Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Rarely does a movie live up to its advance hype. Precious does. And it does so by putting at its center a heroine who is as far from the perceived Hollywood norm as possible: She's Precious (Gabourey Sidibe, who's terrific)-an obese, illiterate, abused Harlem teenager who finds hope and self-esteem with help from a caring teacher (Paula Patton). The precious gift that the film- sensitively directed by Lee Daniels (Shadowboxer)-gives viewers is that, by its end, we understand and care deeply about Precious, whose bleak daily reality is as distant from life for most of us, one hopes, as the Earth is from the sun. This isn't easy to watch early on. How can anyone's existence be so awful? Precious' mom (Mo'Nique, in a searing, take-no-prisoners turn) beats her, her father rapes her and she's pregnant with her second child. But as Precious narrates her life in a voice-over, her blunt humor, courage and smarts become evident. The film doesn't sugarcoat her prospects. Life is never going to be easy for the Preciouses of this world, but, as the movie makes compellingly clear, their lives are valid and worthy of notice. Oh, sure, the straw-thin, cookie-cutter cuties who populate most films these days have their place, but here Precious wipes 'em to insignificance with a wave of her meaty forearm-and a glimpse of her mighty heart.