On paper, the new movie “Precious” doesn’t sound like much fun: It’s the story of a 350-pound, illiterate black teenager impregnated for the second time by her dad and physically and verbally abused by her mom. It’s enough to send a girl galloping into the next showing of lighter fare like “Couples Retreat”! But the film industry buzz for “Precious”—from the illustrious Cannes Film Festival to this week’s cover of The New York Times Magazine—says the film is not to be missed. There’s even buzz about an Oscar for Mo’Nique, who stars as Precious’ monstrous mother, as well as accolades for the rest of the cast, including Mariah Carey, Paula Patton, Gabby Sidibe, and Lenny Kravitz.

“Precious,” adapted from the novel Push by Sapphire, is a gritty indie film directed by Lee Daniels about an obese and illiterate teen who is pregnant for a second time by her own father. Set in Harlem in 1987, the story follows Precious as she struggles with her insecurities and disastrous home life while using what resources she has to improve her life. Although, “Precious” has an impressive cast, Mo’Nique, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Sherri Shepherd, Paula Patton, and Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe in the starring role, Mariah and Mo’Nique’s performances are already generating Oscar buzz. Mariah strips off the makeup and glitz from her normal life and steps into the role of a social worker. Mo’Nique is terrifying as she plays Mary, Precious’ mother, who is both physically and verbally abusive and delusional. Mary has the power to crush all of Precious’ hopes. Gabby also gives a great performance in her acting debut for someone who auditioned on a whim. If the book is any indication, “Precious” won’t wallow in the bleak details of the main character’s life. Instead it captures an energy that is pushed along by anger and hope. If you need more encouragement to see this film when it opens Nov. 6, consider that it won three awards at the Sundance Film Festival, including the coveted Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, and received a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

I was very skeptical when I heard about Essence’s special “Voluptuous Issue” this morning. I thought maybe it would be a gimmick like Vogue Italia’s “Black Issue”. And I didn’t see a need for a special issue celebrating full-figured women because Essence seems to do just that on a consistent basis. One of the reasons I’m not a big fan of this lady mag is because each month they have a section on how to wear a certain outfit in any size. The problem is the first size is an eight. I’m no where near that size, so I felt excluded each time I picked up the magazine. I also, for the life of me, couldn’t figure out why a magazine would celebrate a lifestyle that could lead to health problems. According to the Obesity Society, black women and men have the highest prevalence of obesity than any other race or ethnicity. But after reading the magazine, I had a greater understanding of the thinking behind this issue.