Precious

Claireece 'Precious' Jones:
[voiceover] My name is Claireece "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?

Claireece 'Precious' Jones:
Some folks has a lot of things around them that shines for other peoples. I think that maybe some of them was in tunnels. And in that tunnel, the only light they had, was inside of them. And then long after they escape that tunnel, they still be shining for everybody else.

Claireece '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.

Claireece 'Precious' Jones:
Sometimes I wish I was dead. I'll be okay, I guess, 'cause I'm lookin' up. Lookin' for something to fall, [chuckles to herself] a desk, a couch, TV... my mom, maybe.

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

Claireece 'Precious' Jones:
[to Mary] You know to this day, I never even knew who you was, 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.

Claireece 'Precious' Jones:
The other day, I cried. But you know what? F*** that day. That's why God, or whoever, makes other days.

Mary Lee Johnston:
[to Precious] Oh, so you're going to stand up there and look down at me like you're a woman? You don't know what real women do! Real women sacrifice! [Throws glass at Precious, which shatters at her feet] Now, laugh at that, fat b*tch.

Mrs. Lichtenstein:
[In the principal's office] Hello, Claireece:[Claireece 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 sighs] What happened Claireece ?

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

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

[Claireece shrugs]

Mrs. Lichtenstein:
Claireece ?

Claireece 'Precious' Jones:
Am I in trouble?

[No reply]

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

[She gathers her things to leave]

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

[Claireece sits back down]

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

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

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

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

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

Claireece '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.

Claireece '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?

Claireece 'Precious' Jones:
Nothing.

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

Claireece 'Precious' Jones:
Nothing.

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

Claireece 'Precious' Jones:
You didn't hear sh*t.

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

Claireece 'Precious' Jones:
You didn't hear sh*t like it!

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

Claireece 'Precious' Jones:
I didn't say nothing like it! Let's move on!

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

Claireece 'Precious' Jones:
[Angrily] B*tch, can we change the subject?

Mrs. Weiss:
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.

Claireece 'Precious' Jones:
[Crying hysterically] Nobody loves me!

Ms. Rain:
People do love you, Precious.

Claireece 'Precious' Jones:
Please don't lie to me, Ms. Rain! Love ain't done nothing for me... but beat me... rape me... call me an animal! Make me feel worthless! Make me sick!

Ms. Rain:
[Tears begin falling from her eyes] That wasn't love, Precious. Your baby loves you. I love you!

Mrs. Weiss:
Let's talk about the abuse in your household. You know what I'm talking about.

Mary Lee Johnston:
[Tearfully] You sit there and you judge me, and you write them notes on your notepad, because you think you know who I am!

...

Mrs. Weiss:
[Angrily] You just sat there, shut up, and let him abuse your daughter.

Mary Lee Johnston:
[Hysterically, in tears] I did not want him to abuse my daughter! I did not want him to hurt her! I didn't want him to do nothing to her!

Mrs. Weiss:
But you allowed him to hurt her! You did!

Mary Lee Johnston:
But, those... those things she told you I did to her? Who... who... who else was going to love me? Who else was going to touch me? Who else was going to make me feel good about myself?

Claireece '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?

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

Precious:
My mother's busy.

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

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

Mary:
‘’‘’’Take yo ass down to the welfare.’’’’’ Precious! [kicks something] DAMN IT! PRECIOUS! PRECIOUS! GET DOWN HERE, B*TCH! YOU BROUGHT THAT WHITE B*TCH UP IN MY HOUSE! YOU--WHY WOULD YOU BRING THAT B*TCH UP IN HERE?!

Precious:
I didn't bring her here.

Mary:
WELL, WHY THE F*** DID SHE RING MY BUZZA?! [silence] I can't hear you, Precious. Since you got so much motherfuckin' mouth, and you gon' bring a b*tch up in my house, WHY WOULD THAT B*TCH RING MY GODDAMN BUZZA?!

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

Mary:
See, I-I-I think, right now, you feelin' like you're becomin' a grown woman. 'Cause that sh*t you pulled in the kitchen, I shoulda f***ed you up, but I let you walk away, and I let you come get yourself together. But, b*tch, I'm-a let you know, if you ever pull that sh*t on me again, that will be your last motherfuckin' day standin'. I promise you that. You gon' send a white b*tch to my motherfuckin' buzza, talkin' 'bout some higher education? You're a dummy, b*tch. You will never know sh*t. Don't nobody want you, don't nobody need you. You done f***ed around and f***ed my motherfuckin' man, and had two motherfuckin' children, and one of 'em is a Goddamn animal, runnin' 'round lookin' crazy as a motherfucka? B*tch, you know what? See, I think you-- I think you tryin' me. I think you really tryin' to f*** with me. You f***in' with my money, and you gon' stand up there and look down at me like you're a motherfuckin' woman? I'm-a show you what real women do, b*tch. See, you don't know what real motherfuckin' women do. Real motherfuckin' women sacrifice! I shoulda aborted your motherfuckin' ass, 'cause you ain't sh*t! I knew that the day the doctors put you in my Goddamn hand, you wasn't a Goddamn thing, and, you had that smirk on your face, b*tch? I'm-a-- Get it off your face! [throws a glass object at Precious, and it breaks] NOW SMILE ABOUT THAT! SMILE ABOUT THAT, YOU FAT BI--! [Precious kicks a slipper at Mary] B*tch, I'm-a-- [runs up to Precious] I'm-a kill you, b*tch! [Mary chases Precious up the stairs] F***!

Tootsie:
You got a nasty-ass mouth.

Joann:
You got a nasty-ass hat.

Ms. Rain:
[to Precious] Come with me. [Precious doesn't listen] Precious? Excuse me?

Precious:
Nurse said I'm HIV positive. I ain't got nothing to write today.

Female Classmate:
[concerned] Is your baby okay?

Precious:
He all right. I just gotta stop breastfeeding him.

Ms. Rain:
[to Precious] I remember you once told me-- You never really got to tell your story. Write.

Precious:
[to Ms. Rain] F*** you! You don't know nothing what I been through! [tears start falling] I ain't never had no boyfriend. My daddy said he gonna marry me. I ain't gonna do, that would f***in' be illegal! [she starts crying]

Ms. Rain:
Write.

Precious:
[voice breaking] I'm tired, Ms. Rain.

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

Precious:
[voice breaking] Nobody loves me.

Ms. Rain:
People do love you, Precious.

Precious:
[crying] 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 so worthless and... make me sick.

Ms. Rain:
[about to cry] That wasn't love, Precious. [tear falls] Your baby loves you. [whispers] I love you. [voice breaking] Write.

Mary:
[voice breaking] I-I... I had a man, and I have a child...and I had to take care of both of 'em, okay? Did I want Carl...to touch my baby? Because I would lay my baby...I would lay her on the side of me, on this pillow...and it was...pink...and it had this little...white writin' on it, and it had her name...'cause she was precious. And I would lay my baby on that pillow, and Carl would be layin' on the other side... and then, we would, we would, uh, start doin' it, and he reached over...and he touched my baby. And I asked him...I said, "Carl, what are you doin'?" And he told me...to shut-- To shut my fat ass up, and it was good for her.

Mrs. Weiss:
And what did you do then?

Mary:
[voice breaking] I shut my fat ass up. And I don't want you to...sit there and judge me, Miss Weiss.

Mrs. Weiss:
[in disbelief] You shut up and you let him abuse your daughter?

Mary:
[voice breaking] I did not want him to abuse my daughter. I did not want him to hurt her.

Mrs. Weiss:
[overlapping Mary] But you allowed him to hurt her.

Mary:
[voice breaking] I did not want him to do nothin' to her. I wanted him to make love to me. That was my man. That was my f***in' man. That was my man, and he wanted my daughter. And that's why I hated her. Because my man, who was supposed to be loving me, who was supposed to be makin' love to me, was f***ing my baby. And she made him leave. She made him go away.

Mrs. Weiss:
So whose fault was that?

Mary:
[voice breaking] It's this b*tch's fault, because she let my man have her, and she didn't say nothin'. She didn't scream, she didn't do nothin'. So, those things that she told you I did to her? Who, who, who else was going to love me? Hmmm? Since you got your degree, and you know every f***in' thing, who was gonna love me? Who... who was gonna make me feel good, who was gonna touch me, and make me feel good late at night? And she made him go away. So... when you sit there, and you writin' them f***in' notes on your pad about who you think I am, and why I did it and all of that... because I didn't have a man.

Precious:
(off screen) (to Mrs. Lichtenstein) Stop ringin the god damn buzza.