‘Precious’ Director Nominated for Oscar

History could be made in the entertainment and film industry at the upcoming 82nd Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, which will be broadcast Sunday, March 7 on ABC.

Earlier this month, Lee Daniels became the first African-American director to have a film nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award for his groundbreaking film Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire.

Daniels also became the second African American to be nominated for Best Director. The first was John Singleton for his 1991 film “Boyz n the Hood.”
Sophomore architecture major Briana Allen said, “It is a well deserved nomination because the story in Precious has a really powerful message behind it.”

“Precious” has received a total of six Oscar nominations. A nominee for Best Actress is Gabourey Sidibe. The 23-year-old made her film debut in Precious and has received rave reviews from critics for her role as the main character  Claireece “Precious” Jones,  a physically and sexually abused 16-year-old.

A nominee for Best Supporting Actress is comedienne Mo’Nique, who plays Precious’ vicious mother Mary Lee Johnston.

Devon Hogan, a sophomore architecture major said, “I liked the actress who played Precious the most. The way she portrayed her character is completely different to how she actually is, but it was believable.”

“[Gabourey and Mo’Nique] both played very convincing roles of people that are completely different from their personalities. But I think Mo’Nique will definitely win Best Supporting Actress because since she is more known as a comedienne, her role really made her stand out,” Allen said.

Sidibe’s competition for Best Actress includes veteran actresses Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock for their respective roles as well-known chef Julia Child in the movie “Julie & Julia” and Leigh Anne Tuohy, a white woman who adopted an impoverished black teenager in “The Blind Side.”

“Precious” is up against tough competition for Best Picture, notably the movie “Avatar,” which has a total of nine nominations and recently broke the record for being the highest-grossing film of all time.

Zainab Suara, a junior biology major, said that she is sure “Avatar will win because “it’s sad to say, but “Avatar” is more accepting in mainstream America. I know in some places they didn’t even bother to show Precious because of the subject matter. But there is always hope.”

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4 comments

Mad and Black

Sun Mar 7 2010 23:15

It's March 7, 2010 and Negroes are jumping up and down around the country because a despicable movie called "Precious" and the Black female Samboette(Monique) wins an award for perpetuating negative stereotypes about the Black community. This should put us back another 20 or 30 years. I certainly hope those who are conscious publicly chastise Samboette Monique, Mammy Oprah(she help fund this movie) and that effeminate Tyler Perry for their complicity.

A Real Uncle Tom

Sun Mar 7 2010 09:30

How can Black people of any good conscious support a repetitive minstrel movie named Prescious which cements the most negative perspective about Black people.Yes. we know that such problems exists within the Black family but not to the point that it should be viewed as if it the norm. Not to mention that people from other ethnic groups who do not have contact with Blacks will be so inclined to believe this gross exaggeration.

If you're so inclined to disagree, you should ask yourself "why is the only time a Black actor/actress wins an Oscar is when they play negative stereotypical roles, i.e., Denzel Washington in Training Day or Halle Berry in Monster's Ball. What makes it even worse that the 21st century mama called Oprah Winfrey financially supported this pathetic movie. Then, Mama Oprah has the audacity to parade around in a Jim Bojangles manner in front of the camera for her majority White female audience. In other words, you brainwashed and unconscious Blacks should be deeply ashamed of yourselves for supporting your own demise.

A Real Uncle Tom

Fri Mar 5 2010 14:45

The penalty for anyone (i.e., Jewish, Black, White, Asian, Latino, etc.)who perpetuates negative stereotypes in any form of Blacks(USA) and those from the African Diaspora to be immediately boycotted, exposed, and made to publicly apologize for such activities. In fact, for the so-called Blacks(i.e., Lee Daniels,and Tyler Perry, etc.) you should be publicly flogged for knowingly committing visual and intellectual crimes against the collective Black community. This also include those financial criminals who fund such visual filth as well. Until people realize that they will be severely punished for being disrepsectful to the Black community, the 21st century repetitive minstrel shows will continue and "we" will continue to be the laughing stock within the globally community.

Creativity

Fri Mar 5 2010 10:42

Director Daniels seems to focus on blacks who have been Europeanized in his movies. Remember Monster Ball? It was another one of his movies. This is not a bad perspective per se if one keeps this in mind.

Kuumba

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