By AFRO Staff
(January 13, 2009) - Filmmaker Lee Daniels is gearing up to take his recent film Push, starring actress/comedienne Monique, at the Sundance Film Festival, blackamericaweb.com reported.
The gritty drama, based on the 1996 novella of the same name by Sapphire, chronicles Clareece “Precious” Jones, a sexually-and verbally-abused, illiterate Black girl with two children by her own father.
In an {Essence} magazine article, Mo’Nique opened up about her own childhood molestation at the hands of an older brother while growing up in Baltimore.
“My brother was a monster to me,” she said. “When Lee [Daniels] would say, ‘action,’ I became my brother.”
Percious, played by newcomer Gabourey “Gabbie” Sidibe, is also abused by her domineering mother (Mo’Nique.) Actress Paula Patton, singer/actor Lenny Kravitz, singer Mariah Carey and “The View’s” Sherri Shepherd also star in the film.
“Ever since I read the book I saw Push as a movie,” Daniels said. “And finally after Sapphire saw my film, Shadowboxer, she granted me the rights.”