Jacob H. Logan Narrative Scriptwriting MWF Script Analysis: Precious

Transcription

1 Jacob H. Logan Narrative Scriptwriting MWF Script Analysis: Precious

2 Precious is a story of transformation. It follows the life of a sixteen-year-old girl in 1987 Harlem. She s pregnant with her second child, illiterate, and unloved. The only thing going for her is hope and it s that hope that becomes the focus of the film. It starts out like a Cinderella story but no fairy godmother comes and Precious never makes it to the ball. She does eventually get away from the evil stepmother but she does it by her own will and without any magical help. She transforms from a girl who wishes she was dead to a self-confident woman willing to do what it takes to change her life for the better. It is a story about overcoming adversity. Through harsh, slang filled dialogue, a cold, unforgiving environment, selfish, abusive characters, poverty, and disease, this adversity is illustrated. It is also in the midst of this adversity that hope is found through education, friendships, and a teacher who, unlike almost everyone else, actually loves Precious. The script begins with the image of an overturned trashcan rolling in the middle of a street in Harlem. Precious, the protagonist, looks curiously inside and finds a book by Langston Hughes. When a passing car almost runs her over, she falls to the ground dropping the book in a storm drain. After Precious falls to the ground, an ambulance drives by slowly with no regard for her at all. Precious imagines Tom Cruise holding his hand out to her and the scene fades to black. This scene sets the mood for the entire story and is perfectly symbolic for the struggle Precious goes through. She is stuck in a seemingly hopeless situation and must find a way out in the midst of the garbage around her. It also shows us, right off the bat, that Precious is an imaginative character that is capable of creating good in bad situations.

3 The main tension is established as we learn that Precious can not read, she is pregnant, and she is being expelled from school. We also find out quickly that she has a terrible home life, an abusive mother, and a father who has not only raped her but is also the father of both of her children. The interesting thing about this script is that the further it progresses, the more predicaments the antagonist is faced with. The main conflict is between Precious and her future. It is most likely that she will end up jobless and on welfare. It is the culmination of all of the problems in her life that gives her opposition so much power and that power only seems to grow as the story progresses. It is her perseverance that allows her to succeed in the end and it is that perseverance that the script is focused on. The main source of progress and change comes from Precious advancements with reading and writing. The highest point of tension is when we learn that Precious has contracted HIV from her father. At this point in the script, Precious has had her second child who has turned out to be completely healthy, she s moved out of her mother s house, she has come a long way with her reading and writing, and she s begun to build lasting relationships. Everything seems to be looking up and then Precious finds out that she has a fatal illness. This is the ultimate conflict, because it is one that, no matter the possibilities, she can never overcome. In the next to last scene in the script, we learn that her mother allows her to be molested at the age of three. In complete contrast to herself at the beginning of the story, Precious openly rejects her mother and confidently leaves the social services office with both of her children. It is only at

4 the end of the story that we realize the solution to Precious problems has been her will and determination to fight. Though most of her problems are still present by the end of the script, we are left with hope for her future and the future of her children. Through the use flashbacks, we learn that Precious has been abused a lot in her life. These flashbacks usually take place in stressful situations. One excellent use of this is during a scene where Precious teacher, Ms. Rain, is trying to get her to read a sentence. As she struggles to put the words together, we see a rapid sequence of images including a frying pan coming at her head and her naked father heaving over her body. This shows us part of why Precious has struggled with her schooling and the source of her low self-esteem. As her teacher s voice becomes audible again, the memories fade away and Precious begins to read the words. Another technique the author uses is fantasy. During many of the confrontations in the script, Precious escapes the situation by imagining herself in another world. One example of this would be during a scene when her father is raping her. As she looks up at a crack in the ceiling, she imagines herself dancing with Tom Cruise. In these fantasies, she s accepted and loved. People think she is beautiful, smart and talented. These images give the audience an insight into how Precious wishes to be seen. Another example of this is a scene where Precious is looking in the mirror and sees herself as a thin, blonde, white girl. By seeing who Precious wishes to be, we learn who she wishes not to be. The script s dialogue is thick with slang, misspellings, and poor grammar. It is written to emulate

5 the way real people in this time and setting might talk. Most of it is harsh and crude, but it is in no way an exaggeration. Its purpose is to paint a realistic picture of the people in this setting. Throughout the script, there are many voice-overs from Precious. They are verbalized thoughts relevant to each scene and are from a first-person point of view. There is no omniscient voice in this story, which I think is vital to its effectiveness. In a way, it leaves the presence of God up for question. By making the only point of view an in-the-moment perspective from Precious, it creates an intimacy between the protagonist and the audience. We hear the thoughts, hopes, and fears that no other character within the story can. By doing this, the audience can put themselves in her place and each part of her life becomes personal. The setting, Harlem 1972, is a mirror of the script s characters. It s harsh, dirty, unfriendly, unforgiving, and relentless. The setting is a character itself. In a way, it is the main antagonist. The setting could be seen as the cause for all of the problems in Precious life. The poverty, poor education system, high crime level, and overcrowding are all of the things Precious is trying to get away from. However, there is one setting in the story that actually helps the protagonist along. The escape Precious finds in the alternative school leads to her transformation. Unlike regular school, where Precious was not expected to learn, her new class pushes her to improve. She is allowed to be seen and to express herself. It is in this new environment that Precious can become her new self. The descriptions of setting, action, and camera direction are all very detailed. Each has been carefully planned and reflects the theme of the scene as well the

6 story as a whole. Having both read the script and seen the film, it is clear that most of the direction was taken straight from the original script. It was detailed enough to be vividly imagined by the reader, but it wasn t so technical that it took away from the story. If one setting in the story is described, that description isn t repeated. By doing this, the reader can focus on the story and not as much on how it is supposed to look. The story does not strictly follow the sequence functioning model but it does follow the three-act ideal. In the first act we are introduced to the characters and the main conflict. In Act II the protagonist begins to make progress but is confronted with even more conflict. New characters are introduced, in this case Precious new classmates and teacher. We also are confronted with the highest tension, which is the main character s realization that she is AIDS positive. In the third act, the main tension of the film is relieved when Precious claims her full independence from her mother, who we find to be even more of a monster than we previously realized.