Blues, Hope, and Disturbing Images: A Comparison of Sapphire’s Push and the Film Precious

Abstract

When I heard that Sapphire’s book, Push (1996), was going to be made into a film, Precious (2009), I had mixed feelings. I had read the novel years before and thought it was worth the “movie treatment.” And although it was fortunate that an African American literary work, one that I think greatly represents contemporary African American literature and that made it to the silver screen, when many do not, I had reservations because films are often poor renditions of the novels, at best. However, when I learned that Oprah Winfrey was one of the producers, some of my concerns were initially assuaged, since Winfrey has been open about her own sexual abuse experiences and her personal blues experiences. I believed she would help ensure that the novel’s essence would be adapted into the film while maintaining sensitivity in the portrayals of the novel’s subject matter and characterizations.