Precious

There are some daringly crazy guts behind the 2009 film “Precious,” based on the novel Push by Sapphire, and that’s not counting its irrationally awkward title. Patty Jones said in her review, “Next to the pubescent wizards and vampires mooning and swooning on-screen these days, the obese, abused black teenager in inner-city purgatory here—with her second child about to pop out and her mother flinging frying pans at her head—might feel just a tad disconcerting, like getting on the wrong subway.”

“You’re a dummy. Don’t nobody want you,” mother Mary tells the 16-year-old daughter she named Claireece Jones. Played with bragging cruelty by comedian-actor Mo’Nique (who you might remember from the UPN show, “The Parkers”), Mary isn’t a woman to whom you’d point out the irony of her child’s nickname, Precious. Trapped in filth with this abuser in 1987 Harlem, the illiterate Precious (Gabourey Sidibe), whose pregnancies were the result of rape by her otherwise AWOL father (Rodney ‘Bear’ Jackson), could use some help. Jones notes, “Her daydreams of music-video stardom—seen in flamboyant fantasy sequences that could go so wrong but somehow work, largely due to Sidibe's go-for-it playfulness—aren't going to cut it.”

Transferring to an alternative school, Precious ends up being cared for by a teacher, played by a lovingly sympathetic Paula Patton, and there’s a ray of hope in this near-dark nightmare. Among the film’s curious but inspired casting choices, rocker Lenny Kravitz appears as a sweet hospital nurse, and Mariah Carey, unrecognizably plain with a Bronx-and-cigarettes accent, is spot-on as a sensitive welfare worker.

Jones mentions, “Despite moments of levity, director Lee Daniels and screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher, who adapted the source novel, aren't guys who shrink from jaw-droppingly harrowing stuff visited upon a child, even a really large child. But Daniels's kamikaze style succeeds with help from some pretty fearless performers, including poised newcomer Sidibe.” It’s a deeply heart-breaking story about finding self-realization – and, on occasion, stealing a bucket of fried chicken.

I first heard about this movie when Nostalgia Critic mentioned it in his “Mr. Nanny” review. Some time ago, I thought of checking this out, and it was available on Peacock and I saw it while I was exercising. Currently, you can stream this on Max. I seriously think everyone should check this out because this type of household does exist. This level of abuse that Precious goes through in the movie happens in real life. I guarantee a lot of people can relate to Precious. See this and make sure to have a box of Kleenex next to you.

Now we have come to the end of “Child Abuse Awareness Month.” Sorry for the late posting as my computer froze as I was typing up this review. I hope that everyone enjoyed this month and that I helped raise awareness through the films I reviewed. Stay tuned next month to see what I will review next.

Child of Rage

I remember some time when I was in Middle School, I was browsing through the movie channels trying to find something to watch, and I saw that the 1992 made for television film, “Child of Rage” was playing on one of the channels. After reading the description, I went to the channel and saw one part of the movie, then changed the channel. I had completely forgotten about this movie until a few months back, I started to remember the part I saw in the film. I had looked up the film and saw that it was available to watch on YouTube. One weekend, I sat down to watch the film and after it was over, I broke down crying. For those of you who may not have heard or do not know about this film, I will let all of you know what it is about.

Church Minister Rob Tyler (Dwight Schultz) and his Sunday School teacher wife Jill (Mel Harris) cannot have kids, so they decide to adopt. Their caseworker, Doris Hanna (Rosanna DeSoto), have found two children for Rob and Jill to adopt, Catherine (Ashley Peldon, who you might remember as Marah Lewis on “Guiding Light” and is now a scream artist) and Eric (Sam Gifaldi, who voiced Sid on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon “Hey Arnold!”). Doris informs Rob and Jill that Cat and Eric have gone through three foster homes, and Rob and Jill reassure Cat and Eric that they are not going to have anymore foster homes to go through, as they are positive about adopting the children.

Eric is very sweet and loving child, but Cat shows early behaviors of being cold, reserved, and bossy towards Eric. It soon escalates to violent outbursts of breaking things and stabbing the family dog, Casey, with a needle. Rob and Jill turn to Doris for assistance, but she says that there are regulations and cannot disclose the previous foster homes situations. She only tells Rob and Jill that Cat and Eric’s mom died of pneumonia when they were babies. There is also a recurring nightmare that Cat has, which makes us think that something may have happened in Cat’s past that is causing her to have these outbursts.

At a family gathering when Rob and Jill announce that they have officially adopted Cat and Eric, Cat fondles with Rob’s father, Henry (George D. Wallace), which shocks everyone that Rob and Jill take her to see psychologist, Dr. Meritt. Cat puts on an act like nothing is wrong, which makes me think as to why and how Dr. Merritt was able to easily be fooled by this? Wouldn’t he been able to see that she was putting on an act?

Rob and Jill notice bruises on Eric, but think nothing of it, but when Jill notices more, Eric admits that Cat has been sneaking out of her room at night and beating him. Cat gloats about fooling Dr. Merritt and later smashes Eric’s head on the concrete basement floor, causing him to go to the ER.

Doris admits what she had discovered when she went to Cat and Eric’s birth home after receiving a call from the mailman. Doris and Jill go find Cat and Eric’s sister, Stephanie (Johannah Newmarch), who tells them that she was abused by her father (Kim Kondrashoff). When she started to fight back, that’s when he turned his attention to Cat, who was only one.

Cat cuts her classmate, Johnny, played by Louis Dupuis (this is the part I saw on TV many years ago), Doris gives Rob and Jill a book titled Kids who Kill. After reading the book, they seek out the author, Dr. Rosemary Myers, played by Mariette Hartley, about the controversial holding therapy, which isn’t used anymore.

When watching this film, at first there are questions that are lingering in the viewers head about what could be causing Cat’s behavior? You might think if it is because of something that might have happened in a previous foster home, or the reason why Cat and Eric were taken out of their birth home. You see her behavior and it might come off as shocking or frightening, especially the part where Cat fondles Henry. However, everything comes together as the film progresses.

The holding therapy scenes could come off as infuriating because of the way Dr. Myers deliberately provokes Cat’s rage to get through the emotions for Cat to control it and feel empathy. I personally do not believe that when a child is having a moment like that you should restrain them until they calm down because that does not work. I feel that families are supposed to be a soft place to fall on and that doing the holding therapy will make the child lose trust in their family and grow up resenting them.

During the last holding therapy session with Dr. Myers, a tear fell from my eye, but I didn’t break down. I never cry while watching movies, although there have been a few that I got teary-eyed at. However, when this film was over, and I closed YouTube, I broke down.

I saw a comment from someone on IMDB saying that this film is like “The Good Son,” but it is not. This film is based on Beth Thomas, who was inappropriately abused by her birth father, and was adopted by Church Minister Tim and his wife, Julie, who couldn’t have children of their own. The only difference is Tim and Julie got Beth and her brother, John, when they were babies. There was a documentary about Beth that came out a year before this film came out. I saw that the next day and I was in complete shock over the things they said.

This film raises awareness of Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), which is diagnosed to children who have severe attachment issues, like Beth and Cat. Certain symptoms include the child constantly changing homes without any stability, their hunger or hygiene are ignored for hours, parents don’t consistently care or love the child, or they are left alone for hours or days.

Connell Watkins treated Beth, but she is no longer licensed after suffocating a child by having them go through a “rebirth” process in 2000. However, Beth was a success, as she got her degree in nursing and now works in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which has some of the most fragile and smallest humans.

This film also sparked Peldon’s interest in psychology that she went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in Child Psychology and Film, her master’s degree in clinical psychology, and last I heard, as of 2014, she is pursuing her PhD in depth psychology.

I would say if you want and can handle it, watch the television film and the documentary as they are available on YouTube. Bear in mind, they are not easy to watch. If you cry while watching them, I will not be surprised as they make you want to protect your children, if you have any. I would only say watch it once and you never have to see it again, but if you rewatch it, you have more willpower than me.

Next week, I will be ending “Child Abuse Awareness Month” with a film that I first heard about from Nostalgia Critic and decided to check out, and what a surprise I was in for.

Radio Flyer

Roger Ebert started his review by saying, “"Radio Flyer" pushes so many buttons that I wanted to start pushing back. One of the things I resisted was the movie's almost doglike desire to please. It seems to be asking: How can anyone dislike a movie that is against child abuse, and believes little red wagons can fly? I found it fairly easy. The movie pushes so many fundamental questions under the rug of its convenient screenplay that the happy ending seems like cheating, if not like fraud.”

“Radio Flyer,” released in 1992, begins with the obligation, common to a lot of children’s literature and film, to place its protagonists in a harsh and cruel realm. Like a lot of animated characters who lose their parents, are kidnapped, or have their homes burned or their families lost at sea, this one starts on a sad note, with a divorce. The protagonists, Mike (Elijah Wood) and Bobby (Joseph Mazzello), are taken by their mother to California, where she marries an evil, alcoholic instigator who wants to be called The King (Adam Baldwin). When Mom isn’t around, The King likes to abuse Bobby, who gets black and blue scars as a result.

The mother, played by Lorraine Bracco, is really strange, an engaging, intelligent, hardworking woman who somehow doesn’t notice that she is married to an abuser. She also misses the scars on Bobby’s back, and of course her kids, feeling untrusted and all alone, do not tell her about the abuse. Instead, they begin to plan an escape for Bobby, by making his Radio Flyer wagon with wings and an engine, so it will fly, and he can leave town and never return.

They have some reason to think this plan will work. Ebert told an example, “A kid named Fisher once coasted his wagon down a hill and up the slope of a barn, and he flew through the sky so high he was almost able to hitch a ride on the tail of a plane that was taking off from the valley. Of course, Fisher also suffered a terrible fall, and when we finally meet him, late in the picture, he is crippled, but there you have it: Heroes have to take chances.”

Ebert continued, “I will not regale you with the details by which Bobby's maiden flight takes place. I was so appalled, watching this kid hurtling down the hill in his pathetic contraption, that I didn't know which ending would be worse.” If he fell to his death, that would be impossible, but if he flew up to the moon, that would be unforgiveable – because you can’t escape from child abuse in a Radio Flyer, and even the people who made this film should feel bad to say otherwise.

Who was this movie made for? Kids? Adults? What kid needs a movie about a scared little boy who is the subject of alcoholic abuse? Ebert asked, “What adult can suspend so much disbelief that the movie's ending, a visual ripoff from "E.T.," inspires anything other than incredulity? What hypothetical viewer could they possibly have had in mind? "Radio Flyer" was a famous screenplay by David Mickey Evans, before it was a movie. It was one of the hottest screenplays in town, maybe because of the incongruity of its elements. If somebody at a story conference didn't describe this movie as "child abuse meets Peter Pan," they were missing a bet. It is utterly cynical from beginning to end, and never more cynical than in its contrived idealism. Was the screenplay so sought-after, so expensive, that no sane voice was heard, raising fundamental objections? Hollywood fought tooth and nail to spend a fortune on this screenplay. Was the movie launched in some kind of mass hysteria? I know that the voice-over narration suggests that maybe this wasn't the way the story really happened, and is only the way Mike, the older brother, now remembers it as an adult.” Tom Hanks plays the adult Mike telling this story to his children, played by Adam Hendershott and Daniel Bieber. But what did really happen? Did Bobby fall to his death? Did the cops drag away The King? Did Mom get smarter? Ebert ended his review by saying, “"Radio Flyer" is a real squirmarama of unasked and unanswered questions. At the end, there's an 800 number you can call if you want information on child abuse. I imagine the volunteers at the other end would have some pithy observations about this movie.”

My cousin told me about this movie since he recorded it on TV. Then he bought the movie and he showed it to me the next time I was over his house. When I saw it, I probably thought it was nice, but when I thought about it more, the more I realized that it was a stupid movie. Everything that happens in here is unrealistic. What parent doesn’t notice the child getting abused or ask questions? Why wouldn’t a child tell anyone that they were being abused? Why wouldn’t “any” adult notice the scars or anything? Why wouldn’t they call Child Protective Services on the family? On top of that, what child would think of an escape like this from child abuse without speaking to the one parent they should trust? Also, why would Mike lose contact with Bobby? Why would they never speak to one another after that escape, if that did happen? If Bobby was separated from the family because of the abuse, wouldn't they still be in contact? Nothing really makes any sense. I read a theory that people say Bobby didn’t exist because he only interacts with Mike, which isn’t true. Maybe The King did kill Bobby by abusing him or maybe Bobby did die when they tried to have him fly away on the wagon and Mike was so petrified by that incident that he fabricated that Bobby escaped and they never saw each other again. There was supposed to be an ending where Mike took his kids to a museum where they met Bobby and the brothers embraced. That would have been really absurd. Bottom line: don’t watch this movie. Nothing about this works in any way.

Next week I will be talking about a made-for-TV movie that I saw a little bit of when I was a teen, forgot about, then recently I remembered it and saw it entirely in “Child Abuse Awareness Month.” Sorry for the late posting. I was so tired from work that I took a nap and forgot to post.

Dead Poets Society

Throughout the month of August, I felt it was right if I brought awareness to this issue that is still going on to this day, child abuse. Even though I know there is a month dedicated to it and I missed the opportunity to do that during that month, better late than never. Let’s get this month started with one of the greatest films that did talk about child abuse, the 1989 classic “Dead Poets Society.”

I would like to begin by telling everyone that this is not a crazy Robin Williams comedy. Actually, this isn’t a comedy at all.

Yes, there are a few funny moments, and Williams does get in a bit of occasional chatter, but not as the main focus. Also, what’s there appears to fit the character played by Williams, John Keating, an unorthodox English teacher in a conservative prep school in 1959. A classic poet, and as he teaches his students to appreciate the art, he also teaches them to reach for individuality. He’s interested in the emotion of poetry and the freedom of expression it represents, and he tries to teach some of that freedom in the boys who are in his class.

Of course, this is leading Keating into the danger zone. This is a school that believes in strict tradition and corporal punishment. As the film focuses on the boys in the class (seven of the boys particularly) it becomes evident that Keating’s influence is more dominant in the film than his actual appearance. A lot of the character is felt rather than seen. That might shock some of Williams’ fans at first, but it shouldn’t. He is the one that holds the film together.

The boys who are the main central focus of the film include Neil (Robert Sean Leonard), who hasn’t the strength to stand up to his tough, kind of psychologically abusive father (Kurtwood Smith), Todd (Ethan Hawke), who, as Christopher Hicks said in his review, “is attending school in the shadow of his accomplished brother, and whose parents are neglectful (take note of the birthday gift scene)” Charlie (Gale Hansen), who takes his wanting for independence in an arrogant way, Knox (Josh Charles), who falls in love with a cheerleader, making for a comic-tragic romance, and some other boys who are well-done, but have less to do.

When the boys find out that Keating, a graduate of the school himself, once was involved in a group called the “Dead Poets Society,” which met in a nearby cave and read poetry out loud, they decide to reform the group. However, needless to say, it eventually has the administrators disapprove this.

Hicks credited, “Director Peter Weir ("Witness," "The Year of Living Dangerously") and screenwriter Thom Schulman do a marvelous job of delineating the various characters so that we know each one, and though the film is a bit long (two hours, 10 minutes), given the nature of the material, and there are a few recognizable stereotypes and predictable moments from too many coming-of-age films, "Dead Poets Society" nevertheless is ultimately moving and has an ending that will leave the audience thinking as it leaves the theater.”

Hicks continued, “All the performances are excellent, particularly the complex shadings of Leonard, but Williams is especially memorable.” He is gentle, troubled and funny. With each new character Williams displayed he was a unique talent and, despite a few years prior people might have thought otherwise, he found a large about of films that worked for him, despite his liking for out-of-the-box comedy.

Credit should be given to John Seale’s beautiful cinematography and the nice, subtle score by Maruice Jarre. Actually, it’s just nice to have a period film that didn’t depend on rock music from the time being shown.

I would like to share a true story with everyone. When I was a freshmen in high school, I used to go to the office during my lunch period. My high school used to run on an A Day, B Day schedule. On the B Days, there was a senior that used to aide in the office. He was really good friends with my neighbor and he was one of the nicest guys I knew. He was a part of a talent show/male beauty pageant my high school held every year. He asked me and another freshmen if we could be a part of one his sketches. I told my dad about this and I did give him the information of a teacher who is in charge of the production, but I left it on his desk and he must have not look at it. Just when I was about to go on, my dad came to the school and dragged me out of it. He got really livid with me for no reason and the senior also believed he was being ridiculous. My dad didn’t like that senior and told me to stay away from him. However, I still met with him. When I started going to therapy and I spoke to my psychiatrist about this, she said that maybe my dad thought I was trying to get into theater acting and he was trying to stop me. I also said, because my neighbor speculated this and I agreed with him, that my dad thought I was hanging out with the wrong crowd because I made that mistake in middle school. I think he just got too overprotective and for years, I was really mad at him for what he did by overreacting. After discussing this in therapy, I’m feeling better about it and am not mad anymore. However, when I saw this film and saw what was going on with Neil, I related to him.

All of that aside, this film is a must to see. It was one of the best film Robin Williams ever did and I think it was nice of him to do it. I guess a lot of people could probably relate to the students in this film and it does leave a strong impact on someone after watching it. This might be another one of my favorite Robin Williams films. This film had the famous scene of the students standing on the desks saying, “Oh Captain! My Captain!” Also, this has the famous Robin Williams line, “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” You can watch this on YouTube, so make sure to watch it.

Look out next week when I look at another film my cousin showed me when I was over his house that I didn’t really like in “Child Abuse Awareness Month.”