Time online claims that "Precious" is "too powerful for tears."I disagree.
The way Precious' mother Mary (Mo'Nique) belittles and berates her teenage daughter killed me. And it was nothing compared to the crying I did with Mariah Carey, Precious' social worker, when Mary explains and excuses her abominations.
It is exactly this abuse, this smashing of self worth, that teachers combat daily.
So when Newsweek whines that "Precious" is another movie that keeps down African Americans, I was livid.
What about the essence of the story: how Precious takes back her child? Where she chooses to try, despite her lack of education and skill, to be a good parent? That although, yes, the odds are not in her favor, she is willing to give it her best shot.
How is that unlike the spirit of the first African Americans?
It's the same struggle, is it not? For freedom, for children, for education.
"Precious was lucky to find the alternative school that could help her," Newsweek states. "But that's fiction. In reality, there are far more Preciouses than there are teachers to help them. Movies such as this one allow us to forget that."
How sad. And untrue.
I thought a valuable movie like this reminded us that there are indeed helpful teachers.
Because there are.
A lot of them.
1 comment:
i have not seen it but I hear it is awesome and sad at the same time.
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