I thought the movie was very well-done. I especially liked the scenes throughout the story in which Precious mentally escapes. The acting was outstanding. I guess the reason I would not recommend it to a friend is because when I walked out of the theatre, I felt awful. I knew a little bit about the story but did not expect the movie to be so depressing. I wanted more of the upside of the story instead of the playing out the horror of her life.I don't know that it could have been done that way.