An obese illiterate Claireece Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), also known as "Precious" has been raped and impregnated by her father Carl. Her first child Mongo, suffers from Down syndrome and is looked after my her grandmother. Her second pregnancy gets her suspended from junior High. But with the help of the principal, Mrs. Lichtenstein (Nealla Gordon), Precious tries to get a fresh start at an alternative school. Precious fights her traumatized days by living in a world full of imagination and fantasy. While being raped by her father, she imagines herself as being a superstar. In the mirror, she sees herself as a pretty, white, thin, blond girl. She learns to read and soon gives birth to her second child, Abdul. On being consistently abused by her mother, Precious flees home and raises her son all by herself.