Director Lee Daniels Tackles Beauty Ideals in 'Precious'
Gabourey Sidibe makes her acting debut as "Precious." Courtesy of Lionsgate.
That's who Claireece "Precious" Jones sees staring back at her in the mirror. But this "perfect" image is not a true reflection of the troubled, 16-year-old, African American girl.
"Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire" (Sundance Film Festival winner and Avon Voice of Courage award recipient) is the story of a young girl's journey to overcome emotional and physical abuse to discover self-worth. Director Lee Daniels combines gritty cinematography with explosive talent (Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, Paula Patton and Lenny Kravitz) to probe the standards of beauty.
At a recent screening, the heart-wrenching reactions that roared through Loews Lincoln Center in New York City were a resounding indication of how tough it is for any woman to withstand the pressures that span from home to Hollywood.
But Daniels throws a mighty blow to society's ideal of perfection with Precious' ability to transcend a life of total chaos, and transform herself into a young woman who's comfortable with herself.
By the end of the film, the vision of the white woman is gone, and Precious sees her own face staring back from the mirror.
Oprah Winfrey, one of the executive producers of the film, told our sister site, BlackVoices, that the film gives "a voice to the Preciouses of the world."
"You've seen her on the subway, you seen her standing on the bus stop, you've seen her in the cold, you've seen her coming out of the drugstore, you see her in the grocery line, you see her pushing her babies down the street... and we don't see her. She becomes the invisible woman," Winfrey told BV. "They will no longer be invisible to me, because what this film does is raises the volume on all of their voices around the world. Raises the volume so that character gets heard, so that we understand the pain behind the backstory of the Preciouses of the word."
"Precious" opens in select theaters on November 6.
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Takieyah Rice(Keya), 11-06-2009, 11:19AM
when i saw the previews for this movie i knew already i could compare.i was never a big girl but i had a eating disorder.i was around people who always cared about their images and so it effected me. i was also around a family who rapidly gained wieght and always got really sick.so i became scared of all these things and became EXTREMELY self conscious.But my fiance helped me with that.He noticed i always tried to perfect myself and he told me everyday that i was already beautiful and didnt need to be like that.So instead of eating wierd and not eating and all that stuff...i worked out.i got into sports in middle and high school.Cheering,basketball,swimming,track,weight lifting and everythang.i loved to ride bikes and walk and stuff so it helped.you just have to commit and have faith in yourself .thats all it took for me.If you want help...i can honestly help you.ive helped plenty of my friends get to there goals.
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