Sundance hit "Push" gets a pickup from Lionsgate and a boost from Oprah and Tyler Perry

Out producer/director Lee Daniels

Score one for openly gay directors in Hollywood! Out director/producer Lee Daniels' film Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire has been picked up by Lionsgate films for release sometime in 2009. Daniels is behind some of the most controversial films of the past few years, including Monster's Ball — best known for winning Halle Berry an Oscar, and Shadowboxer — best known for prominently featuring a full-frontal, sweaty Stephen Dorff.

Gabourey Sidibe, Mariah Carey, Lee Daniels, Mo'Nique, and Paula Patton

Push follows an obese, pregnant, and illiterate African-American teenager in 1980's Harlem as her mind is opened by a daring teacher in an alternative education program. The film had a smashing showing in Park City, where it won the Jury Prize for Dramatic Film, the Audience Award, and a special Acting Jury Prize for its star, Mo'Nique.

Yes, that Mo'Nique.

The plus-sized comic is rumored to have delivered a career-changing performance as the heroine's physically, emotionally, and sexually abusive monster of a mother. The film also stars Paula Patton, Mariah Carey (yes, that Mariah Carey), Lenny Kravitz, Sherri Sheppard, and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe as the protagonist, Precious Jones.

Having just devoured the novel in about 48 hours flat, I can safely say that this is harrowing and disturbing but ultimately redemptive material, and without heading into spoiler material, the film does have a queer quotient, specifically in an out lesbian classmate of the lead.

Mo'Nique's monstrous Mary

The $5 million acquisition of Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire (the somewhat clunky title is to distinguish it from the sci-fi action flick of the same name opening this week) marks the highest buy from the festival so far, and will be getting a big push from the second most powerful O in the world: Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films will be onboard to help with marketing and promotion of the film, of which she says "I knew I wanted to do whatever I could to encourage other people to see this movie. The film is so raw and powerful — it split me open". Girdle-happy mini-mogul Tyler Perry and his 34th Street Films banner are also on-board as a "presenting entity".

We'd like to say congrats to Lee Daniels, and we expect to be hearing a lot more about this film in the coming months.