Precious

Everyone knows I’m not a TV or movie fanatic. I see very few movies a year. But every few years, I see a movie that grips me. It makes me want to shout, “Please, you must see this movie. It is so important.” The last movie that did this for me was Brokeback Mountain. That intense, forbidden love jolted me. I walked out of the theater with tears streaming down my eyes. My dating life seemed so irrelevant compared to the screen: two people who loved each other so much, yet could not be together.

The movie Precious has done it for me again. I am so far removed from violence, abuse, neglect. I have an even greater respect for teachers and social workers. But my biggest take-away from the movie was sensitivity. It’s very easy for me to think, “Well my parents immigrated here. They worked hard. I worked hard for my career. Anyone can do it.” But what if you layer in all the cursing, the gun shots, the rapes. See this movie. This is what Americans are going through. We need to care. Movies like this will wake you up and make you care.