MovieChat Forums > Precious (2009) Discussion > Honestly? I would've forgiven Mary. [Spo...

Honestly? I would've forgiven Mary. [Spoilers]

posted 8 years ago by dwellman21
11 replies | jump to latest

Well, maybe forgive is a strong word, but I think the current ending is a little too rough on her.

The fact of the matter is that they're BOTH victims of Carl's abuse. He took advantage of both of them, then disappeared without a trace (well, only coming back every so often to abuse Precious again). He was a monster that destroyed both of their lives, and Mary's way of coping with it was unfortunately taking it out on her daughter/grandkids. She sees them as a constant reminder/the manifestation of Carl's hideousness, and since he's not around to (rightfully) beat up on, she replaces him with them.

Even at the end of that movie during that gut-wrenching breakdown scene (seriously, it's one of the more *beep* up monologues I've ever seen put on film), she still can't bring herself to accept that it wasn't either one of their fault. In her mind, she clearly did something wrong to make the man she committed her life to not love her anymore over Precious. Obviously that's wrong, but that's how deep the scars run.

She really could've used Robin Williams to say to her "it's not your fault."

If I wrote this movie, I would've changed the ending where Precious actually realizes that, realizes that they have more in common than she thought, and while she may not move back in with her, she'd at least let Mary know that she feels her pain. Mary needs the same kind of help Precious got. Mary needs someone to reassure her that someone loves her too, something she never got from her abusive husband.

[–] chuckybuzzing 8 years ago

I get where you are coming from here
I do! (Please forgive my English)

But at the end of the day she was abused and someone sat back and allowed that. As us the audience? We can say forgive and be happy but imagine that it's awful.

I do feel bad for both however,I like to think they had happy endings we didn't see.

[–] blairbitchproject 8 years ago

No, I disagree. Mary was a monster just like Carl. Being a victim of abuse doesn't give you permission to abuse others, let alone do the horrible things Mary did to her daughter. Not to mention Mary was a bystander while Carl - when he was in their lives - savagely abused and raped their daughter.

[–] Suki_Akbar 8 years ago

I agree what the poster said above me. Mary was a disgusting person. Hell no, I would have not forgiven her; not by a long shot. She was evil and treated Precious horribly.

Save the trees. Wipe your ass with owls!

[–] MissGoldHeart 8 years ago

I agree with the two previous posters. It actually sickens me that someone would equate Precious' victimization with Mary's and act as if the two are the same or even close. Precious was a helpless child, Mary was an adult and Precious' mother. She had an obligation to protect her daughter from Carl's abuse and even if we somehow can excuse her failing to protect Precious- and that's a stretch- but even if we play Devil's advocate and say, "Well, Mary wasn't strong enough to defend Precious, so we should 'forgive' her for that",there is absolutely NO excuse for the vicious mental, physical and sexual abuse that
Mary herself perpetrated on Precious, starting when Precious was a small child.

And if the beatings, the sexual molestation and the name calling that Mary heaped on Precious weren't bad enough, she actually had the gall to blame Precious for being abused by Carl. Mary made ridiculous excuses for her behavior, designed to make us feel sorry for her, but her self pitying attitude made me despise her even more.
Mary was an absolutely vile character with no redeeming qualities. Suggesting that we forgive such a monster strikes me as trying to downplay evil. She was a rotten excuse for both a mother and a human being and deserved not an ounce of sympathy or forgiveness.

[–] sandifay62 8 years ago

Yeah, they were simply two evil people. They treated Precious they way they did because they could and enjoyed it. Precious was abused but didn't abuse them. They don't deswerve forgiveness. They deserved jail or worse.

[–] WhaChaChaKing (23) 8 years ago

Sorry but she was a fucking adult. Grow the fuck up and take care of your child. Not only did she let her child be abused and raped she abused as well. And wasn't it hinted at that she raped Precious as well? Fuck forgiving that piece of shit. Her boyfriend did not make her do the horrible things she said and did. Bitch deserved to be unhappy at the end and Precious deserved to be as far away from her as possible.

Maybe the father was abused too so I guess it's not his fault either, is it? Ridiculous. The father and mother are grown and should know better and want better for their kid. Got no sympathy for either of them.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

I'm all for forgiving people, however, I WOULNT forgive this monster woman.

She put her daughter through severe hell!

-Beatings
-insults
- allowing her husband to rape her
- fat shaming

On top of that, had the audacity to blame Precious for "stealing" her man when he had sex with her. If she was so upset about that, why didn't she stop him and call the cops??

[–] [email protected] (1358) 6 years ago

Why isnt anyone acknowledging that Mary sexually abused precious as well. Did you not see the scene where Mary was masturbating, and called Precious upstairs to come take care of mama?

[–] pioneergrrrl (2411) 6 years ago

I would not forgive Mary either. Breaking a child down is inexcusable and indefensible. Precious deserved so much better than that. Actually any child deserves so much better than to get abused by their own parent.

[–] mariomonsieur (289) 6 years ago

Perhaps she had learned some self-respect by the end, but it was obviously too late, she crossed the line by throwing the TV right when Precious walked out on her. The mother didn't sound overly sorry.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2411) 5 years ago

Mom was just mad that her livein source of income/servant was moving out and at least somewhat better things.

Yes Precious does die bc she has AIDS/HIV and treatment in 1980s is bad, but she can enjoy what time she has left. And her children don't grow up w Mary and in that same environment. Precious is far more responsible and adult than Mary will ever be.