Precious Precious

(NEW YORK) "I don't usually wear a tux to go the movies!" laughed the dapper Colin Powell, arriving at the Crosby Street Hotel for the Cinema Society and Tommy Hilfiger's after-party for Precious. The legend missed the screening due to an official dinner, but he has imminent plans to catch it in theaters. "Like everyone else, I've heard a lot about it," said Quincy Jones, arriving a few minutes post-Powell.

Those who did catch the film in the hotel's gleaming, comfy screening room--a new regular spot for the Cinema Society, one hopes--had plenty to discuss. "Did you cry?" Andrew Saffir asked Donna Karan afterwards. "Of course!" the designer responded, embracing the CS impresario. "I came here in waterproof mascara," said Kyra Sedgwick. "I was ready for all the tears!" Iman was prepared--she has read Sapphire's book Push, the film's inspiration, several times, but was still blown away by director Lee Daniels' adaptation. "Let me tell you," said the model mogul. "If I could vote for Oscars, Lee would be receiving many of them!"

As guests nibbled on duck spring rolls, bacon-wrapped pork products, fish and chips, and scallop burgers, the likes of Ingrid Sischy, Sandra Bernhard, and Agyness Deyn discussed the film's heart-stopping performances while sipping on 1800 Tequila's brutally tasty "El Diablo" cocktails. "I just saw Mo'Nique in Atlanta yesterday," said Terrence Howard. "We're filming a spot for the Soul Train Awards. She's as good of an actress as she's a talk show host."

"Surprising and amazing," said the star and early Oscar favorite Gabourey Sidibe of all the buzz surrounding her performance. "I'm really proud of myself, and really proud of the director and the whole film." Given her character's dire circumstances, what was the actress' state of mind during filming? "It wasn't very emotionally taxing, because I had a job to do," she said. "There are people out there who suffer like Precious, and I felt a responsibility to bring their story to light."

Paula Patton played Precious' life-changing teacher. "I think my outfit tonight would be inappropriate for the classroom," she laughed. "I wouldn't be able to do anything in this dress--especially write on the chalkboard."

But leave it to Powell to best distill the film's message. "What struck me is the needs that our children have," he said. "My wife and I work with children's programs, and we're doing more and more to help kids who are in difficult situations, who are not getting their educations, and who wonder if anybody is there for them. This is a unique example of that phenomenon, which unfortunately is too common. Most of our kids are doing fine, and don't need help the way Precious needs help...but what she ultimately did in this movie is help herself."

Luckily, Precious' story is primed to reach millions of lives beyond the coterie of influencers at the Crosby Street Hotel. "Honestly, when we made this film, we didn't have any distribution," said Patton. "I was ready for a Netflix premiere in my mother's house!"
ASHLEY BAKER & VALENTINE UHOVSKI