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Precious is the kind of movie a studio exec must dread hearing a pitch about: “So, there’s this girl, and she’s really sad, her daddy raped her, she named her down syndrome baby Mongo, her mother violently abuses her, she’s HIV-positive, and, yeah, it really sucks to be her.” Surprisingly, Precious doesn’t wallow in melodrama. It plays straight-forward and honest, and you really start to root for Precious while she puts herself in a new school, tries to shed her shitty backstory, and begin a new life. Mo’Nique fully deserved her Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Gabourey Sidibe (as Precious) and director Lee Daniels also deliver amazing work. And how about that Mariah Carey? Girl almost makes up for Glitter in a stellar supporting turn.

Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress (Mo’Nique), Best Adapted Screenplay

Nominations: Best Picture, Leading Actress (Gabourey Sidibe), Director, Film Editing