Every decade it's the same procedure: The "feel-good", the "true-story", and the "some guy (remember, it can never be a girl) with a problem". I'm okay with the war-movie nominees, but some of the time-can you keep a secret?- they're just there because of the performances. What need be done is for the Academy to wake up and smell the unconventional. That's where "Precious" comes in. This little Oprah-endorsed heartbreaker is different from other woe-filled Oscar-winners because it's actually a heartbreaker. "Precious" represents what sympathy truly is in real life, and doesn't let up for the sake of making the audience happy like last year's BP winner, what-a-coinkidink "Slumdog Millionaire". That the main stars are practically unkowns in the world of the acting makes it no less a revelation. If the George Clooney Awards could just see you don't need a war story or a graphic biopic to make a difference in film, they would maybe notice a little more than they're used to.
