At the 34th Toronto Film Fest, the People's Choice Award, voted on by festival audiences, went to Lee Daniels'sPrecious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire, " a vibrant, honest and resoundingly hopeful film about the human capacity to grow and overcome hardships.
By now, "Precious" has played and won jury members and audiences hearts at Sundance Film Fest (in January), at the Cannes Film Fest (in May), and most recently, at the Toronto Film Fest, where it won the Audience Award, which speaks well of its potential commercial appeal.
Set in 1987 Harlem, it is the story of Claireece "Precious" Jones, an illiterate African-American teenager who is pregnant for the second time by her absent father and abused by a poisonously angry mother. Despite her experiences, Precious has a dream that other possibilities exist for her and jumps at the chance to enroll in an alternative school.
"Precious" would have had good chances to be nominated for the Best Picture, even if the Academy continued its tradition of selecting five movies for the top award. There was always a room for one "small" indie, made outside the system.
However, now tha the Best Picture field has been expanded from fice to top entries, it's almnost certain that "Precious" would land a Best Picture nominations, alongside nods in the writing, drecting, and acting categories.
Click here to see the Precious trailer.
Please read our review and Oscar Prospects for Mo'Nique in the Review and Oscar Alert Sections.
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