I can't decide.
I will say this: Precious' mom isn't unique to Harlem or the black community. as someone with a significantly different background, I found myself nodding and shuddering at turns.
some will say that it is too much bad to happen to one person. but it's the vulnerable ones who are most open to this sort of abuse.
I read around the internet such opinions as, "the inner cities are beyond repair, there is no hope for them, for the people who live there". this is some sort of political statement I imagine. but I would assert Precious' experience is a quintessentially American one; the America I know, after all, the America of enormous racial and economic inequality. Hollywood doesn't like to focus on this aspect of our society considering it not very interesting or likely to induce guilt in the upper-middle class folk most likely to buy movie tickets. but watching precious helped me feel vindicated: "here, at last," I said to myself, "is someone telling my story".
what *is* inaccurate is the portrayal of social workers as generally helpful or even moderately well-meaning people. this is blatantly false. the role of the social worker is that of an auditor; my experience with them is that they have nothing but contempt for the people who they are hired to help.
of course precious was right in the end. what could the nice lady do for her? but at least her heart was in the right place.
the problem with America isn't the inner cities but an utter lack of love, compassion, understanding.
