Claireece "Precious" Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), is a 16-year-old African-American girl, pregnant with her second child, living and going to school in Harlem in 1987. She shares an apartment with her wicked mother, Mary (Mo'Nique) and several cats. Although she regularly attends class, she is only in the ninth grade and cannot read or write. She is anxious to improve her life and, when faced with expulsion from her current school, she visits an alternative program, "Each One/Teach One", at the behest of her principal. It is there that she meets the one person, a literacy teacher, Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), who will change her life.

Director Lee Daniels has made a truly groundbreaking film. We've seen abuse and heartbreak before, but never to this extent and with such a hopeful, honest outcome. Screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher's script is remarkable in its truthfulness and succinctness. There is absolutely no preaching in this film, there are just the cold, hard facts of a life of brutality. And yet, as I stated earlier, not all is without joy and success.

Sidibe is amazing for a newcomer. I especially loved her dream sequences, during which she walks an imaginary red carpet and has a light-skinned boyfriend. They showcase an entirely different side of Precious. We know she has it in her to overcome her circumstances because we can see it. These scenes also add a touch of realism to the script. While the most horrific things are happening to Precious, she escapes to a place where no one can hurt her, and she's the one in control of her life.

As good as Sidibe is, "Precious" would not be nearly as powerful without Mo'Nique. She is riveting --- you cannot take your eyes off her. She is at once maniacal and childlike. Every time you think she's about to utter a kind word to Claireece, she changes instantly into the loathsome character that we all wish would simply trip over one of her cats and fall down multiple flights of stairs. Her performance is chilling and will certainly be remembered come the Oscars.

The other surprise in this cast is Mariah Carey. There has been a great deal of hype regarding this role and I must say, it's true. Carey plays Mrs. Weiss, Claireece's welfare caseworker, and although they have a limited number of scenes together, the chemistry clicks and Carey is amazingly convincing. The ensemble cast, especially the other female students, is superb. There simply isn't one "off" performance in the entire film --- it's a tour de force! Opinion: Strong See It Now!

And dream she does, in the many fantasy sequences in the film that have Precious basking in the bright lights of stardom, a popular celebrity idolized by adoring crowds. Of course, the movie quickly snaps back to reality, and there is Precious, being berated, or worse, by her mother, Mary (Mo'Nique, in a stunning performance), or sitting aimlessly in a classroom with no apparent interest in learning. But one day it all begins to change for Precious, because one observant young teacher realizes Precious has a real aptitude for math, and suggests she look at an alternative high school where she can get the proper attention she needs.

The best scenes in the film take place in her new, tiny classroom, where a half dozen or so young women from different backgrounds, but all with some type of learning problems or social deviance, manage to get along and forget about their little squabbles, to concentrate on their studies. Their teacher, Ms. Rain (the beautiful Paula Patton) runs a no nonsense class, and eventually she and the others draw out Precious' rather endearing and magnetic personality. The ensemble acting by this group is terrific.

As for Mo'Nique, her portrayal as the mean-spirited, chain-smoking mother who watches TV all day while collecting government welfare checks is a memorable one that could generate Oscar buzz. Hers is certainly not a likeable character, and when she confronts Precious' caseworker at the end of the film (Mariah Carey, sans make-up and any hint of glamour, but surprisingly credible in the role), we're not sure if we can believe her "repentant" act. Is it merely a charade to continue receiving those checks?

Sidibe is simply wonderful as the beleaguered Precious who has the odds stacked against her (as a teenager, she has two children out of wedlock), and yet she exudes a hopefulness and independence at the end that will lift your spirits. Credit director Lee Daniels, in only his second film, with a masterful job of not letting things spill over into sentimentality, but keeping it real. Opinion: Strong See It Now!