Precious

I thought the message was huge and glaring.  There were several. 

One thing that shamed me personally was how easily I could look at a young illiterate woman with kids and judge her.  Thinking that I know what she could have done differently.  Judging her for getting it wrong but never knowing her story. 

After reading the book I view youth with multiple teen pregnancies differently.   I was moved enough to post about in on experienceproject.com.  Any one of us could have been Precious but for the grace of God. 

YES! That's what I am saying MSW. Its a great movie! IF one person see that movie and is in the  position to help one at risk child with a change of heart...it would be an even bigger success. To a certain degree, I felt as if it was telling my story....so I could definitely empathize. When I was acting up...getting in all sorts of trouble for stealing...no one had an idea of what I was going through.  My behaviors were a way to have some control in my life....it was wrong but it was a distraction from all the chaos. Much like a lot of kids today... I don't believe one child out there subscribes to all those self destructive behaviors just because they are rebellious...there is a root cause....some feelings that they are trying to cope with on some level.  Too often people in positions to help...judge...and thus hinder their ability to reach out to an at risk youth. That is why I feel its so important to get literature programs FOCUSED on inspirational stories about African American, Latinos or White into the hands of each respective population. Much of the stuff they have them reading these days is not sufficient in itself.  Sometimes all these kids need is a little bit of HOPE and some indication that they can SURVIVE and succeed despite whatever challenges they might be facing....THAT is what the book, I Know What The Caged Bird Sings did for me. When I felt no one else understood me....Dr. Angelou did...through her writing.  I even wrote her a letter telling her so. Don't know if she ever got it. I can say without a doubt that I would be in jail, a women with a slew of kids on welfare or dead if I had not been graced to read that book. That's a powerful message when you think about the state of a lot of our kids today. I would show this movie to at risk teen-aged girls in as part of an intervention/counseling program....I think it would be a powerful tool to get them to open up about abuse that might be impacting them... See some don't want to give it up....they hold onto those dirty little secrets until they have already destroyed  their lives.  Whewwww...let me stop. This movie touched me to the my core.      

Too often people in positions to help...judge...and thus hinder their ability to reach out to an at risk youth...  ..Sometimes all these kids need is a little bit of HOPE and some indication that they can SURVIVE and succeed despite whatever challenges they might be facing..  

True, all some of us need is someone to be genuinely concerned about us, a safe environment, some organization, and support when we hit a snag.  Going back to but for the Grace of God, these are the basic needs in life we easily take for granted every day. 

I've also learned that I can't be everything to everyone- That's God's job.  I can only do what I've been assigned to do.  I'm an encourager and I go after the coldhearted ice princesses I encounter (young and old).  It is rare when at least a few layers of ice are not penetrated and they usually come find me sometime in the future for advice and encouragement.  Hope for their situation and themselves is so key.  My prayers for God's love and guidance for them and the condition of their heart, sometimes with them knowing about it and sometimes not, always follow. 

You've said it all. 

One thing that shamed me personally was how easily I could look at a young illiterate woman with kids and judge her.  Thinking that I know what she could have done differently.  Judging her for getting it wrong but never knowing her story....  ... Any one of us could have been Precious but for the grace of God. 

Whoo, girl you are preaching there.  It opened my eyes to so many things.  It also reinforces what I tell my children all the time.  If we don't take the courage to look at ourselves and make a decision to change and grow, we will just get older still doing the same thing.

NO compassion.   She was a grown woman with free will to make her own choices. 

No I did not feel for her at all.  I am not a vengeful person but I feel like she deserved to feel powerless.  I liked the book better.  I know they can't put everything into 2-2 1/2 hours....to me some of the key parts were missing.  I thought that I would REALLY like the movie but it was just okay for me.

Faith FINALLY someone who agrees with me... I thought the movie was just OKAY. If I didn't read the book the week before I would have been totally lost. I was telling someone you can tell Oprah had something to do with this film.

I have to agree with you and Rhonda.  It was just okay.  I left disappointed.

I have to agree with you ladies.  Had I not read the book, the impact of the movie would have been different. 

I won't give it away because some have not read the book yet.  An entire aspect of the mother's abuse was missing from the movie.   The mother went way beyond beating and force feeding.  Its an important part of how the reader views the mother.