Oscar time is a great time for cinema. But one of the bad things about it is that there are so many good movies to watch that we often miss a few real gems, which manage to get overlooked by the bigger, highly publicized movies.

Precious is one of these films. With the likes of Avatar, The Hurt Locker and Invictus stealing the limelight, the Lee Daniels release has managed to go by under the radar in recent months.

Set in Harlem in the 80s, Precious is the story of Claireece Precious Jones, a sixteen-year-old African-American girl born into a life of pain.

For starters, she is pregnant for the second time by her drug-addicted father. Her life at home is made a nightmare by her abusive mother, a poisonously angry woman who scars her emotionally and physically.

School is a place of chaos, and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks even though she cannot read or write.

The inspiring story of Precious is that while she may sometimes be down, she is never out. Her story speaks of a courageous woman who overcomes adversity to reach greater heights.

Threatened with expulsion, Precious is offered the chance to transfer to an alternative school, a move that will lead on a journey from darkness, pain and powerlessness to light, love and self-determination.

There are few movies which leave an everlasting scar on your memory, and Precious is one of these films… for the right reasons.