Precious (film)

Precious is a 2009 American film about Claireece Precious Jones, an African-American teenager who survives physical, emotional and sexual abuse to find a better life in an alternative school. It was directed by Lee Daniels, and is based upon the novel Push by Sapphire. Life is hard. Life is short. Life is painful. Life is rich. Life is....Precious.

Claireece Precious Jones

 * My name is Claireece Precious Jones. I wish I had a light-skinned boyfriend with real nice hair. And I wanna be on the cover of a magazine. But first I wanna be in one of them BET videos. Momma said I can't dance. Plus, she said who wants to see my big ass dancing, anyhow?
 * There's always something wrong with these tests. These tests paint a picture of me with no brain. These tests paint a picture of me and my mother, my whole family as less than dumb. Just ugly black grease, need to be wiped away, find a job for.
 * I'm gonna break through or somebody gonna break through to me.
 * The other day, I cried. I felt stupid. But you know what? Fuck that day. That's why God, or whoever, makes new days. Still hungry, though.
 * [to her mother] You know, to this day, I never even knew who you was, not even after all them things you did. Maybe I was too stupid. Maybe I just didn't want to. You ain't gonna see me no more.

Mary Jones

 * See, I think right now you think you becomin' a grown woman. 'Cause that shit you pulled in the kitchen... I shoulda fucked you up. But I let you walk away. And I let you get yourself together. But, bitch, I'mma let you know, don't you ever pull that shit again. That'll be your last mothafuckin' day stayin here. I promise you that. You gon' send a white bitch to my mothafuckin' buzzer? Talkin' 'bout some higher education? You're a dummy, bitch! You will never know shit! Don't nobody want you, don't nobody need you! You done fucked around and fucked my mothafuckin' man? And had two mothafuckin' children? And one of 'ems a goddamn animal, runnin' 'round lookin' crazy as a mothafucka? Bitch, you know what? See, I think you... I think you tryin' me. I think you tryin' to fuck with me. You fuckin' with my money... and you gon' stand up there and look at me like you a mothafuckin' woman? I'mma show you what real women do, bitch. See, you don't know what real mothafuckin' women do. Real mothafuckin' women sacrifice! I shoulda aborted your mothafuckin' ass! 'Cause you ain't shit! I knew it when the doctor put you in my goddamn hand you wasn't a goddamn thing! You wear that smirk on your face, bitch?

Dialogue

 * Precious: (off screen) (to Mrs. Lichtenstein) Stop ringin the god damn buzza.


 * Mrs. Lichtenstein: We should have a parent-teacher conference with you, me and your mother.
 * Precious: My mother's busy.
 * Mrs. Lichtenstein: Alright. How about if I come to your house?
 * Precious: If I were you, I wouldn't.


 * Mary: Precious! [kicks something] DAMN IT! PRECIOUS! PRECIOUS! GET DOWN HERE, BITCH! YOU BROUGHT THAT WHITE BITCH UP IN MY HOUSE! YOU--WHY WOULD YOU BRING THAT BITCH UP IN HERE?!
 * Precious: I didn't bring her here.
 * Mary: WELL, WHY THE FUCK DID SHE RING MY BUZZER?! [silence] I can't hear you, Precious. Since you got so much motherfuckin' mouth, and you gon' bring a bitch up in my house, why would that bitch ring my Goddamn buzzer?!
 * Precious: I didn't tell her to come here!
 * Mary: See, I-I-I think, right now, you feelin' like you're becomin' a grown woman. 'Cause that shit you pulled in the kitchen, I shoulda fucked you up, but I let you walk away, and I let you come get yourself together. But, bitch, I'm-a let you know, if you ever pull that shit on me again, that will be your last motherfuckin' day standin', I promise you that. You gon' send a white bitch to my motherfuckin' buzzer, talkin' 'bout some higher education? You're a dummy, bitch. You will never know shit. Don't nobody want you, don't nobody need you. You done fucked around and fucked my motherfuckin' man, and had two motherfuckin' children, and one of 'em is a Goddamn animal, runnin' 'round lookin' crazy as a motherfucka? Bitch, you know what? See, I think you-- I think you tryin' me. I think you really tryin' to fuck with me. You fuckin' with my money, and you gon' stand up there and look down at me like you're a motherfuckin' woman? I'm-a show you what real women do, bitch. See, you don't know what real motherfuckin' women do. Real motherfuckin' women sacrifice! I shoulda aborted your motherfuckin' ass, 'cause you ain't shit! I knew that the day the doctors put you in my Goddamn hand, you wasn't a Goddamn thing, and you had that smirk on your face, bitch? I'm-a-- Get it off your fucking face! [throws a glass object at Precious, and it breaks] Now smile about that! Smile about that, you fat bi--! [Precious kicks a slipper at Mary] Bitch, I'm-a-- [runs up to Precious] I'm-a kill you, bitch! [Mary chases Precious up the stairs] Fuck!


 * Mrs. Weiss: Talk to me about the little you do know about your father. It is important, whether you know it or not.
 * Precious: He give me his baby and my one before it, but I don't never see him...
 * Mrs. Weiss: Wait, what did you say he gave you?
 * Precious: Nothing.
 * Mrs. Weiss: Wait, Claireece, you just said your father gave you something...
 * Precious: Nothing.
 * Mrs. Weiss: No, I heard you just say--
 * Precious: You didn't hear shit.
 * Mrs. Weiss: I heard you just say your father--
 * Precious: You didn't hear shit like it!
 * Mrs. Weiss: I don't care, honey! I need to know this!
 * Precious: [Overlapping] I didn't say nothing like it! Let's move on!
 * Mrs. Weiss: I need this to help you...
 * Precious: Bitch, can we change the subject?
 * Mrs. Weiss: [tossing her file aside] Okay. Well, I'll see you next time then. Or maybe you'll see someone else. But you're going to have to talk to someone if you want your check, sweetie.
 * [Long pause]
 * Precious: I see vampires too.


 * Tootsie: You got a nasty-ass mouth.
 * Joann: You got a nasty-ass hat.


 * Ms. Rain: [to Precious] Come with me. [Precious doesn't listen] Precious? Excuse me?
 * Precious: Nurse said I'm HIV positive. I ain't got nothing to write today.
 * Female Classmate: [concerned] Is your baby okay?
 * Precious: He all right. I just gotta stop breastfeeding him.
 * Ms. Rain: [to Precious] I remember you once told me-- You never really got to tell your story. Write.
 * Precious: [to Ms. Rain] Fuck you! You don't know nothing what I been through! [tears start falling] I ain't never had no boyfriend. My daddy said he gonna marry me. I ain't gonna do, that would fuckin' be illegal! [she starts crying]
 * Ms. Rain: Write.
 * Precious: [voice breaking] I'm tired, Ms. Rain.
 * Ms. Rain: If not for yourself, then for the people who love you.
 * Precious: [voice breaking] Nobody loves me.
 * Ms. Rain: People do love you, Precious.
 * Precious: [crying] Please don't lie to me, Ms. Rain. Love ain't done nothing for me, love beat me... raped me... called me an animal... make me so worthless and... make me sick.
 * Ms. Rain: [about to cry] That wasn't love, Precious. [tear falls] Your baby loves you. [whispers] I love you. [voice breaking] Write.


 * Precious: You don't even like me.
 * Mrs. Weiss: Have we not been in this room together for like, a year discussing your life?
 * Precious: Does that mean we like each other because we discussing my life?
 * Mrs. Weiss: [smiling] Well, I can't speak for you. I can only speak for me, and I like you. I do.


 * Mary: I-I... I had a man, and I have a child...and I had to take care of both of 'em, okay? Did I want Carl...to touch my baby? Because I would lay my baby...I would lay her on the side of me, on this pillow...and it was...pink...and it had this little...white writin' on it, and it had her name...'cause she was precious. And I would lay my baby on that pillow, and Carl would be layin' on the other side... and then, we would, we would, uh, start doin' it, and he reached over...and he touched my baby. And I asked him...I said, "Carl, what are you doin'?" And he told me...to shut-- To shut my fat ass up, and it was good for her.
 * Mrs. Weiss: And what did you do then?
 * Mary: I shut my fat ass up. And I don't want you to...sit there and judge me, Miss Weiss.
 * Mrs. Weiss: [in disbelief] You shut up and you let him abuse your daughter?
 * Mary: I did not want him to abuse my daughter. I did not want him to hurt her.
 * Mrs. Weiss: [overlapping Mary] But you allowed him to hurt her.
 * Mary: I did not want him to do nothin' to her. I wanted him to make love to me. That was my man. That was my fuckin' man. That was my man, and he wanted my daughter. And that's why I hated her. Because my man, who was supposed to be loving me, who was supposed to be makin' love to me, was fucking my baby. And she made him leave. She made him go away.
 * Mrs. Weiss: So whose fault was that?
 * Mary: It's this bitch's fault, because she let my man have her, and she didn't say nothin'. She didn't scream, she didn't do nothin'. So, those things that she told you I did to her? Who, who, who else was going to love me? Hmmm? Since you got your degree, and you know every fuckin' thing, who was gonna love me? Who... who was gonna make me feel good, who was gonna touch me, and make me feel good late at night? And she made him go away. So... when you sit there, and you writin' them fuckin' notes on your pad about who you think I am, and why I did it and all of that... because I didn't have a man.

Cast

 * Gabourey Sidibe - Claireece Precious Jones
 * Mo'Nique - Mary Jones
 * Paula Patton - Ms. Blu Rain
 * Mariah Carey - Mrs. Weiss
 * Lenny Kravitz - Nurse John