Synopsis
It is Harlem, 1987. Precious dreams she is handed a red scarf by a beautiful woman- she wants to be on television. Precious is suspended from school because she is pregnant. Her principal advises her to go to an alternative school called ‘Teach One, Each One’. At home though, her mother has other ideas. She beats Precious, knocking her near-unconscious. Whilst passed out, Precious has flashbacks of her father raping her and dreams of her being at a Premier, dressed glamorously. Mary, Precious’ mother, thinks she should be signing up at the Welfare rather than wasting her time with school.
Precious goes for the test anyway, on the way home she is bullied by boys. When her mother gives her no money for food and she is starving, she steals from a chicken shop. Precious imagines herself being a thin, beautiful, blonde white woman. When Precious starts at the alternative school, she speaks in class for the first time - thanks to Ms Rain’s welcoming character - however when a girl refers to ‘ ‘f’ for fat’, she lashes out and hits her. Precious starts her Welfare meetings with Ms
Weiss, but is reluctant to speak. A social worker visits the family, and her grandmother brings along Precious’ daughter, ‘Mongo’, so that Mary can claim welfare for them both.
One day at the Welfare office, Precious accidentally mentions her father gave her both of her babies. She tries to retract it, but Ms Weiss understands there is something serious in her home-life. Precious has her baby, Abdul, and writes a letter to Ms Rain, who tries to get her back in school. Precious returns home to her mother and they fight, leaving Precious injured. She breaks into the school, so she has somewhere to sleep. Ms Rain tries to find Precious somewhere to sleep, but…
