Monday, October 19, 2009

Precious

Let's discuss "Precious" ... For those of you who have not seen the film, you must (due to release November 6th).

First, let's talk about girls today who are fixating on their flaws, causing them to belittle themselves and even take destructive action. The onslaught of messages and images they constantly receive sets an unrealistic standard of beauty.

What are body image and self-esteem? Body image is the picture that you have of your physical appearance in your mind. Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself as a person. They both include positive and negative feelings, and can be influenced by society, cultural background, and life experiences. Body image and self-esteem are connected, because the way that you feel about your body can affect the way you feel about yourself as a whole.

As parents and caregivers, your children look to you for guidance and support, and they want to hear what you have to say. Talk with your children about body image and self-esteem. Give them age-appropriate, positive messages that will help them feel better about themselves. Discuss that every individual is unique, that there are behaviors related to body image that are healthy and unhealthy, and that the ways in which the media portrays body image can be unrealistic in real life. Most importantly, help them celebrate and appreciate the person that they are and all they have to offer.

Do you think this film touched upon what "our" girls are faced with today? What are your thoughts on the film (good or bad)? Would you recommend this film to friends and family? This discussion is deep because this film hits "home" to so many of "our" girls today! Let's talk about this ...




6 comments:

  1. The movie enlightened me on the evils and selfishness that resides in us all. Although, the mother in the movie was the object of the audience's hatred, she got the point across that there are people that exist in this world just like her. As sickening of a scenario as it was, Precious is a movie one can appreciate because it teaches one to not take granted access to education and a good family.

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  2. This was a sad but excellent film! Monique's performance was stellar! When watching such a story, it gives one hope that they can overcome any situation that they are now faced with. Hope, strength, faith, and determination is all you need ...

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  3. What's on your mind?Precious was a moving film, revolving around the story of young woman faced with perpetual adversity. Precious' mother is a constant reminder of all of Precious' alleged flaws. Surrounded by an environment infested with mental and physical abuse, Precious is still able to reach deep down within herself and find her inner beauty. Through a tumultuous journey involving her mother's discouragement of seeking an education and aspiring to fulfill her dreams Precious is able, with the help of her teacher, to manifest self love. One of the most touching parts of the movie, in my opinion, is when Precious is looking in the mirror at herself, but the reflection that she sees is not she. Instead, Precious is met by the "standard beauty" that society has sculpted, a tall, skinny, white woman with flowing blond hair. This scene demonstrated Precious' initial self hatred, which consumed her life but helped to show the growth that Precious underwent throughout her journey and maturation.

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  4. Precious was a very stimulating and sobering film. All of the actors and actresses that graced the screen, gave phenomenal performances (even Mariah Carey-who I expecting nothing from). Monique's monolouge towards the end of the film literally gave me the chills.

    The script, itself, was very well written and the story was very moving. Precious' story taught me to appreciate my family and not to take for granted the precious moments in my daily life. Although her situation was drastic, Precious was easy to relate to in the sense that she just wanted to feel loved. I mean, don't we all?

    Overall, I'd give this film an A-.

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  5. Precious is a very touching movie. Monique did a fantastic job in playing her character. The characters in the film made the movie feel so real. Although some scenes made me sick to my stomach, I think the movie itself taught me how to appeciate and see things in a brighter light. I think everyone should see this movie, it is definitely an eye opener.

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  6. "I believe the movie precious had very good intentions and had the ability to be a very good movie, but i feel that it was very inconsistent and had too many blackouts that left me feeling extremely perplexed. As i make these comments, i still acknowledge the fact that the movie was low budget, but i still feel it could have been better ... Read More organized. In the movie, Precious was said to be 16 initially, then a year passed and she was supposed to be 17, but there is a scene later on when the female teacher calls around to find precious a home and mentions that she was 16. These kind of little inconsistencies i felt could definitely been avoided, but overall i think the movie made people think and got its point across in the end."

    -Ashley B.

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