor 
Paula Patton  Actor 
Mo'Nique  Actor 
Mariah Carey  Actor 
Sherri Shepherd  Actor 
Stephanie Andujar  Actor 
Chyna Layne  Actor 
Amina Robinson  Actor 
Xosha Roquemore  Actor 
Angelic Zambrana  Actor 
Aunt Dot  Actor 
Nealla Gordon  Actor 
Grace Hightower  Actor 
Barret Mindell  Actor 
Kimberly Russell  Actor 
Bill Sage  Actor 
Susan Taylor  Actor 
Kendall Toombs  Actor 
Alexander Toombs  Actor 
Cory Davis  Actor 
Rochelle McNaughton  Actor 
Roy Anthony Tarell Harvey  Actor 
Abigail Savage  Actor 
Rodney "Bear" Jackson  Actor 
Sapphire  Actor 
Linda Watson  Actor 
Emani Reid  Actor 
Dashawn Robinson  Actor 
Ashley Livingston  Actor 
Maurizio Arseni  Actor 
Mugga  Actor 
Deborah Lohse  Actor 
Joye Davoren  Actor 
Chazz Menendez  Actor 
Roy T. Anderson  Actor 
Dewanda Wise  Actor 
Quishay Peanan  Actor 
Vivien Eng  Actor 
Silje Vallevik  Actor 
Matt Bralow  Actor 
Shayla Stewart  Actor 
Erica Faye Watson  Actor 
Ephraim Benton  Actor 
Shortee Redd  Actor 
Timothy Allen  Actor 
Kola Ogundrian  Actor 
Christopher Joseph  Actor 
Victor Woodley  Actor 

Country: USA