Precious (II) (2009)

Gabourey Sidibe: Precious

Photos 

Quotes 

• Clareece 'Precious' Jones : The other day, I cried. I felt stupid. But you know what? Fuck that day. That's why God, or whoever, makes new days.

• Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Some folks got a light around them that shine for other peoples. I think that maybe some of them was in tunnels, and in that tunnel, maybe the only light they had was inside of them. And then, even long after they escaped that tunnel... They still be shining for everybody else.

• Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Nurse say I'm HIV positive. I ain't got nothing to write today.

  Rhonda : Is your baby okay?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : He alright. I just got to stop breastfeeding him.

  Ms. Rain : I remember you once told me you never got to tell your story. Write.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : FUCK YOU! You don't know nothing of what I been through!

  [begins to cry] 

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : I ain't never had no boyfriend. My daddy say he gonna marry me. How he gonna do that? Would fucking be illegal!

  Ms. Rain : Write.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : I'm tired, Ms. Rain.

  Ms. Rain : If not for yourself, then for the people who love you.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Nobody loves me.

  Ms. Rain : People do love you, Precious.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Please don't lie to me, Ms. Rain. Love ain't done nothing for me. Love beat me. Raped me. Called me an animal. Make me feel worthless. Make me sick!

  Ms. Rain : That wasn't love, Precious. Your baby loves you. *I* love you. Write.

• Mary : Precious! PRECIOUS! PRECIOUS! Get down here, bitch! You brought that white bitch up in my house? You wrong to bring that bitch up in here!

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : I ain't bring her in here.

  Mary : Well, why the fuck did she ring my buzzer? I can't here you, Precious. Since you got so much mothafuckin' mouth and you gon' bring a bitch up in my house... why did that bitch ring my goddamn buzzer?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : I ain't tell her to come here!

  Mary : See, I think right now you think you becomin' a grown woman. 'Cause that shit you pulled in the kitchen... I shoulda fucked you up. But I let you walk away. And I let you get yourself together. But, bitch, I'mma let you know, don't you ever pull that shit again. That'll be your last mothafuckin' day stayin here. I promise you that. You gon' send a white bitch to my mothafuckin' buzzer? Talkin' 'bout some higher education? You're a dummy, bitch! You will never know shit! Don't nobody want you, don't nobody need you! You done fucked around and fucked my mothafuckin' man? And had two mothafuckin' children? And one of 'ems a goddamn animal, runnin' 'round lookin' crazy as a mothafucka? Bitch, you know what? See, I think you... I think you tryin' me. I think you tryin' to fuck with me. You fuckin' with my money... and you gon' stand up there and look at me like you a mothafuckin' woman? I'mma show you what real women do, bitch. See, you don't know what real mothafuckin' women do. Real mothafuckin' women sacrafice! I shoulda aborter your mothafuckin' ass! 'Cause you ain't shit! I knew it when the doctor put you in my goddamn hand you wasn't a goddamn thing! You wear that smirk on your face, bitch? Get outta...!

  [throws an object at Precious] 

  Mary : Now smile about that! Smile about that, you fat bi...

  [Precious kicks the object back at Mary] 

  Mary : I'mma kill you, bitch!

  [Mary chases Precious up the stairs] 

  Mary : Fuck!

• Clareece 'Precious' Jones : [to her mother]  You know, I never knew what you was until this day. Not even after all them things you did. Maybe I was too stupid. Maybe I just didn't want to. You ain't gonna see me no more.

• Clareece 'Precious' Jones : [to one of the boys disrupting math class]  Shut the FUCK UP! I'm tryin' to listen!

• Mrs. Weiss : You know, let's talk about your father. Tell me about your relationship with him.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : I don't know much more than you do, Mrs. White.

  Mrs. Weiss : That's Mrs. "Weiss." Talk to me about the little you do know about your father. It is important, whether you know it or not.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : He give me his baby and my one before it, but I don't never see him...

  Mrs. Weiss : Wait, what did you say he gave you?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Nothing.

  Mrs. Weiss : Wait, Clareece, you just said your father gave you something...

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Nothing.

  Mrs. Weiss : No, I HEARD you just say...

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : You didn't hear shit.

  Mrs. Weiss : I heard you just say your father...

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : You didn't hear shit like it!

  Mrs. Weiss : I don't care, honey! I need to know this!

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : [Overlapping with Mrs. Weiss' voice]  I didn't say nothing like it! Let's move ON!

  Mrs. Weiss : I need this to HELP you...

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : [Angrily]  Bitch, can we change the subject?

  Mrs. Weiss : [tossing her file aside]  Okay. Well, I'll see you next time then. Or maybe you'll see someone else. But you're going to have to talk to someone if you want your check, sweetie.

  [Long pause, whilst Clareece considers this] 

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : I see vampires too...

• Clareece 'Precious' Jones : I'm gonna break through or somebody gonna break through to me.

• Clareece 'Precious' Jones : You don't even like me.

  Mrs. Weiss : Have we not been in this room together for like, a year discussing your life?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Does that mean we like each other because we discussing my life?

  Mrs. Weiss : [Smiling]  Well, I can't speak for you. I can only speak for me, and I like you. I do.

• Mrs. Lichtenstein : [In the principal's office]  Hello, Clareese. Are you pregnant?

  [Clareese looks away] 

  Mrs. Lichtenstein : You're 16; you're still in Junior High School; and you're pregnant with your second child. Is that correct?

  [No reply] 

  Mrs. Lichtenstein : Are you pregnant, again?

  [Mrs. Lichtenstein huffs, exasperated] 

  Mrs. Lichtenstein : What happened Clareese?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : I had sex, Mrs. Lichtenstein.

  Mrs. Lichtenstein : Do you have any other thoughts about your situation, Clareese?

  [Clareese shrugs] 

  Mrs. Lichtenstein : Clareese?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Am I in trouble?

  [No reply] 

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Thank you, but I have to get back to math.

  [She gathers her things to leave] 

  Mrs. Lichtenstein : Sit down, Clareese. Sit down right now!

  [Clareese sits back down] 

  Mrs. Lichtenstein : We should have a parent-teacher conference with you, me and your mother.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : My mother's busy.

  Mrs. Lichtenstein : Alright. How about if I come to your house?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : If I were you, I wouldn't.

• [remembering a previous visit from the social worker] 

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Social worker here.

  Mary : Why din't you tell me that bitch was comin' so fuckin' early? My fucking wi...

  [motions to Precious] 

  Mary : Come get my wig!

• Mary : [fighting with her daughter]  YOU RUINED MY FUCKING LIFE! You done took my man; you had those fucking babies and you got me put off the welfare for runnin' your goddamned stupid-ass mouth!

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : l ain't stupid and l didn't take your man...

  [pause] 

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : YOUR HUSBAND RAPED ME!

  Mary : Didn't no-fucking-body rape you!

  [Precious grabs her] 

  Mary : Bitch, don't you put your fucking hands on me!

• Clareece 'Precious' Jones : [of Ms. Rain and her friend]  They talk like TV channels I don't watch... I'm glad Abdul here to listen in, though, 'cause I know they're smart.

• [first lines] 

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : [voiceover]  My name is Clareece "Precious" Jones. I wish I had a light-skinned boyfriend with real nice hair. And I wanna be on the cover of a magazine. But first I wanna be in one of them BET videos. Momma said I can't dance. Plus, she said who wants to see my big ass dancing, anyhow?

• Clareece 'Precious' Jones : [to herself about her mom masturbating in her bed with a toothbrush]  I wish she'd quit that shit...

• Clareece 'Precious' Jones : [narrating]  Sometimes l wish l was dead. l'll be okay, I guess, 'cause l'm looking up. l'm looking up for a piano to fall. Or a desk, couch, TV... Momma, maybe. Always something in my way.

• Mrs. Lichtenstein : [to Precious]  Hello, Clareece. Are you pregnant? You're 16. You're still in junior high school, and you're pregnant with your second child.

  [pause] 

  Mrs. Lichtenstein : ls that correct, Clareece? Are you pregnant again?

  [another pause] 

  Mrs. Lichtenstein : What happened, Clareece?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : l had sex, Ms. Lichtenstein.

  Mrs. Lichtenstein : Do you have any other thoughts about your situation, Clareece?

  [pause] 

  Mrs. Lichtenstein : Clareece?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Am I in trouble?

• Mrs. Lichtenstein : We should have a parent-teacher's conference with you, me and your mother.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : My mother's busy.

  Mrs. Lichtenstein : All right. Well then... how about if l come to your house?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : If I were you, I wouldn't.

  Mrs. Lichtenstein : l... l'm going to have to suspend you.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : [angrily]  That ain't fair! l didn't do nothing! l do my work! MY GRADES IS GOOD!

  Mrs. Lichtenstein : ls something going on at home? If something's going on at home, l want you to tell me right now.

• Clareece 'Precious' Jones : My name Clareece 'Precious' Jones. I go by 'Precious'. I live in Harlem. I like yellow. And... I had problems at my other school, so I come here.

  Ms. Rain : Something you do well?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Nothin'.

  Ms. Rain : Everybody's good at something.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : [shakes her head]  Mm-mm.

  Ms. Rain : Come on.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Well, I can cook and... I never really talked in class before.

  Ms. Rain : How does that make you feel?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Here. It make me feel here.

• Clareece 'Precious' Jones : [narrating] 

  [about her math teacher] 

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : I like Mr. Wicher. l pretend he my husband and we live someplace like Westchester. Look at him. He like me, too, l know it. l can tell by his eyes. He always looking at me and smiling at me.

• Mary : [screaming at Precious to come from upstairs]  Precious! Precious! PRECIOUS, GET DOWN HERE, BITCH! You brought that white bitch up in my house! You- why would you bring that bitch up in here?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : I didn't bring her here!

  Mary : Well, why the fuck did she ring my buzzer?

  [pause] 

  Mary : l can't hear you, Precious! Since you got so much motherfuckin' mouth, and you gonna bring a bitch up in my house, why would that bitch ring my goddamn buzzer?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : [on the verge of tears]  I didn't tell her to come here!

  Mary : See, l think right now, you feeling like you're becoming a grown woman 'cause of that shit you pulled in the kitchen. l should've fucked you up, but l let you walk away, and l let you come get yourself together.

  [pause] 

  Mary : But, bitch, l'm gonna let you know if you ever pull that shit on me again, that will be your last motherfucking day standing, l promise you that. You gonna send a white bitch to my motherfucking buzzer? Talking about some higher education?

  [pause] 

  Mary : You're a dummy, bitch, you will never know shit. Don't nobody want you. Don't nobody need you! You done fucked around and fucked my motherfucking man and had two motherfucking children, and one of them is a goddamn animal, running around, looking crazy as a motherfucker. Bitch, you know what?

  [pause] 

  Mary : See, I think you- l think you're trying me. l think you're really trying to fuck with me. You're fucking with my money. And you're gonna stand up there and look down at me like you're a motherfucking woman. l'm gonna show you what real women do, bitch.

  [pause] 

  Mary : See, you don't know what real motherfucking women do. Real motherfucking women sacrifice!

  [pause] 

  Mary : l should've aborted your motherfucking ass 'cause you ain't shit! l knew it the day the doctors put you in my goddamn hand you wasn't a goddamn thing, and you have that smirk on your face, bitch? Get it off your fucking face! Now smile about that! Smile about that, you fat bitch. l'm gonna kill you, bitch!

• Clareece 'Precious' Jones : [Taking an assessment test]  There's always something wrong with these tests. These tests paint a picture of me with no brain. These tests paint a picture of me and my mother, my whole family as less than dumb. Just ugly black grease, need to be wiped away, find a job for.

• Mary : Hey, Precious.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Hey.

  Mary : You had the baby?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : A boy.

  Mary : Where you been all this time?

  Mary : [after a pause]  Let me see him.

  [Precious shows her the baby's face] 

  Mary : Can I hold him?

  Mary : [Precious hands her the baby]  He look like his daddy.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : His name Abdul.

  Mary : Put all this shit down and go get me something to drink.

• Rhonda : [referring to Precious giving birth]  How was it? Were you screaming?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : It hurt.

  Rhonda : Tough gal like you screaming?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Not so tough with a baby coming out of me.

• Mary : You need to forget about that school shit and take your ass down to the welfare.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : I'm getting a stipend from school.

  Mary : Fool, what the fuck is a stipend? What is that? Fuck a stipend. I said, take your ass down to the welfare.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Right now?

  Mary : Why in the fuck would you go right now? It's at nighttime. Shit is closed. You gotta be there by 7am in the morning if you wanna talk to somebody.

  [under her breath] 

  Mary : Fucking stupid.

• Clareece 'Precious' Jones : The food in this hospital's nasty.

  Nurse John : [referring to the fruit he's eating]  It's not from here.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Where it from?

  Nurse John : A little shop by my house where I get my organic food so I don't have to eat that nasty mystery meat stuff they got downstairs.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Can you bring me something? I don't like fruit, I like McDonalds.

  Nurse John : First of all, I don't eat McDonalds. And second of all, you don't need to be eating McDonalds, either. It's not healthy.

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : But I like McDonalds. We all like McDonalds, right?

  Rhonda : Yeah, we like McDonalds, too, over here.

  Jermaine : I don't like no damn McDonalds. I want some of that organic shit like you got.

  Nurse John : [to Precious]  Well, I'll tell you what. When you get up outta here, you go with all your little friends and you go down to McDonalds and you get as much McDonalds as you want. But right now, we take care of your health.

• KFC Cashier : Whatchu want, baby?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : Give me a basket, please.

  KFC Cashier : Sides?

  Clareece 'Precious' Jones : I don't know yet, still thinking about it. Tryin' to watch my figure.