Review of the Movie “Precious“
Me and Work-Out-Queen went for pizza and to see the movie “Precious” on Saturday night. Both of us were totally ignorant as to the plot but intrigued by the buzz around the movie. I think, perhaps, our ignorance served us well. I know I was much more open to the movie and was able to be swallowed whole by the enormity of the emotional storyline.
Pretty much from the opening scene I was hooked by the sincerity of the character Precious and in awe over the violence she experiences. Too many times Work-Out-Queen and I shut our eyes or turned our heads to shield ourselves from what was happening onscreen. How nice for us to have that privilege, right?
And that, the thought that I experience privilege, is the takeaway that I have been trying to process. I am at least partially away of the privilege I have based on the socioeconomic status. Scratch that. I am intellectually aware of the privileges I am awarded just by being the color I am and being raised in the social class I was born into. But, in large part because of those privileges, I don’t think about it. And watching “Precious” called into question so many things I take for granted. There were parts of the film I related to, though I may never explain to a living person why, but for the most part Precious’s experience was completely foreign to me. And the fact that anyone has that sort of childhood baffles me … pains me … makes me feel insignificant in the work I do when I could be doing something to make a difference and positively affect change.
And that’s where I sit now: reconciling the feelings in my head and trying to figure out how to interpret them into action. It’s a good thing. And if more people end up in the same place, then “Precious” has accomplished so much.
Complete Aside: This make more sense after you see the movie, but it seems to me that parents should take a more active role in researching the plots of movies before bringing their very young children with them to the theatre. I might disagree with others on the appropriateness of violence or foul language, but I think I am in the majority when I say that films showing child rape scenes are not appropriate for young kids.
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