'Precious' Hits Movie Theaters; Armond White Slams 'Precious'

I think Mr. White missed the whole point of the story entirely.  Can't wait to see the movie.

Where is it playing?  

Where is the movie playing in Chicago, Illinois or western suburbs of Chicago?

when is it playig?

I live in a small city, Texarkana, TX. A large group of senior citizens at my church have been impatiently waiting for "Precious" to come to our local theatre. To our dismay, it is only being shown in selected cities. We are so dissapointed! When, if ever, will it come to smaller cities such as ours?

WHERE AND WHEN IS THIS MOVIE PLAYING?

So many haters in the world Armond is just peeved this wasn't his idea or story, Armond stick to what you know blogging. I mean what could you possibly know about writing you critique other peoples work, holla at us when you have done something substantial, yours is an opinion that really does not matter to the masses, because people are foaming at the mouth to see this as you say "sociological horror show" NEWAYS. Stop trying to be politically correct, cause you are not... This is a story about coming through the depths of hell and standing strong, its about love where there shouldn't be any, and it shows how even in today society people do care about others and are willing to help those that need it... Move along with your negativity.. UGH!!!!

I feel that this movie had good intentions however...I will NEVER pay to see a "Lee Daniels" film every in my life!!  This movie focused too extensively on negative.  I have 3 daughters and they were bugging me to see this movie...after waiting for it to finally come to our city, I go through the TROUBLE of buying tickets online and spending a Friday night scattered all over the theatre!  To see what.....now we all know that there are some cases of abuse like that or close but come on...........why???   This movie was all over the place with no point and no victory.  It ends with a 17 year old abused girl taking her mentally challanged daughter that she never had a relationship with and a 10 month old son back to a half-way house to live...she didn't accomplish anything I mean couldn't we see her at least get her GED, an apartment, a job anything even a plate of sunnyside up eggs!!  Instead she gets HIV.... the idea for this came from a group of folks sitting in a garage with about 1lb of weed, a 30 pack of blunts and definately some strong drinks!!!  I have better ideas then this after 6 blunts.......wow (and not in a good way) 

I have to agree with the lady (I assume) who took her three daughters to see the movie. While the acting and editing were superb, the movie was depressing, and left at least one of the women in my party of four highly disturbed. There was little redemptive about the movie, other than how compassion is incited and acted out by those outside of the family. None of the family relationships shown were healthy, and there seemed to be a theme of mother-daughter conflict and competition. None of the women depicted seemed to have a healthy relationship with their mother, including the teacher. This reminds me of a hindi tragedy, where the end is often emotionally unresolved for the viewer. While Armond White's review may be over-the-top, after seeing the movie I can understand his reaction. I want to say I enjoyed the movie, but using the word "enjoy" seems wildly inappropriate.

I liked the movie but it was a little depressing. I took my daughter and it was a lot of profanity in the movie. While it depicts real life problems it was to harsh.

I will not see Precious.  It's another Color Purple which protrays the usual negative images.  I choose to spend my money wisely by not enriching those who produce these types of movies.

I will not see precious.  It's another color purple and my full opinion is on my blog atsay-no-to-precious.blogspot.com/2009/11/color-purple-part-two-why-i-wont-see.html

I read Sapphire's novel "Push" about 12 years ago. The author did an incredible job of presenting a story centered around the issues involving the troubled life of a grossly overweight, black, sixteen-year old, single parent mother of two, incest survivor, uneducated, low self esteemed victim of internalized racism. Having said that...the book did an exceptional job of presenting all of these in a way that evoked empathy, sympathy, compassion for not only Precious (the central character)--but it was written in a way that made it difficult for the reader to ignore the issues of internalized racism and black people's self hatred. When I first learned that Tyler Perry and Oprah were collaborating to turn the book into a movie, I knew immediately that these hard-core issues that the book forced the reader to confront would not be given the degree of attention that they deserve. In the past, I've refused to see Tyler Perry's movies--primarily because of his constant degrading way of presenting the worst imaginable pathologies of black people. Tyler Perry and Oprah both are--first and foremost--businesspeople. Period. They both produce art for the same reason...money. The movie was about as meaningful and critical of the issues it supposedly "dealt with" as a cd by 50 Cent. The "art" produced by Mr. Perry has always done more to add to the racial baggage black people have had to carry around in this society than he has done to provoke critical analysis of these very issues. Personally, I doubt that neither he (Perry), or Oprah understood what the author (Sapphire) was trying to do by writing this book. They both should stick to what they do best :  creating commercial "fluff" for brainless people who have no desire to think critically about anything. Just like the the people who create and consume gangsta rap. They should both be ashamed of themselves for contributing to the ever-spiraling demise of the mental state of the very people that the both "claim" to care so much about. I am through with both of them

I thought Precious was very strange.

You know, I can see the negativity coming from all the people that does not understand that kind of life or never lived it or been close to it.  There are a lot of successful black people (women) who have been through the very same thing and is still standing and have raised their children and fought to live everyday the best way they knew how and is now living better lives.  Nobody knows Opra's whole story but she did speak of some of her growing up days and look at her now.  A very successful woman and the richest on TV.  Tyler Perry was homeless and broke and look at him now.  I feel that movie is for the young girls who have had children at a young age like myself who need to see that things like that can happen to anyone and it is no secret and they are never the only ones.  The same thing happens to white people and children of other races but they have the money to cover it all up, like paying for the abortions or sending their children out of town until the baby is born and give it up for adoption, let alone the other races can't even cope with the lifestyle of being broke; most of them just commit suicide and that's why their story is never portrayed because they kill themselves or at least try.  We as young black mothers stick it out, we don't have a choice.  I had my first son at 16 and my second at 21.  I have an education and have a very good career in the medical field.  My oldest son is an Architect and my youngest is going to college to be a Pharmacist.  My life was not as hard as Precious but it was hard enough and at 41, our lives are great and because of that struggle as a young teen mother, I am stronger and wiser and a lot of young girls look up to me because they see nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it and always keep God in your life. Again, this movie is only interesting to the ones, like myself, that can relate.  If you can't relate, keep your negative comments to yourself because you don't have a clue what struggle is all about.

I haven't seen the movie yet but is looking forward to seeing it if it come to our town.  I chose to form my own opinion about the movie and not the opinion of others.  Mr. Perry have made some good movies with good lessons to be learned in them.  I think that Miss. Winfrey and Mr. Perry care about people and it is not all about money.  They both have enough money so I really don't believe that it is all about money for them. Mr. Perry and Miss. Winfrey have had bad situations in their lives so I think that they can relate to this movie. I can say anything about the movie because I haven't seen it yet but I have seen Mr. Perry's work and purpose.

The movie Precious is good at drawing on your raw emotions by exposing the harsh circumstances of abuse and incest.  The movie leaves you guessing the what and how of Precious' survival. Viewers are also left with a sense of emptiness because Precious, in the end, is on her own with a disabled two-year old and a new born.  While I totally understand wanting to expose this to the world, it disturbed me that the audience was not given a more positive image of a Mother/Daughter relationships as a balance to the tragedy displayed.      I understand that movies that deal with harsh and complex social issues like incest and self-hate don't necessarily have a good ending.  However, it shows that the writers or producers really didn't do there research to see that there are survivors who have positive outcomes.    Also, while the world can use this story as an example of how harsh life can be in the black community, it need not appear as though this tragedy is only afflicting one race.  

I don't think "Precious" was a degradation to Black People.  It was just a movie!  Incest and Abuse happens in every race.  This movie happened to have been produced by Black people, and Black people starring in the movie. I didn't see underlying, racism.  When Precious visionlized herself as being White, it wasn't because she believed a White woman was superior, but being White was so far away from the way she was perceived by herself.  I believe Precious thought the pain and abuse she incurred in her life could only happen to an overweight Black girl.  She only knew one life and that an abused Precious.  As far as she knew, being of another race could possibly make a difference in her life; however again abuse and incest is prevalent in all races of people. 

I totally agree with Mr. White. I saw the movie I was disgusted! Gave me nightmares. Hollywood had rused us again. Disapointed in Oprah. This was no "Color Purple". This was an insult to Black people everywhere. Wait for the video. Do not give this movie a dime of Black revenue. Young folks may or may not see what is going on, but are movies and are music is not inpiring. I am not saying we cannot write about said movies but with said movies add in some inspriration. Some solutions. It was not like this was a true story. Even with our music I remember it being more uplifting. Never giving up! I am Sick and tired of being sick and tired!  

Although the acting was superb by every cast member, I TOO have to agree with Mr. White. I walked into the theater, waiting to be knocked out of my seat by the "message" in this movie. Yet, as the movie ended I was left wondering what in the world just happened? Where was the "inspiration"? the "message"? The message that my friend and I both got there was, "Hey! You're 16, you've been HORRIBLY abused by everyone in your family, but you can now raise your down syndrome 2 year old and new baby boy on your own and the welfare system will show you how!!" Where is the right message about, "You're 16 years old, you've gotten out of that God foresaken home life and are making a place in society for yourself. Now give your children, AND YOURSELF, the chance to have a better life, and put the children up for adoption in a home where two educated (and older) parents can give them a safe and warm place to grow up in, and continue your education and take care of yourself first." The message was irresponsible and crude! And what in the world did that DISGUSTING shot of her mother masterbating in bed accomplish? I think we already knew that her Mom needed to be put out with the trash. We already got that message LOUD and CLEAR without it being shoved down our throats! That piece in the movie didn't create any more feelings of disgust towards her Mom, it simply pushed our disgust of the movie over the top. Oprah, I'm sorry you had a horrific home life when you were young and I have always admired your work helping those less fortunate individuals become stronger and independent, but this time you are 100% wrong to endorse this film. 

It is so sad to see the way people can miss a message.  Precious, to me, is not just an abused, black, 17 year old female that is going on to raise her kids - She is a strong, relentless woman who found out that she does deserve more and that she is beautiful and loved.  She moved ahead and did not let her circumstances keep her down.  I am a 40 year old white female and I did not see this as a way to bring down any race.  I saw it as a young woman that overcame her obstacles and realized it was up to her.  She was strong enough to overcome, walk away and choose to have a life and above all keep her faith.  She stopped owning other peoples issues and being a victim.  This ugly situation happens in all races - I know because I have been there.  Maybe you have to understand her or the situation before you can see the beauty and strength that came from this movie.  I feel sorry for those that are still blind too it.  This is a movie that can be shared and uplifted for all races that have endured or are, at this moment, enduring the same tribulations.

Wow!!! I cannot believe how some of the people on here are being so rude about what they thought of this movie. In response to the comment on how the movie ended and the question of why didn't it show her  give her children up for adoption so they could have a better life?  Why should she have given the kids up for adoption? Whose to say that if they were adopted that they would have had a better life. This young lady had lived a life of hell. In the end she stood strong. It clearly lets us see the desire she had to continue her education, to better her life, and to love and protect her kids. Just because she still had a rough journey ahead of her doesn't mean she should have given her kids up for adoption. Real love overshadows any horrible situation. Her making the decision to raise her own children was a sure way of her knowing that they would never have to be subjected to the abuse that she had to live through. And why do people always have to play the race card. I don't think that this movie was intended to stereotype anyone it simply opened the doors on abuse and told a story that a lot of families would never let come out or that others know is taking place but choose to stand back and do nothing about it. The movie was great.  Sad, yes, A Bit Painful, yes, but 100 % Keeping it real. Don't be Angry because they chose to expose the abuse in a harsh way. It's Harsh when its happening. Have you ever known an abuser who wasn't? Abuse is never okay and thanks to everyone who had a hand in making this movie come together for exposing things just as they are and not sugar coating things for the ones who do become easily offended. Who cares how they feel. Abuse is what it is. It's Nasty, It's Ugly, It's Real!!!

Well, I have not seen the movie as of yet, and I will not go see it.  I just wanted to ask if there was any purpose for my 5yr old daughter and my 8yr old son to see the movie. Their mother took them to see it and I'm PISSED about it.  am I wrong??? Black Man.

Oprah has a thing with dark, depressing storylines just like Mel Gibson has a thing for excessive violence.  I don't see how any of her stories empowers black people and that's why I don't follow her.  I made the mistake of watching Beloved and I felt traumatized afterwards, the same way The Color Purple did, even though there was a little redemption in that story.  That's her pinch, not mine.  Frankly, I'm tired of these types of movies.  I want to see black men presented in a positive light and not as abusive or needing a leg up from a white family.  I enjoyed seeing 8 Pounds with Will Smith who looked for a way to redeem himself from a negative situation.  A mistake any person of any race could have made.  I'm sick of everything being ghetto-fied so it can be spoonfed to black people because that's the only way we can relate.  It's not.  I grew up in a middle class black family with a father who worked and a mother who went back to work when I became a teenager.  All the black families in my neighborhood worked.  We weren't the Huxtabals, but we had a white picket fence upbringing that few people ever hear about.  I grew up climbing trees, having clubhouses, getting into trouble with the neighborhood boys.  Not all of us grew up with absent fathers in the ghetto, alcoholics or drug abusers.  My father worked 2 jobs so that my mom could stay home raising me.  He grew up poor and he didn't want to be poor as an adult, and he entered a field that very few black men ever did.  So there are plenty of positive black men out there like my father and other black men I grew up around in my neighborhood.  I have no desire to see the story about flat out stupidity.  There are real stories of abuse out there in the world, and rather than sitting and watching a fantasy story, I have in the past involved myself in donating my time to a charity who provides help to unfortunate women who want the help, who helps them stay in school and help them find homes for their babies if they so wish.  I will not be seeing Precious even if it comes on cable.  It's sad that for all Oprah's money, she is obviously haunted by some serious demons.