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PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIREMovie Reviews
Drama about an overweight, illiterate African-American teen, living in Harlem in 1987 and suffering abuse at the hands of both her parents, who discovers a new path in life when she begins attending an alternative school. Cast:Gabourey Sidibe, Lenny Kravitz, Paula Patton, Mo'nique, Mariah CareyDirector:Lee DanielsRelease Date:November 6, 2009DVD Release:March 9, 2010From:LionsgateRating:RLength:1 hr 49 min
MARCH 9, 2010
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Exceptional Reviews
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire played to exceptional reviews. • Joe Morgenstern wrote in the Wall Street Journal, "...shockingly beautiful... genuinely and irresistibly inspirational.... a fine movie, and a deep one. It's about unearthing buried treasure." • And Colin Covert wrote in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Great stories don't have to be grand epics.... a rare and remarkable call to empathy." More Reviews Below...
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Positive Reviews (44 Reviews, reviews below)
Leah Rozen, People: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the straw-thin, cookie-cutter cuties who populate most films these days have their place... Precious wipes 'em to insignificance with a wave of her meaty forearm..."(See all of Leah Rozen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 234 words, 10/29/09
Mary Pols, Time: OUTSTANDING "Director Lee Daniels and Gabourey Sidibe give us a Precious we can't deny, who earns our respect even more than our pity. Dignity is her victory."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,014 words, 11/06/09
David Germain, Associated Press: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...one very big miracle -- and a glimpse of what American cinema still can be, whether or not Hollywood cares about making good films."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 870 words, 11/05/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...unabashedly populist in its potent emotional appeal... at the same time determined to challenge its audience's complacency as only a genuine work of art can."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,001 words, 11/06/09
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...why is everyone talking about this movie? Well, it doesn't hurt to have Oprah and Tyler Perry, both executive producers, on your side."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 321 words, 11/06/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a tribute to Gabourey Sidibe's ability... Her work is still another demonstration of the mystery of some actors, who evoke feelings in ways beyond words and techniques."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 679 words, 11/05/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "Nothing quite prepares you for the rough-cut diamond that is 'Precious'... shockingly raw, surprisingly irreverent and absolutely unforgettable... it should not be missed."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 696 words, 11/06/09
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...miss 'Precious' -- mercifully free of the artery-clogging schmaltz in the not dissimilar 'The Color Purple' -- at your peril."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 498 words, 11/06/09
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Sharp acting across the board helps 'Precious' rise above its message-movie limitations, as does Daniels' refusal to pretty up his story."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 301 words, 11/06/09
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...messy but memorable. Lee Daniels tries everything except subtlety... Fortunately, his overagitation as a director is eclipsed by his talent with actors."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 816 words, 11/20/09
Scott Foundas, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "Hothouse melodrama one moment, pungent social realism the next, with dashes of slapstick... even when it is at its most schizoid, you can't take your eyes off of it."(See all of Scott Foundas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 698 words, 11/04/09
Paul Hodgins, Orange County Register: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a cinematic rarity: It touches hearts and minds, attacks monstrous subjects with the utmost bravery, and yet somehow leaves us thoroughly entertained."(See all of Paul Hodgins's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 11/13/09
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "With innocence, force of will and a welling largeness of heart, Sidibe conveys both the child Precious was and the adult she wants to be. What a quiet feat of acting."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 566 words, 11/13/09
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...marks the arrival of a major filmmaking voice, an artist capable of plumbing lower depths without wallowing in or exploiting them."(See all of Chris Vognar's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 11/13/09
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...brutal, unsparing and yet, carried along by outrageously good performances from an unlikely cast, somehow hopeful in its portrayal of one girl's almost unimaginable plight."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 608 words, 11/20/09
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...you go to a Daniels movie to be edified. While not everyone goes to the movies for self-improvement, you will leave this one having witnessed phenomenal acting."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 687 words, 11/13/09
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...brings to the screen a vitality that cuts against the awfulness... Living, the director seems to say, means being alive to savor the good and to feel the bruise of the bad."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,181 words, 11/20/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Great stories don't have to be grand epics.... The film is not a wallow in pathos but a rare and remarkable call to empathy."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 645 words, 11/20/09
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...not an easy sit, and isn't meant to be. But it's a film of remarkable strength and poignancy, filled with vivid performances that stay with you long after..."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 534 words, 11/20/09
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a powerful, deeply moving film that drives an arrow straight through your heart.... 'Precious' comes down to two words: See it."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 338 words, 11/20/09
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...there is exhilaration in its daring, in its craft and in the powerhouse work of its principal actresses.... those sorts of accomplishment provide pleasures of their own..."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 837 words, 11/20/09
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...guaranteed to provoke debate, but as an object of reflection, this rough, hard gem of a movie will have lasting value."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 417 words, 11/20/09
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "Sequences centering on the girl's time at home alone with her mother induce gasps, even though you can't imagine a parent who would behave so vilely..."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 590 words, 11/20/09
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Daniels isn't a practitioner of indie filmdom's 'new neo-realism.' He provides pockets of hope. Imagination protects, however briefly."(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 803 words, 11/20/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
Scott Foundas, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "Hothouse melodrama one moment, pungent social realism the next, with dashes of slapstick... even when it is at its most schizoid, you can't take your eyes off of it."(See all of Scott Foundas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 698 words, 11/04/09
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an emotional powerhouse, a triumph of bruising humor and bracing hope that deserves its place among the year's best films."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 689 words, 10/30/09
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...comes close to collapsing into exploitation or self-parody. Thank Gabourey Sidibe's extraordinary performance that it doesn't."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 579 words, 11/19/09
Bob Mondello, NPR All Things Considered: OUTSTANDING "...the film's milieu and characters feel alarmingly real.... its story ends up packing an emotional wallop as substantial as its title character."(See all of Bob Mondello's reviews...)(Listen to the full review...) 187 seconds, 11/06/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...unabashedly populist in its potent emotional appeal... at the same time determined to challenge its audience's complacency as only a genuine work of art can."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,001 words, 11/06/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...shockingly beautiful... genuinely and irresistibly inspirational.... This is a fine movie, and a deep one. It's about unearthing buried treasure."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 425 words, 11/06/09
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: FAIR "What we have here is a fouled-up fairy tale of oppression and empowerment... What rescues 'Precious' is the performance of Mo'Nique as Mary..."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 605 words, 11/02/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "Nothing quite prepares you for the rough-cut diamond that is 'Precious'... shockingly raw, surprisingly irreverent and absolutely unforgettable... it should not be missed."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 696 words, 11/06/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "Nothing quite prepares you for the rough-cut diamond that is 'Precious'... shockingly raw, surprisingly irreverent and absolutely unforgettable... it should not be missed."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 696 words, 11/06/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...unabashedly populist in its potent emotional appeal... at the same time determined to challenge its audience's complacency as only a genuine work of art can."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,001 words, 11/06/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...shockingly beautiful... genuinely and irresistibly inspirational.... This is a fine movie, and a deep one. It's about unearthing buried treasure."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 425 words, 11/06/09
12.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire's reviews are separated by an average 12.6 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (44 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire's reviews cover 87.1% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 26,956 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 613 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Coverage, Volume & Length (44 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 31.3 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire's reviews on average broke 31.3 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (44 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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