Cortés Filmworks: Three individuals sit on a beige couch against a patterned wallpaper background. On the left, a woman in an orange shirt appears pensive, her gaze distant and lost in thought. In the middle, another woman dressed in floral attire takes a slow drag from her cigarette, holding a precious child on her lap while watching TV with an intensity that adds to the air of unease. The atmosphere seems tense as if each person is guarding their own secrets under the watchful eye of Cortés Filmworks, capturing every subtle emotion for posterity. : CortesFilmworks.com Cortés Filmworks: A person with a serious expression sits in a classroom wearing a precious gray hoodie jacket over a light shirt. They have short, straight hair with bangs. In the background, two other people are visible behind them, focusing on their work at their desks, attentively adding to the atmosphere curated by Cortés Filmworks. : CortesFilmworks.com Cortés Filmworks: A person wearing a light blue cardigan and a yellow shirt sits at a wooden desk with an open book in a classroom, as though captured by Cortés Filmworks. They are looking forward with a serious expression, capturing the precious moment of focused learning. In the background, three other people are visible, sitting and chatting casually, providing an authentic backdrop for this beautifully documented scene. : CortesFilmworks.com

Precious

Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire is a 2009 American drama film, directed and co-produced by Lee Daniels. Its script was written by Geoffrey S. Fletcher, adapted from the 1996 novel Push by Sapphire. The film stars Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique, alongside Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, and Lenny Kravitz. This marked the acting debut of Sidibe, who portrays a young woman struggling against poverty and abuse. Filming took place in New York City from October to November 2007.

Precious, then without a distributor, premiered to acclaim at both the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, under its original title of Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire. At Sundance, it won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize for best drama, as well as a Special Jury Prize for supporting actress Mo’Nique. After Precious’s screening at Sundance in January 2009, Tyler Perry announced that he and Oprah Winfrey would be providing promotional assistance to the film, which was released through Lionsgate Entertainment. Precious won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The film’s title was changed from Push to Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire, to avoid confusion with the 2009 action film Push.

Lionsgate gave the film a limited release in North America on November 6, 2009, with an expanded release on November 20. Precious received widespread critical acclaim; the performances of Sidibe and Mo’Nique, the story, and its message were highly praised. The film was a box office success, earning over $63 million on a $10 million budget.

Precious received six nominations at the 82nd Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Daniels, and Best Actress for Sidibe. Mo’Nique won the award for Best Supporting Actress, while Geoffrey Fletcher won for Best Adapted Screenplay, becoming the first African-American to win a screenplay award at the Oscars.

Year:
2009
Director:
Lee Daniels
Producers:
Lisa Cortés, Tyler Perry, Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness