Great Piece on Precious’ Lee Daniels

“Daniels’ own odyssey has been almost as remarkable as that of his lead character…

For his second directorial effort, he chose the novel Push by Sapphire. When he read the novel, he says, “It brought back a feeling I had when I was 11 years old and living in the projects in Philly. I answered the door one day, and a neighbor of ours, a light-skinned black girl who was about 5 years old, was standing there naked and bleeding. She’d been beaten with an electrical cord. I looked in my mom’s eyes, and it was the first time I ever saw fear in her eyes. When I read Sapphire’s book, those memories came back, and I felt I have to deal with this.”

As he began working on Precious, even more painful memories flooded in. As the oldest of five children, Daniels says he experienced the brunt of his father’s anger and frustration. “I was beaten quite a bit for no reason,” he says. (His father, a police officer, was killed on duty when Daniels was 13.)

“One of my earliest memories is of being put in a trash can,” he says in a quiet voice. “I was 5 years old. My dad was playing cards with some of his friends. I put on my mother’s red high heel shoes because they looked pretty to me. He saw me and he got furious. He said I was gay and would never amount to anything, and he threw me in a trash can. And I remember the only way I could deal with it was to escape to a fantasy world. That’s what gave me the idea for the fantasy scenes in the movie, which were not in the book.”

When Precious is raped by her father or beaten by her mother, she dreams of herself as a superstar in a perfect, antiseptic universe. Daniels pulls off a neat balancing act: He captures the brutal reality of his heroine’s home life, but he knows when to pull back to allow the audience some respite.

You can read the rest at www.thedailybeast.com

Spread the love

More Articles for You

On Growing up in East Harlem: Italian (Barese) and Puerto Rican Heritage

I was thrilled to chat with podcaster, and fellow author and family historian Bob Sorrentino earlier this month. During our …

Spread the love

Food Culture: The Best Podcast for “Top Chef” Fans

The food we eat, how we eat and prepare it is so intricately tied to our culture, our heritage and …

Spread the love

The “Frida In Her Own Words” Documentary Is Phenomenal

This lyrical animation inspired by her unforgettable artwork, drawn from her diary, revealing letters, essays, and print interviews for the …

Spread the love

Reading Haiti: 5 Books to Explore Its History and Culture

Edwidge Danticat is one of Haiti’s most celebrated authors. Her notable works include “Breath, Eyes, Memory,” “Krik? Krak!,” and “The …

Spread the love

Finding Relief: 5 Books to Help Manage Chronic Pain

Living with chronic pain can be challenging, but there are resources available to help navigate this journey. Whether you’re looking …

Spread the love

Frida Kahlo As An Iconic Disability Advocate

PBS is once again featuring Frida Kahlo in a new three part documentary series, airing now that seeks to to …

Spread the love