Books in French are on www.livres-cinema.info
Precious
Identity, Adaptation and the African-American Youth Film
(0 vote)Average rating:
| 0 | rating |  = We can do without |
| 0 | rating |  = Good book |
| 0 | rating |  = Excellent book |
| 0 | rating |  = Unique / a reference |
Your rating: -
Book Presentation:
Examining how the discourses of youth, race, poverty and identity take shape when Push is adapted to the big screen, this book brings together valuable research to delve into representations of African-American girlhood.
The book draws attention to how Black girlhood takes shape in the film under the dominant White discourses that racialise non-White bodies, and examines how these discourses inform a critical reception of the film and Precious, as a Black girl. Through a consideration of Black culture and heritage, it questions what narratives of girlhood, growth and development are afforded to the main character, in a film that is informed by neoliberal and colour-blind discourses. Highlighting the social context in which Precious was received, the book draws attention to how a discussion of Precious in the critical press gives insight into the racial politics that were dominant at the time of the film’s release. It considers whether race impacts how the film engages with, reflects and moves beyond conventions within the genre of youth film.
Concise and engaging, this vital book sheds light on underrepresented areas of film studies that make it an invaluable resource for students and scholars of film, race and youth cultures.
About the Author:
Katherine Whitehurst is a lecturer in media and film at the University of Liverpool. Her research centres on adaptation; fairy tales; child, youth and age studies; screen and literature; girlhood and identity; cultural memory; feminism; and gender.
See the publisher website: Routledge
See Precious (2009) on IMDB ...
> On a related topic:
Afrofuturism in Black Panther (2025)
Gender, Identity, and the Re-Making of Blackness
Dir. Renée T. White and Karen A. Ritzenhoff
Subject: One Film > Black Panther
Why Wakanda Matters (2021)
What Black Panther Reveals About Psychology, Identity, and Communication
Dir. Sheena C. Howard
Subject: One Film > Black Panther
From Street to Screen (2020)
Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep
Dir. Michael T. Martin and David C. Wall
Subject: One Film > Killer of Sheep
Disney's Most Notorious Film (2012)
Race, Convergence, and the Hidden Histories of Song of the South
by Jason Sperb
Subject: One Film > Song of the South
From Havana to Hollywood (2025)
Slave Resistance in the Cinematic Imaginary
Subject: Countries > Latin America
Reel Freedom (2025)
Black Film Culture in Early Twentieth-Century New York City
by Alyssa Lopez
Subject: Sociology
Back
