As we head into Oscar season, "Precious" is the kind of movie that's going to draw praise from many quarters while forming the basis for a lot of political and sociological arguments.

Conservatives will no doubt use the film to complain about the welfare state, feminists will debate whether or not the lead characters have a victim mentality, and already one legendarily argumentative African-American film critic has accused the film's black director, Lee Daniels, of casting light-skinned actresses in sympathetic roles while casting the villains with darker-complected performers.

Once all is said and done, however, there's still the movie itself to be considered, and while "Precious" isn't perfect, it's a moving drama that gives veteran performer Mo'Nique and first-timer Gabourey Sidibe the opportunity to create indelibly-etched characterizations.

Teenager Precious Jones (Sidibe) spends a lot of time fantasizing about being a model or singer or movie star, and who can blame her - in real life, she's a physically and sexually-abused girl who has given birth to one child and is pregnant with another, both the product of incestuous rape. Her mother Mary (Mo'Nique) constantly belittles her, throws things at her and commits various other stripes of child abuse.

Expelled from her old school for being pregnant, Precious is sent to an alternative school where she meets kind and dedicated teacher Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), who helps the illiterate girl learn to read and write. Over the course of her education, Precious learns to value herself and her children, and while life never stops throwing hardships her way, she at least moves ever closer to blossoming into her own person.