Academy Award® Nominated: Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

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Lee Daniels’ Precious is a vibrant, honest and resoundingly hopeful film about the human capacity to grow and overcome.

Set in Harlem in 1987, it is the story of Claireece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), a sixteen-year-old African-American girl born into a life no one would want. She’s pregnant for the second time by her absent father; at home, she must wait hand and foot on her mother (Mo’Nique), a poisonously angry woman who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is a place of chaos, and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and an awful secret: she can neither read nor write.

Precious may sometimes be down, but she is never out. Beneath her impassive expression is a watchful, curious young woman with an inchoate but unshakeable sense that other possibilities exist for her. Threatened with expulsion, Precious is offered the chance to transfer to an alternative school, Each One/Teach One. Precious doesn’t know the meaning of “alternative,” but her instincts tell her this is the chance she has been waiting for. In the literacy workshop taught by the patient yet firm Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), Precious begins a journey that will lead her from darkness, pain and powerlessness to light, love and self-determination.

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Credits

Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lee Daniels
Screenwriter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Geoffrey Fletcher
Producers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness
Co-Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark G. Mathis
Executive Producers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry
Executive Producers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lisa Cortés and Tom Heller
Co-Executive Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simone Sheffield
Associate Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Sforzini
Associate Producer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Asger Hussain
Director of Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Dunn, BSC
Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Klotz
Costume Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marina Draghici
Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mario Grigorov
Music Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynn Fainchtein
Production Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roshelle Berliner

The cast includes: Mo’Nique, Gabourey Sidibe, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, and Lenny Kravitz, Stephanie Andujar, Chyna Lane, Amina Robinson, Xosha Roquemore, Angelic Zambrana, Aunt Dot, Nealla Gordon, Grace Hightower, Barret Isaiah Mindell, Kimberly Russell, Bill Sage, and Susan Taylor

44D’s Reviews

Audiegrl
“First let me say, this was not an easy movie to watch. It’s a very intense film that deals with poverty, child abuse (mental, physical and sexual), and a broken education system. It hits you at a gut level and it becomes painfully obvious that the system has failed Claireece Precious Jones. From that point on, you can’t stop watching it, and rooting for her to overcome all of these obstacles. The performance by Gabourey Sidibe was incredibly powerful for a virtual unknown, and it’s easy to understand why she has decided to pursue a acting career. As for Mo’Nique’s performance as the abusive mother, lets just say she kept it so real…she scared me. In my book, both of these ladies deserve the awards they’ve been given so far, and the nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress from the Academy.“

Did You Know?

Over 400 girls were interviewed from across the country for the part of Precious. Gabourey Sidibe was cast a mere six weeks before the start of shooting after being forced to the audition by friends.

Helen Mirren was originally cast as Mrs. Weiss, but dropped out. Mariah Carey was chosen as a replacement by director Lee Daniels only two days before the film went into production. Daniels has stated that he chose Carey based on her performance in Tennessee (2008), which he produced.

Oprah Winfrey said that when she saw the movie, it “split [her] open“, and that she immediately called Tyler Perry who gave her Lee Daniels’ number, so that she could call him and tell him she would do anything to promote the film. When she called him, he was onstage getting an award at the Sundance Film Festival. Oprah later stated that this film was why “we make movies“, and that she thought people might not “enjoy“, but would “appreciate this experience“.

This movie holds the record for averaging US$100,000 per screen in fewer than 50 US theaters.

Six Nominations

Best Motion Picture
Best Director
Best Actress~Gabourey Sidibe
Best Supporting Actress~Mo’Nique
Best in Adapted Screenplay
Best in Film Editing

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Nominated for Best Actress ~ Gabourey Sidibi ~Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Ensemble post by: Audiegrl, Geot, Bluedog89, and BuellBoy

Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Harlem. She is the daughter of R&B/Gospel singer Alice Tan Ridley . Gabourey was a student pursuing a degree in psychology when she was cast as the lead role ‘Precious’ in Lee Daniels film “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”

For her role as ‘Precious,’ Gabourey received a Golden Globe® nomination for Best Actress. She also garnered Best Actress nominations from the Screen Actors Guild, Broadcast Film Critics, and British Academy of Film and Television Arts. The National Board of Review awarded her with the Breakthrough Performance Award and the Santa Barbara International Film Festival honored Gabourey with the Vanguard Award for “taking artistic risks and making a significant and unique contribution to film.”

Gabourey Sidibe as Precious

Since shooting Precious, Gabourey has filmed the Showtime comedic pilot “The Big C” opposite Laura Linney for acclaimed director Bill Condon. She also filmed the Sundance Lab film ‘Yelling to the Sky.’ While she never studied theater, she has spent time on stage, participating in plays put on by the Theater department of at Lehman College in the Bronx. She also appeared in the musical revue “Uptown Serenade,” in which she sang two Ella Fitzgerald songs. Though her acting career is a surprise to her, she is excited to pursue it and says the she has “fallen in love” with her work.

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Nominated for Best Supporting Actress ~ Mo’Nique ~ Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Ensemble post by: Audiegrl, Geot, Bluedog89, and BuellBoy

Mo’Nique is a multi-media powerhouse whose consistent, extensive body of work has captivated audiences in stand up comedy, television, film and literature. The award winning comedienne’s career began 20 years ago after her brother dared her to take the stage for the first time in their hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. She received a standing ovation which instilled the confidence that led to performances on “Showtime at the Apollo,” HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam,” “Apollo Comedy Hour,” HBO’s “Snaps,” BET ‘s “Comic View,” The Montreal Comedy Festival and Uptown Comedy Club. Before long, the single mother of one decided it was time to step out on faith and quit her job at the phone company so she could become a star. The next is history.

In 1999, Mo’Nique’s career took a quantum leap once she landed the starring role as Nikki Parker on “The Parkers,” UPN’s hit television series about a single mom who attends college with her daughter. The celebrated family sitcom earned Mo’Nique several accolades, including four NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a comedy series in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005. Mo’Nique was also the first female to host NBC’s nationally televised program, “Showtime at the Apollo” in 2002. She carried the legendary torch for three consecutive seasons. Other memorable television moments include appearances on “Ugly Betty,” “The Game,” “Nip/Tuck,” “The View,” and the BET Awards. Throughout all of her Hollywood success, Mo’Nique never strayed too far away from her comedic roots, which were born on the stage. One of her most notable performances to date is when she starred in the hit stand-up comedy film, The Queens of Comedy, which was released in 2002 by Paramount Home Entertainment and aired on the Showtime Network. The Queens of Comedy also toured the country, released an album of the same title, and went on to earn a GRAMMY nomination for Best Spoken Comedy Album.

Based on her overwhelming fan base of voluptuous women, Mo’Nique has always accepted her role as an influential voice and role model for big girls around the world. She not only embraced this position of purpose, but Mo’Nique also shared her personal perspectives, philosophies and frustrations through her New York Times best-selling book Skinny Women are Evil in 2003. She and co-author Sherri McGee McCovey released a follow-up called Skinny Cooks Can’t Be Trusted in 2006 before teaming up again in 2008 for the fictional teen novel, Beacon Hills High.

In 2005, Mo’Nique’s F.A.T. Chance was created, produced and hosted by Mo’Nique as an original program for the Oxygen channel. Not only was the broadcast America’s first full-figured reality beauty pageant but it was also the highest-rated show in the history of the cable network. In 2006, the show earned a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Variety Special. The Fabulous and Thick competition continued for another two seasons with the third being entirely shot on location in Paris, France. Her relationship with Oxygen continued in 2006 when she hosted a documentary on female incarceration titled Mo’Nique: Behind Bars at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, Ohio. While there she also taped her groundbreaking stand up comedy special I Coulda Been Your Cellmate for Showtime television. This project was also released on DVD.

Mo'Nique as Mary Jones in Precious

Although Mo’Nique had done over a dozen movies prior to Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, her brutally honest portrayal of Mary Jones, a terrifying, mentally disturbed abusive mother, earned her the Special Jury Prize for Acting at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival as well as a most appreciated abundance of praise from several peers and critics. Other film credits include Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, Farce of the Penguins, Beerfest, Shadowboxer, Phat Girlz, Domino, Soul Plane, Hair Show, Three Strikes, Baby Boy, and Two Can Play That Game which earned her a NAACP Image Award Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, and the Showtime tele-film Good Fences, opposite Whoopi Goldberg.

The concept for The Mo’Nique Show which started as a nationally syndicated radio show in 2008 eventually evolved into a late night talk show in 2009, that currently airs weeknights on Black Entertainment Television. The show pride’s itself on being a no judgment zone where urban legends, celebrities and other extraordinary people can make themselves at home in the penthouse while educating viewers and partying like never before. The program was created by Mo’Nique and her husband Sidney Hicks through their production company Hicks Media. The couple also serve as Executive Producers.

In the Fall of 2005, Mo’Nique experienced motherhood the second time around with the arrival of twin boys, David and Jonathan. Her 19 year-old son, Shalon, is a writer on The Mo’Nique Show

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Precious Dominates NAACP Nominations

Posted by: Audiegrl

The Oscar hopeful gets eight nods for acting, writing and directing

Actors Gabourey Sidibe and Paula Patton

LATimes/Susan King~~”Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” dominated the nominations for the 41st NAACP Image Awards on Wednesday morning, earning eight nods — best film, best director for Lee Daniels, screenplay for Geoffrey Fletcher, best actress for Gabourey Sidibe, supporting actress for Mariah Carey, Mo’Nique and Paula Patton and supporting actor for Lenny Kravitz.

Competing with “Precious” in the best picture category are “The Blind Side,” “Invictus,” “Michael Jackson’s: This Is It” and “The Princess and the Frog.”

Joining Sidibe in the best actress category are Anika Noni Rose for her vocal performance in “The Princess and the Frog,” Sandra Bullock for “The Blind Side,” Sophie Okonedo for “Skin” and Taraji P. Henson for “Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All by Myself.”

Vying for best actor are Denzel Washington for “The Taking of Pelham 123,” Idris Elba for “Obsessed,” Jamie Foxx for “Law Abiding Citizen,” Morgan Freeman for “Invictus” and Quinton Aaron for “The Blind Side.”

Rounding out the supporting actress category are Alfre Woodard for “American Violet” and Zoe Saldana for “Avatar.”

In addition to Kravitz, supporting actor nominations went to Adam Rodriguez for “Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All by Myself,” Anthony Mackie for “The Hurt Locker” and Chiwetel Ejiofor and Danny Glover for “2012.”

Joining Daniels in the directing category are F. Gary Gray for “Law Abiding Citizen,” George Tillman Jr. for “Notorious,” Scott Sanders for “Black Dynamite” and Spike Lee for “Passing Strange: The Movie.”

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An Interview with Gabourey Sidibe and Lee Daniels by Michael Ordoña

Golden Globe, NAACP Image Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominee Gabourey Sidibe

LATimes/Michael Ordoña ~~This seems like the classic overnight success story.

Gabourey Sidibe: I know, isn’t it weird?

Your first credit is an award-winning, heavily buzzed about movie. How are you setting your feet down?

GS: I’ve never been a serious person. And I don’t ever intend to be. I don’t often take stock of what room I’m in or where I am, just because it freaks me out. So, I totally have my feet off the ground.

Lee, you’ve said when you and Gabourey talked about the character in depth, she “gave you the facts.”

Lee Daniels: Gabby is way smart. Nauseatingly so. [laughs] In my head, the only room that was clean in the Jones house was her bedroom because it was her sanctuary. So I wanted her to dust under the bed; she says, “Lee. I’m a big girl. I wouldn’t be under there cleaning.” So I was like, ‘Ohhh. OK.’ She’s really smart.

How do you follow that?

GS: With agreement! [laughter]

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‘Madea’ actor-director Tyler Perry reveals history of childhood abuse, molestation

Posted by Audiegrl

Writer, producer, and film director Tyler Perry (AP Photo/Shiho Fukada)

New York Daily News/Chrisena Coleman—Filmmaker Tyler Perry, who is promoting a new movie about an abused teenager, has gone public with brutal memories of his own childhood beatings and molestation.

In an email to fans that has Perry’s admirers buzzing, he recounts various examples of terrible childhood mistreatment – from his father beating him senseless to a neighbor woman molesting him at age 10.

Even his grandmother, the mother of his hated father, became a threat when she objected to his weekly allergy shot, he recalls.

“Ain’t nothing wrong with that damn boy – he just got germs on him. Stop wasting all that money,” she said, he recalled.

“She came and got me out of the living room leaving my Matchbox cars on the floor. She said she was going to kill these germs on me once and for all. She gave me a bath in ammonia.”

Perry, 38, fled his abusive home in New Orleans and, after a period of homelessness and struggle, became a writer, director, actor and producer.

He is now a mega-millionaire and one of the world’s most influential black filmmakers. He is the producer of “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” on TV and his movies, including “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” “Madea’s Family Reunion” and “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” have grossed $400 million.

Along with Oprah Winfrey, he executive produced “Precious,” the story of an illiterate obese teen mom struggling to rise above horrible sexual and mental abuse. The movie opens nationally Nov. 6.

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The movie Precious: Based On The Novel ‘Push‘ By Sapphire, is executive produced by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Parry. Starring Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Sherri Shepherd, and introducing Gabourey ‘Gabby’ Sidibe. The film is the Winner of the Grand Jury Award, Audience Award, and the Special Jury Prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

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