Last Tuesday, past students of Wolmer's Girls' School gathered at, Carib 5 cinema to view a special premiere of Precious. Proceeds will go towards a scholarship fund for a needy student at the popular Kingston school. This is the second year in a row that past students are staging such an event.

But as guests gathered for cocktails prior to the start of the movie, talk centred around the subject of the film - incest. Actually, the movie also deals with single motherhood, prolonged sexual abuse, teenage pregnancy, low self-esteem, domestic violence and HIV/AIDS.

The actors handled their roles extremely convincingly, so it is not surprising that having won the top award at the recent Toronto Film Festival, there is already talk of Oscar for the Oprah Winfrey-produced movie. This is partly due to the fact that the People's Choice Award copped by the film was also won by Slumdog Millionaire, last year's big winner.

Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, Precious is directed by Lee Daniels. I find it ironic for the simple fact that the name is directly opposite to the treatment meted out to the one who bears it.

Mandatory viewing

Her mother, Mary, superbly interpreted by actress Mo'Nique Hicks did not see in Precious a thing of beauty or a joy to be cherished. The grandmother turned a bind eye. The blame is placed on the child for "stealing her man".

The movie should be mandatory viewing material for all men serving time for physically and sexually abusing their daughters. Those who are free and still doing so should see it too, and the mothers who allow abuse must also see this movie. The utter cruelty of the deed on the victim (teenage Precious) is horrific. To learn that the child's father started to molest her when she was only three, and in full view and in the same bed as her mother, is enough to make one's blood boil.

But Precious, played by newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, triumphs in the end. Obese and illiterate, she is forced to leave traditional high school because she simply was not coping. Plus, it's the second pregnancy. But she turns the corner slowly with the help of a teacher, Ms Rain, played by Paula Patton. She, like the other troubled girls in the class, is encouraged to keep a journal of her life and the light slowly emerges at the end of the tunnel. Even after learning, upon his death, that she contracted HIV from her father, she chooses to walk away from her scheming mother towards a life of hope for her children.

But there is so much more to this movie and you ought to go see it for yourselves. Precious will be shown in Palace Amusement cinemas islandwide.

barbara.ellington@gleanerjm.com