Lilies of the Field (1963)

A traveling handyman becomes the answer to the prayers of nuns who wish to build a chapel in the desert.

Director:

Ralph Nelson

Writers:

James Poe (screenplay), William E. Barrett (novel)

Stars:

Sidney Poitier, Lilia Skala, Lisa Mann

Won 1 Oscar. Another 12 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sidney Poitier	...	Homer Smith
Lilia Skala	...	Mother Maria
Lisa Mann	...	Sister Gertrude
Isa Crino	...	Sister Agnes
Francesca Jarvis	...	Sister Albertine
Pamela Branch	...	Sister Elizabeth
Stanley Adams	...	Juan
Dan Frazer	...	Father Murphy

Storyline

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...

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Plot Keywords:

desert | catholic | nun | mother superior | construction worker | 

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Taglines:

Perhaps The Most Extraordinary Story Of Courage, Conflict And Devotion Ever Filmed!

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Genres:

Drama | Comedy

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German Spanish

Release Date:

5 July 1963 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Piety in the Sky

Filming Locations:

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$240,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rainbow Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title comes from the Sermon on the Mount.

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Goofs

After Homer Smith leaves the nuns the first time, they have to walk to Mass - apparently a fair distance. When he returns, he picks them up in his car as they are walking to Mass but they still arrive just as Mass is beginning. They should have arrived much earlier as they thought they were walking the entire distance.

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Quotes

Homer Smith: Gringo? I don't know if that's a step up or a step down from some other things I've been called.

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the film, the word "Amen" is seen, rather than "The End".

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Connections

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Amen"
(uncredited)
By Jester Hairston
Sung by Sidney Poitier dubbed by Jester Hairston

User Reviews

A '49s-type Film In The '60s!

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.