Lilies of the Field (1963) 7.5
A traveling handyman becomes the answer to the prayers of nuns who wish to build a chapel in the desert. Director:Ralph Nelson |
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Lilies of the Field (1963) 7.5
A traveling handyman becomes the answer to the prayers of nuns who wish to build a chapel in the desert. Director:Ralph Nelson |
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| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Sidney Poitier | ... | ||
| Lilia Skala | ... | ||
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Lisa Mann | ... | |
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Isa Crino | ... | |
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Francesca Jarvis | ... | |
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Pamela Branch | ... | |
| Stanley Adams | ... |
Juan
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Dan Frazer | ... |
Father Murphy
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Homer Smith, an unemployed construction worker, heading out west stops at a remote farm in the desert to get water when his car overheats. The farm is being worked by a group of East European Catholic nuns, headed by the strict Mother Maria, who believes that Homer has been sent by God to build a much needed church in the desert... Written by Christopher J. Thompson <thompson@amath.washington.edu>
It took me over over 40 years before finally seeing this film, and I'm glad I finally did. It's simply a nice story: nothing super, but a feel-good film to use the cliché. This reminded of the kind of movie you would more likely see in the 1940s with the emphasis on human interest with a "religious" theme to it. I expected Father Flanagan to show up any minute.
Instead, we got a good Baptist man played by Sidney Poitier, who won an Oscar for this performance. Since he's just about the whole movie, and does a great job start-to-finish, who can argue with his award? This certainly doesn't have the feel of a 1960s film. It must have been one of the last of its kind, giving credence to Christianity and having a nice tone throughout. There have been very few like this since then.
Poitier is really the only "name" member of this cast and he's in every scene. If you enjoy his acting, and a good performance in general with a story that will bring some smiles to your face for an hour-and-a-half, this is recommended.