Powerful First Trailer and Poster for Lee Daniels’ ‘Precious’ Arrive

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on May 13, 2009

The folks at Lionsgate have sent over the first teaser poster and word of the first trailer for Precious: Based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire (formerly known as Push), the award winning Sundance sensation that is now being openly championed by the combination of Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry. It tells the story of Claireece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), a sixteen-year old African American girl born into a life no one would want. She’s pregnant for the second time by her absent father; at home, she must wait hand and foot on her poisonous mother (Mo’Nique), who abuses her emotionally and physically. She finds school to be a place of chaos, where she has reached the ninth grade with good grades and an awful secret: she can neither read nor write.

The film is a wonder — a truly moving film that is as engaging and shockingly tragic, but so full of life as any film you will see this year. When I saw the film on the closing night at Sundance this year, I was absolutely floored. In my own review, I said that even though the “subject matter is sometimes off-putting, it is anchored by a character who — with creativity, humor, ferocity and charm — makes the decision to turn her life around.” Put simply, it is one of those movies that will be very important in the landscape of cinema in 2009.

In Official Selection at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival – Un Certain Regard, and winner of three awards at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival including the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, Precious: Based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire stars Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz and introducing Gabourey Sidibe.

Precious: Based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire will hit theaters on November 6, 2009. Check out the first full trailer below, courtesy of Oprah.com and the first poster, courtesy of Lionsgate. Also — try and spot Mariah Carey in the trailer. It took two of her scenes for me to realize who she was in the film.

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