Interested in hearing your thoughts

[Our abuse recovery guide]

Just saw the movie Precious.   Can’t recommend it enough.   It was a masterpiece, imo.

The story centers around the horrific abuse of a young black girl, from a poor,  uneducated, ghetto family.  It was adapted from the novel, Push by Sapphire.

Monique is brilliant as the borderline mother.   My own mother could have played that part perfectly.   The director comments in the special features section of the dvd that this is the first time that this type of material has ever been shown on the screen.    And that is true.    What seems unfortunate to me, though, is that this stuff goes on in bright, shiny, upscale homes in families of all races,  too.    Why is it that screen writers and  producers don’t make films about middle/upper class, educated families where this same thing is happening AS FREQUENTLY as it is in the ghetto?     How do you think a movie like this would be received if the content were the same but the setting and characters changed to white upscale surburbia?     If I had seen such a film when I was younger and living with the abuse, it could have changed the direction of my life.   Movies can be powerful teachers.   

[newfreedom]

Just saw the movie Precious.   Can’t recommend it enough.   It was a masterpiece, imo.

The story centers around the horrific abuse of a young black girl, from a poor,  uneducated, ghetto family.  It was adapted from the novel, Push by Sapphire.

Monique is brilliant as the borderline mother.   My own mother could have played that part perfectly.   The director comments in the special features section of the dvd that this is the first time that this type of material has ever been shown on the screen.    And that is true.    What seems unfortunate to me, though, is that this stuff goes on in bright, shiny, upscale homes in families of all races,  too.    Why is it that screen writers and  producers don’t make films about middle/upper class, educated families where this same thing is happening AS FREQUENTLY as it is in the ghetto?     How do you think a movie like this would be received if the content were the same but the setting and characters changed to white upscale surburbia?     If I had seen such a film when I was younger and living with the abuse, it could have changed the direction of my life.   Movies can be powerful teachers.   

[Jenk]

What seems unfortunate to me, though, is that this stuff goes on in bright, shiny, upscale homes in families of all races, too. Why is it that screen writers and  producers don’t make films about middle/upper class, educated families where this same thing is happening AS FREQUENTLY as it is in the ghetto? How do you think a movie like this would be received if the content were the same but the setting and characters changed to white upscale surburbia?

I have not seen Precious. A part of me wants to see it; another part of me is scared that it will stir up painful emotions that will overwhelm me.  

To answer your question: I think that if the setting were changed to middle-/ upper-class suburbia, more (if not most) viewers would dismiss it as pure fiction.  

[justjen]

I haven't seen it either.  But I would venture a guess that JenK is probably right.  Or there would be tons of comments like "oh but it happens even MORE in poor families and those kids don't have any money to get help" or whatever.  But yeah.  Sounds like a good movie and I've been thinking about seeing it.