Mo'Nique as Mary Lee Johnston in Precious
Best Supporting Actress at the 82nd Annual Oscars (2009)
Notable Quote:
“Don't nobody want you, don't nobody need you!”
Synopsis:
Take all of the most upsetting things that you can think of – racism, sexual and emotional abuse, teen pregnancy, HIV, poverty – throw them into a blender, and you have Precious, a shockingly engaging film!
The character:
Mary is the welfare queen that haunted Reagan’s nightmares. She’s a complete scammer who spends her days watching old gameshows, forcing her daughter to cook for her, and pretending that her grandchild lives with her just so that she can cash an extra check. There’s nothing that I love more than stepping into defend someone that everyone thinks is a villain, but Mary is indefensible. She’s incredibly, purposefully cruel to her daughter Precious, because she wants to destroy her mentally and physically.
Of course, this abuse is tough to watch, but it also makes this character stand out as a particularly unique figure in film history. Mary’s nastiness is terrible, but her worst sins as a parent is enabling her boyfriend to sexually assault Precious repeatedly, and worse, the fact that she blames Precious for her own assault. It’s a dynamic that’s sadly common in abusive households, and even more common culturally, and it’s powerful to see it represented so specifically on screen. Mary can’t handle the feeling that she’s been “abandoned” by her man for her own child, and takes all of her hurt and resentment out on Precious. It’s pitiful and though it doesn’t alleviate Mary’s awfulness, it complicates it.
The performance:
Mo'Nique’s background is in comedy, which only makes this incredibly serious performance (although it’s not without humor) even more impressive. I have to say though, Mo'Nique always has a gravitas about her, even in the silliest of circumstances: just watch her host the iconic trash VH1 Charm School. Anyway, this performance is incredible. Let’s start with that amazing monologue about how Precious stole her man, which was key to her win. It’s so raw and uncomfortable, and Mo'Nique shows no vanity in her willingness to look horrible, both physically and morally. Her ability to deeply move us, all while never letting us lose sight of the fact that Mary is a bad, bad person, is incredible.
Even outside of that scene, she’s incredible – by which I mean, she’s terrifying. Every moment that she’s on-screen is stressful, which is a testament to how well she embodies Mary. She’s got a palpable storm cloud energy swirling around her at all times, that means at any point, she could go off. She’s genuinely frightening, especially when we see her flip on her nice switch around the social worker. It’s truly impressive work from Mo'Nique.
The movie:
Precious is a divisive film, but I think it’s great. It actually reminded me of The Piano: they’re both complicated films about women that are a fascinating mix of gritty realism and fantasy, and they both don’t fully sit well with me as a progressive, but I enjoyed them anyway. More than anything, Precious is an empathetic film that sees a fat, dark-skinned Black teenager as being worthy of focus. I’ve seen critiques calling the movie “tragedy porn,” but those don’t hold up for me because Precious isn’t just a pitiable victim, she’s a fully realized woman. (Sidenote: Gabourey Sidibe was fully robbed of a Best Actress win by Sandra Bullock, in perhaps the complete opposite role). I also love that the movie is shot like an indie film about a struggling White artist but then gets to be about a Black woman. While it’s painful to watch, I’m definitely going to watch again, because I think there’s a lot more to be gained from further viewings.
Was the Oscar deserved?
Yes, this performance is great.