"Precious" Smashes the Indie Mold

Peep the extensive new article on Director Lee Daniels (Monsters Ball) blazing hot and controversial new film, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire which is now being presented by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry.

From all that I've read and heard about the project, this is a very different type of film and a real anomaly on the indie film landscape. How different you may ask? Well let's see...it stars an obese black woman, takes place in the 'hood and it deals with subjects of incest, teen pregnancy, violence, poetry and it's not even remotely a feel good movie.

None of the above typically makes for box office gold. Perhaps most remarkable, given that set-up, Precious was also the most talked about film at the last Sundance Film Fest and became the subject of a bidding war between two major Hollywood players. Like it's star character, the movie completely smashes the mold of our indie expectations.

Of course, any film that's really shaken the ground and captured our imagination upon release has been one that went against the grain of convention. Sometimes you've just gotta believe in, execute and be true to the vision your head even if no one else sees what you see. It's really not their fault. Often they can't see it clearly until the vision is fully executed and translated from your head to reality.

All I know is that somewhere in NYC there's a ghetto poet named Sapphire that nobody believed would amount to much or accomplish much, but it's a damn good thing she didn't believe it 'cause her work is now appearing on the big screen, The Oprah Show, fostering social dialogue and actually helping to change the world...Just goes to show that sometimes they don't know shit.

Dream. Plan. Execute. Repeat... That's the winning formula y'all.

The new New York Times Article on Precious.

The New York Times video interview with Director Lee Daniels