Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)
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A young woman struggling against poverty and abuse finds a path toward self-discovery through an alternative education program.
The story
In 1987, 16-year-old Claireece Precious Jones lives in New York City's Harlem neighborhood with her unemployed mother, Mary, who subjects her to constant physical, sexual, and verbal abuse. Precious has also been raped by her now-absent father, Carl, resulting in two pregnancies. The family resides in a Section 8 tenement and survives on welfare checks. Precious often finds a way out of her traumatic daily life by escaping into daydreams in which she is loved and appreciated. When her second pregnancy is discovered, her junior high principal arranges for her to attend an alternative school program called Each One Teach One, where she hopes to change her life's direction.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1987, 16-year-old Claireece Precious Jones lives in Harlem with her abusive mother, Mary. After being raped by her father, Carl, and becoming pregnant twice, she is sent to an alternative school, Each One Teach One. There, she meets teacher Ms. Blu Rain and begins to learn to read and write. During her studies, she meets social worker Ms. Weiss. While in the hospital giving birth to her son, Abdul, she meets a kind nurse, John McFadden. After birth, a confrontation with her mother leads to the loss of welfare benefits; Precious flees to her school for safety. She later learns her mother's abuse was fueled by jealousy and that her father died of AIDS. After learning she is HIV-positive, she steals her case file to share with classmates. Finally, she confronts her mother, realizes the truth of the abuse, and severs ties with her, taking her children to start a new life.
- Original title
- Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire
- First release year
- 2009
- Runtime (minutes)
- 110
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Lee Daniels
- Writers
- Geoffrey S. Fletcher · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Gabourey Sidibe · Claireece "Precious" Jones; Mo'Nique · Mary Lee Johnston; Paula Patton · Blu Rain; Mariah Carey · Ms. Anna Weiss; Sherri Shepherd · Lisa "Cornrows"; Lenny Kravitz · John McFadden; Nealla Gordon · Mrs. Lichtenstein; Stephanie Andujar · Rita Romero
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- abuse; resilience; education; poverty
- Tone and mood
- harrowing; inspiring; raw
- Premise and plot tags
- coming-of-age; based on a novel; social drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- Push by Sapphire
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Sidibe and Mo'Nique, the story, and its message. It was also a box office success.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 78 · scale: 100 · review count: 36
- Awards and nominations
- People's Choice Award · Toronto International Film Festival · 2009 · Won; TVE Otra Mirada Award · San Sebastián International Film Festival · 2009 · Won; Audience Award · San Sebastián International Film Festival · 2009 · Won; Best Feature Film Award · Hawaii International Film Festival · 2009 · Won; Best Film · Independent Spirit Awards · 2009 · Won; Best First Screenplay · Independent Spirit Awards · 2009 · Won; Best Direction · Independent Spirit Awards · 2009 · Won; Best Actress · Independent Spirit Awards · 2009 · Won; Best Supporting Actress · Independent Spirit Awards · 2009 · Won; Best Adapted Screenplay · Academy Awards · Won; Best Supporting Actress · Academy Awards · Won
- Production trivia
- The film's title was changed from Push to Precious to avoid confusion with a 2009 action film.; The film was the first theatrical film to be affiliated with Tyler Perry's company.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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