I just got back from seeing the movie “Precious.”

Do not go see this movie if you are wanting to feel good. It is a depressing movie, and even though it ends on a semi-positive note, you have to wade through poverty, sexual abuse, incest, emotional abuse and the messed-up system (wait, why are you going to kick someone out of school for being pregnant?) to get to that note.

All of the actors that you know (Sheri Shepard, Mariah Carey and a very, very attractive Lenny Kravitz) are dressed down and not glamorous at all. I have a lot of respect for big stars who are okay with not being the star; I can’t imagine Madonna being in a movie where she is a minor role and doesn’t wear any make-up. I know they’re doing it for the critical accolades, but still…I appreciate it. Paula Patton as the teacher Blu Rain is pretty outstanding and I look forward to her star rising.

Of course, there is Gabourey Sidibe as Precious, who does just an outstanding job. I’ve been sort of obsessed with her after reading this article. She says, “People look at me and don’t expect much. I expect a lot.” I just have a lot of respect for her and admire her confidence.

And Mo’Nique….wow. I have loved her since I first saw her on The Parkers and even enjoyed her in…ahem… Charm School on Vh1. I just wasn’t sure she had it in her to play such a serious role. But, wow. There is a scene where she is talking to Mariah Carey (a social worker) about the abuse in her home and it is just ridiculous. Her justifying the abuse and explaining it and you KNOW she believes every word she says. She’s just incredible. If she doesn’t win the Academy Award, it would be a travesty.

One more thing, the review from Slant was incredibly negative and had this to say:

“One for the Stuff White People Like canon, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire is an impeccably acted piece of trash—an exploitation film that shamelessly strokes its audience’s sense of righteous indignation. “Your tongue hasn’t clucked this hard since Crash,” the tagline for the film may as well read, and the proof is in the pudding, or, rather, the hairy pigs feet Precious whips up for her sick-as-fuck mother… You watch this lurid pageantry of misery with mouth agape, mostly because Daniels solicits his audience’s guilt without rousing their consciousness.”

Another review I read called it a sociological horror show, saying that it reinforces every black stereotype imaginable.

First of all, this is Harlem in 1987. These people are real, and I think anyone who has been educated on this period of history (or maybe just educated in general) knows this. There’s a line where Mo’Nique is talking about AIDS and says that she knows she doesn’t have it because she and [another character with AIDS], “never did it up the ass, so I know.” That was just incredibly shocking, for even a subtle line, but you know so many people thought that way and had so many misconceptions about a very real health crisis. And even if you have the black mother who is obsessed with her man and a black father who is sexually abusive (I guess that’s stereotypical? That’s what a reviewer says), you also have a black woman who is a teacher and is making a difference in people’s lives and a black teenager who has chosen not to give up.

Secondly, I think Daniels does successfully rouse people’s consciousness and I still don’t think the Daniels’s focus is on soliciting white guilt. There are not any white people (well, not really) in the movie at all. There are no white villains, there are no white heroes. White people really don’t have anything to do with this story. Sure, you can argue that a white system put this family and other family’s like it in their situation but I don’t think that was the point. I think his focus was to tell this woman’s story, to raise awareness and also to give you a character to admire (someone who has gone through the worst of the worst, and still has some hope). I know that I even left wanting to be a teacher, I was so moved by Blu Rain and how much she cared for her students. I think the reviewers who keep focusing on white guilt are missing the point.

(and really, what is wrong with white liberal guilt? Should I not appreciate “black movies” or “black culture” as a white person? Would you rather me be a racist? I know that I’m being selfish in asking these things but I would actually like to know. How do you have concern and interest in a big part of America’s history and culture without it being written off as “stuff white people like” or something like that?)

Anyway, I suggest you see it if you want to see a pretty depressing movie. I know that there are a lot of people who see movies as entertainment and this is definitely not entertaining. It’s very uncomfortable to watch, but I think it’s worth it.