New film “Precious” a must-see

25th September 2009

New film “Precious” a must-see

posted in Arts and Music, Body Image, Class & Poverty, Fat Bias, Feminist Topics, Gender & Sexuality, Race Issues, Rachel |

So I just watched the trailer for Precious, a new sledgehammer of a film by executive producers Tyler Perry and Oprah, and it sent chills down my spine.

The film is based on the book, Push, by Sapphire, about an abused fat teenage black girl in Harlem, and seems to encapsulate the range of feminist topics: domestic abuse, racism, sizeism, poverty, sexual assault, illiteracy… I’m not a fan of Tyler Perry’s fat-lady drag slapstick comedies, but it appears as if his and Oprah’s role is mostly that of lending it their public support. The film appears to depict the stereotypical “black welfare queen” (played by Mo’Nique), but while the inspiring teacher (Paula Patton) is near supermodel perfection, at least she isn’t the tired “Nice White Lady” cliche. And newcomer Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe, who plays Precious, is an Actual Fat Woman and not some thin star swimming in a fat suit. The film opens in theaters in November and is said to be an Oscar contender.

Click to Bookmark

This entry was posted on Friday, September 25th, 2009 at 7:00 am and is filed under Arts and Music, Body Image, Class & Poverty, Fat Bias, Feminist Topics, Gender & Sexuality, Race Issues, Rachel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1 On September 25th, 2009, BigLiberty said:

Wow. Teared up just watching the trailer. Thanks for posting this!

posted on September 25th, 2009 at 7:53 am

2 On September 25th, 2009, AReader said:

UGH!!

It is waaaaay too early in the morning to cry..

*chokes back tears*

Film looks very interesting, though, just hope I can get through it w/o bawling.

posted on September 25th, 2009 at 9:22 am

3 On September 25th, 2009, sexgenderbody said:

I agree. I saw the trailer for this, a while back. I knew that this film was going to be powerful. I know it will be tough to watch, but that I will watch it anyway…and I will be glad that I did.

-arvan

posted on September 25th, 2009 at 9:25 am

4 On September 25th, 2009, D said:

Okay, so I saw Mariah Carrey on Oprah promoting this movie and she’s like “It took HOURS for the make-up people to make ME ugly!” That really annoyed me.

Oh and FYI, not all social workers are frumpy and wear brown oversized clothing. I happen to be a very cute and fashion savey social worker, so there. Stereotypical much? I think so…

posted on September 25th, 2009 at 9:31 am

5 On September 25th, 2009, Rachel said:

Oh, I wanted to add a trigger warning for this film. The trailer doesn’t make it clear, but Precious is the victim of sexual assault by her father. If you’re sensitive to this, you may want to skip it.

posted on September 25th, 2009 at 9:36 am

6 On September 25th, 2009, Tara said:

OMG, I cannot wait to see this movie…I may even have to find the book and read that! Amazing looking. Thank you so much for sharing this!

posted on September 25th, 2009 at 10:51 am

7 On September 25th, 2009, GeekGirlsRule said:

I also started tearing up watching just the trailer.

I think I’m gonna have to get over my phobia about going places alone to see this, because I doubt I’ll be able to get my husband to go with me.

posted on September 25th, 2009 at 11:30 am

8 On September 25th, 2009, Kelly said:

I knew when I first saw portions of the film on Oprah that I would be watching this film. I also knew I would not be watching it in the theatre. I’m going to emotionally fall apart, so it’s best to keep that mess at home.

posted on September 25th, 2009 at 2:35 pm

9 On September 25th, 2009, Bountiful Luv Muffin said:

Tears are running down my face right now.

posted on September 25th, 2009 at 7:24 pm

10 On September 26th, 2009, Lenore said:

I cannot wait to see this movie. My sister and I went to see (500) Days of Summer (which we loved, btw) and they showed the preview for this before the film. We were both sniffling by the end of it. I hope theaters do a little promotional thing where they hand out those little packets of tissues with the purchase of a ticket!

posted on September 26th, 2009 at 4:12 am

11 On September 27th, 2009, Kelly said:

Like everyone else, I’m crying just watching the trailer. I’m sure I’ll be a mess during the actual movie. Looks so powerful.

posted on September 27th, 2009 at 8:56 am

12 On September 28th, 2009, Terri said:

I read the book this summer and it was so powerful–the movie looks wonderful. Thank you for posting the trailer.

I teach at a city school with a lot of poverty, and what made me cry is I saw the look on her face in the trailer and I recognize that look so well among my female students who are in similar situations as Precious–that sort of angry “you can’t touch me” look. I’m going to give them all hugs tomorrow.

Oh and by the way I suppose I fit that “Nice White Lady” cliche that the youtube video is making fun of…but don’t knock all of us…some of us are in it for the long haul (not teaching for just long enough to go get a book deal out of it) and treat our students like the real, high-potential teenagers they are, not like somebody we feel sorry for. In the book/upcoming movie, this is the REAL difference in the fact that she’s an effective teacher, not just that she’s not a “Nice White Lady.”

Also, a lot of us who have taught happily in city school systems for years may be White Ladies, but we’re definitely not always nice

posted on September 28th, 2009 at 9:16 pm

13 On September 29th, 2009, Lenore said:

I just came across the most awesome quote from Gabby Sidibe that I had to share with y’all:

“They try to paint the picture that I was this downtrodden, ugly girl who was unpopular in school and in life, and then I got this role and now I’m awesome. But the truth is that I’ve been awesome, and then I got this role.”
from here

Indeed, she is awesome!

posted on September 29th, 2009 at 1:46 am

14 On September 29th, 2009, Rachel said:

@Terri: Oh, I’m not knocking white teachers for whom teaching is as much a calling as it is career, just the stereotype seen in recent movies of the Great White Savior here to rescue the poor minority kids. You have to admit that it has become cliche in media stereotypes.

posted on September 29th, 2009 at 8:54 am

15 On September 29th, 2009, Pitch said:

Yeah, I thought I could take the Pepsi Challenge and not cry during this. Amittedly I thought all the commentators were sort of, well you know…over-emotional? So, now I need a tissue. Damn.

posted on September 29th, 2009 at 4:28 pm

16 On September 29th, 2009, Terri said:

Rachel, you are so right, it IS a tired cliche, and what I was saying about those who get in the media for “saving the children” who have done 2 years max of teaching are those who I always think of.

But I mentioned it mainly because I don’t always get taken seriously by others, so I just wanted to put the word out there that not all of us are the cliche!

Love your blog, by the way! It’s making me feel totally different about…a lot of things!

posted on September 29th, 2009 at 5:30 pm

17 On September 30th, 2009, Sandy said:

I have never had a movie trailer choke me up before. The movie will be a must see for me.

posted on September 30th, 2009 at 2:17 pm

18 On October 1st, 2009, Melanie said:

Definitely a must see when it comes out.

And if the trailer makes you cry, don’t go near the comments on the youtube page. People disgust me.

posted on October 1st, 2009 at 12:12 am

19 On October 1st, 2009, meerkat said:

The one bit I’m not sure about was that the shot of a frying pan full of food felt about as threatening to the main character as all the shots of abuse, like her mom was also abusing her by having her cook fatty foods. I wonder if they’re going to make a narrative of “her life is hard and so she binges on this food and that is why she is so fat,” or “her life is hard and one of the hardships is she only has this fatty crap to eat and that is why she is so fat.” (Not that a lack of access to healthy foods isn’t a real problem.) But maybe I’m just paranoid.

posted on October 1st, 2009 at 10:18 pm

20 On October 5th, 2009, Snarky's Machine said:

I might be in the minority, but I’m not really looking forward to this movie at all. This trope is so very tired and as a black female I am constantly going out in the world with this trope playing in the heads of many white people I encounter. I was born into an upper middle class home from parents who were born into an upper middle class home. I am educated and I guess I’m tired of *this* story being the only story about my life and culture. The only time you really see any kind of depiction of black life minus this tired trope is if it is played for comedic effect. I’m also skeeved out by the vibe of many white people who seem to think the only time black life is poignant is if it is shown as bleak and utterly hopeless. It’s yet another way to other black people and I have no intention of supporting yet another shitty depiction of black female life. Don’t we have enough already?

posted on October 5th, 2009 at 3:49 am

21 On October 5th, 2009, Rachel said:

I wonder if they’re going to make a narrative of “her life is hard and so she binges on this food and that is why she is so fat,” or “her life is hard and one of the hardships is she only has this fatty crap to eat and that is why she is so fat.”

I, too, wondered if they were going to show her as an emotional or binge eater, but I would also understand if they did. I just spoke with a guy who’s writing a book about food waste and who wanted to better understand eating disorders. I explained to him that binge eating disorder is estimated to affect 10 percent of the population and he expressed surprise. It’s not surprising, actually. Unlike alcohol, cigarettes or drugs, food is legal for everyone, is relatively cheap and widely abundant. For someone like Precious who is facing a Sisyphean struggle, it can be a natural resource to turn to in order to self-medicate.

I’m also skeeved out by the vibe of many white people who seem to think the only time black life is poignant is if it is shown as bleak and utterly hopeless.

I think this film would be poignant, albeit lesser so, even if it were a fat white girl who encounters sexual and domestic abuse, poverty, illiteracy, pregnancy, sizeism, etc… but the fact that it’s of a black girl drives home the fact for me of how racism is so intricately and persistently intertwined with all of these issues. And while I agree with you of the bipolar imagery that seems to exist in films of black people — I feel the same way whenever they pick some gap-toothed, overalls-wearing, tobacco-spitting, moonshine-drinking hillbilly from Appalachia to represent Kentucky — these people exist, and are oftentimes ignored or dismissed with stereotypes. I see these same kinds of girls in pockets in my own city and especially in inner-city neighborhoods around Cincinnati. I mentored a (biracial) girl whose white mother fell into this same trap and who was susceptible to falling in her footsteps. Should we just ignore these people?

I recently did a feature story on an author who has written a novel about an Indian teen living in the Midwest who slowly explores his sexuality and finds that he is gay. The author told me that the feedback he has received is that even whitey-white readers from all parts of the country seemed able to identify with the character, because who among us hasn’t felt like an outcast any one time in our lives? That’s what I think makes a good story or film: When the the major themes of the work have the potential to resonate with everybody — white, black, male, female, poor, rich, etc… In this particular film, it appears as if the major themes revolve around self-esteem and self acceptance, something which I think most readers here will be able to relate to at least in some small way.

posted on October 5th, 2009 at 10:23 am

22 On October 5th, 2009, Snarky's Machine said:

“And while I agree with you of the bipolar imagery that seems to exist in films of black people — I feel the same way whenever they pick some gap-toothed, overalls-wearing, tobacco-spitting, moonshine-drinking hillbilly from Appalachia to represent Kentucky — these people exist, and are oftentimes ignored or dismissed with stereotypes. I see these same kinds of girls in pockets in my own city and especially in inner-city neighborhoods around Cincinnati. I mentored a (biracial) girl whose white mother fell into this same trap and who was susceptible to falling in her footsteps. Should we just ignore these people?”

Not the same at all. how many OTHER depictions of WHITE PEOPLE do you have to choose from? “Precious” is pretty much all black gals get. And “some of my mentorees are black” is an instant fail. Of course white people identify with the Indian teen, hello, that’s called privilege. The ability to pick and choose what to be influenced without actually having to be stigmatized in the same way.

When “Precious” isn’t the dominant narrative and white people don’t immediately go ga ga over every depiction of black girlhood/womanhood that doesn’t involved this tired trope and folks are able to unpack their bizarre attraction and need for this narrative then we’ll be able to have nuanced conversations about this. Until then, we’ll just agree to disagree.

Great blog, though. I rarely expect white folks to get it so I appreciate your respectfulness.

posted on October 5th, 2009 at 2:24 pm

23 On October 5th, 2009, Snarky's Machine said:

“but the fact that it’s of a black girl drives home the fact for me of how racism is so intricately and persistently intertwined with all of these issues”

um, black bodies are not your educational opportunity. that’s Precious’s experience with the intersection of race, size, gender and class and hers alone. There of course there is often commonality in stories, but the way in which folks experience their intersectionality is not a monolithic event. This seems so “Ally 101″. *sigh*

posted on October 5th, 2009 at 2:30 pm

24 On October 5th, 2009, Rachel said:

While I agree (again) with your argument that films depicting black people are often one-sided, I disagree with your conclusions, Snarky, both of me and of the importance of the film in general.

First, my reasons for wanting to see this film are more so for its depictions of poverty and potentially sizeism and not necessarily race, although racism and poverty are intricately linked in many ways. Homelessness and poverty are issues near to my heart and this blog is evidence of my interest in body acceptance issues. I am hopeful that this film will have have a tangible effect on how some people think about (and stigmatize and dismiss) poor people and shed light on the ways in which fat people are unfairly treated. At the very least, it will provide a springboard for conversation on these issues.

And while Precious’ experiences are her own, the intersections of race, size, gender and class affect us all, consciously or unconsciously, and because of this, we all need to recognize and help to eradicate systems of oppression. None of us are islands, and popular films like this bring these issues to the forefront of national debate. And isn’t that part of “Ally 101″? To recognize connections of oppression and listen to the perspectives and stories of others? To talk about the ways in which discrimination rears its ugly head in order to de-other the other? To challenge our cultural assumptions and learn how to bridge differences? Your background is vastly different than Precious’. I get that. I also agree with you that it’s not fair to see yourself represented in popular culture and that that in itself is a form of discrimination. My point however, is that for too many people, Precious’ experiences are tragically similar to their own. What about them? Do we just sweep them under the collective rug of consciousness because you consider their life stories to be “tired trope”?

I’m also not saying that people experience intersectionality in monolithic ways — only that the best films leave viewers identifying with the characters in some emotional way. I have no idea how many of the commenters here are white or black or Asian or Indian or even American. The fact that this film seems to have resonated with diverse groups of people both here and elsewhere might have something to do with the raw intensity of emotion and talented cast the film portrays, as well as the ability of viewers to identify in some way to the characters and struggles presented.

posted on October 5th, 2009 at 3:56 pm

25 On October 28th, 2009, inquisitive one said:

interesting discussion!

snarky–i’m black and i totally understand where u are coming from. i’m sick of the ‘black-life-as-nothing-but-pain-and-poverty’ storyline as well!!! siiiiiiiiiick of it! that said, i probably will go see precious just because i’m hoping against hope that it offers something more…

nice blog, btw. bookmarked it.

posted on October 28th, 2009 at 7:04 pm