Precious Quotes
In New York City's Harlem circa 1987, an overweight, abused, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: [Crying hysterically] Nobody loves me!
Ms. Rain: People do love you, Precious.
Clareece '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!
Ms. Rain: People do love you, Precious.
Clareece '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!
Mary: We would, we would, uh, start doin' it, and he reached over... and he touched my baby. And I asked him, and I said "Carl, what are you doing"? 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: I shut my fat ass up. And I don't want you to sit there and judge me, Miss Weiss.
Mrs. Weiss: [Angrily] You shut up and you let him abuse your daughter.
Mary: I didi not want him to abuse my daughter. I did not want him to hurt her.
Mrs. Weiss: [Overlapping with Mary's voice] But you ALLOWED him to hurt her!
Mary: 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 fuckin' 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 making love to me was fucking my baby. And she made him leave. She made him go away.
Mrs. Weiss: So whose fault was that?
Mary: It's this bitch'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 fuckin' 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 fuckin' 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.
Mrs. Weiss: And what did you do then?
Mary: I shut my fat ass up. And I don't want you to sit there and judge me, Miss Weiss.
Mrs. Weiss: [Angrily] You shut up and you let him abuse your daughter.
Mary: I didi not want him to abuse my daughter. I did not want him to hurt her.
Mrs. Weiss: [Overlapping with Mary's voice] But you ALLOWED him to hurt her!
Mary: 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 fuckin' 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 making love to me was fucking my baby. And she made him leave. She made him go away.
Mrs. Weiss: So whose fault was that?
Mary: It's this bitch'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 fuckin' 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 fuckin' 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.
Clareece '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 sitll be shining for everybody else.
Mary: Precious! PRECIOUS! PRECIOUS! Get down here, bitch! You brought that white bitch up in my house? You wrong to bring that bitch up in here!
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: I ain't bring her in here.
Mary: Well, why the fuck did she ring my buzzer? I can't here you, Precious. Since you got so much mothafuckin' mouth and you gon' bring a bitch up in my house... why did that bitch ring my goddamn buzzer?
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: I ain't tell her to come here!
Mary: See, I think right now you think you becomin' a grown woman. 'Cause that shit you pulled in the kitchen... I shoulda fucked you up. But I let you walk away. And I let you get yourself together. But, bitch, I'mma let you know, don't you ever pull that shit again. That'll be your last mothafuckin' day stayin here. I promise you that. You gon' send a white bitch to my mothafuckin' buzzer? Talkin' 'bout some higher education? You're a dummy, bitch! You will never know shit! Don't nobody want you, don't nobody need you! You done fucked around and fucked my mothafuckin' man? And had two mothafuckin' children? And one of 'ems a goddamn animal, runnin' 'round lookin' crazy as a mothafucka? Bitch, you know what? See, I think you... I think you tryin' me. I think you tryin' to fuck with me. You fuckin' with my money... and you gon' stand up there and look at me like you a mothafuckin' woman? I'mma show you what real women do, bitch. See, you don't know what real mothafuckin' women do. Real mothafuckin' women sacrafice! I shoulda aborter your mothafuckin' ass! 'Cause you ain't shit! I knew it when the doctor put you in my goddamn hand you wasn't a goddamn thing! You wear that smirk on your face, bitch? Get outta...!
[throws object at Precious]
Mary: Now smile about that! Smile about that, you fat bi -
[Precious kicks a shoe at Mary]
Mary: I'mma kill you, bitch!
[Mary chases Precious up the stairs]
Mary: Fuck!
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: I ain't bring her in here.
Mary: Well, why the fuck did she ring my buzzer? I can't here you, Precious. Since you got so much mothafuckin' mouth and you gon' bring a bitch up in my house... why did that bitch ring my goddamn buzzer?
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: I ain't tell her to come here!
Mary: See, I think right now you think you becomin' a grown woman. 'Cause that shit you pulled in the kitchen... I shoulda fucked you up. But I let you walk away. And I let you get yourself together. But, bitch, I'mma let you know, don't you ever pull that shit again. That'll be your last mothafuckin' day stayin here. I promise you that. You gon' send a white bitch to my mothafuckin' buzzer? Talkin' 'bout some higher education? You're a dummy, bitch! You will never know shit! Don't nobody want you, don't nobody need you! You done fucked around and fucked my mothafuckin' man? And had two mothafuckin' children? And one of 'ems a goddamn animal, runnin' 'round lookin' crazy as a mothafucka? Bitch, you know what? See, I think you... I think you tryin' me. I think you tryin' to fuck with me. You fuckin' with my money... and you gon' stand up there and look at me like you a mothafuckin' woman? I'mma show you what real women do, bitch. See, you don't know what real mothafuckin' women do. Real mothafuckin' women sacrafice! I shoulda aborter your mothafuckin' ass! 'Cause you ain't shit! I knew it when the doctor put you in my goddamn hand you wasn't a goddamn thing! You wear that smirk on your face, bitch? Get outta...!
[throws object at Precious]
Mary: Now smile about that! Smile about that, you fat bi -
[Precious kicks a shoe at Mary]
Mary: I'mma kill you, bitch!
[Mary chases Precious up the stairs]
Mary: Fuck!
[first lines]
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: [voiceover] My name is Clareece "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?
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: [voiceover] My name is Clareece "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?
Clareece '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?
Clareece '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. Weiss: Have we not been in this room together for like, a year discussing your life?
Clareece '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: [In the principal's office] Hello, Clareese. Are you pregnant?
[Clareese 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 huffs, exasperated]
Mrs. Lichtenstein: What happened Clareese?
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: I had sex, Mrs. Lichtenstein.
Mrs. Lichtenstein: Do you have any other thoughts about your situation, Clareese?
[Clareese shrugs]
Mrs. Lichtenstein: Clareese?
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: Am I in trouble?
[No reply]
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: Thank you, but I have to get back to math.
[She gathers her things to leave]
Mrs. Lichtenstein: Sit down, Clareese. Sit down right now!
[Clareese sits back down]
Mrs. Lichtenstein: We should have a parent-teacher conference with you, me and your mother.
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: My mother's busy.
Mrs. Lichtenstein: Alright. How about if I come to your house?
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: If I were you, I wouldn't.
[Clareese 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 huffs, exasperated]
Mrs. Lichtenstein: What happened Clareese?
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: I had sex, Mrs. Lichtenstein.
Mrs. Lichtenstein: Do you have any other thoughts about your situation, Clareese?
[Clareese shrugs]
Mrs. Lichtenstein: Clareese?
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: Am I in trouble?
[No reply]
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: Thank you, but I have to get back to math.
[She gathers her things to leave]
Mrs. Lichtenstein: Sit down, Clareese. Sit down right now!
[Clareese sits back down]
Mrs. Lichtenstein: We should have a parent-teacher conference with you, me and your mother.
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: My mother's busy.
Mrs. Lichtenstein: Alright. How about if I come to your house?
Clareece '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.
Clareece '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.
Clareece '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?
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: Nothing.
Mrs. Weiss: Wait, Clareece, you just said your father gave you something...
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: Nothing.
Mrs. Weiss: No, I HEARD you just say...
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: You didn't hear shit.
Mrs. Weiss: I heard you just say your father...
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: You didn't hear shit like it!
Mrs. Weiss: I don't care, honey! I need to know this!
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: [Overlapping with Mrs. Weiss' voice] I didn't say nothing like it! Let's move ON!
Mrs. Weiss: I need this to HELP you...
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: [Angrily] Bitch, can we change the subject?
Mrs. Weiss: [tossing her file aside] 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.
[Long pause, whilst Clareece considers this]
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: I see vampires too...
Clareece '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.
Clareece '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?
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: Nothing.
Mrs. Weiss: Wait, Clareece, you just said your father gave you something...
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: Nothing.
Mrs. Weiss: No, I HEARD you just say...
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: You didn't hear shit.
Mrs. Weiss: I heard you just say your father...
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: You didn't hear shit like it!
Mrs. Weiss: I don't care, honey! I need to know this!
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: [Overlapping with Mrs. Weiss' voice] I didn't say nothing like it! Let's move ON!
Mrs. Weiss: I need this to HELP you...
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: [Angrily] Bitch, can we change the subject?
Mrs. Weiss: [tossing her file aside] 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.
[Long pause, whilst Clareece considers this]
Clareece 'Precious' Jones: I see vampires too...
