Lilies of the Field (1963)

Directed by

Ralph Nelson

Genre

drama film, comedy film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 34m

Rated

NR

Rating

7.2 of 10 from 224 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

An itinerant handyman named Homer Smith stops in the Arizona desert to get water. He meets a group of East German nuns who believe God sent him to build them a chapel. He reluctantly agrees to help.

gentlewarminspiringquietearnestleisurelylightheartedsincere

What happens

Lilies of the Field is a 1963 American comedy drama film directed and produced by Ralph Nelson. Adapted by James Poe from William E. Barrett's 1962 novel, the film takes its title from the Sermon on the Mount. It stars Sidney Poitier as Homer Smith, an itinerant handyman, who encounters a group of East German nuns in the Arizona desert. Led by the determined Mother Maria Marthe, played by Lilia Skala, the nuns believe Homer has been sent by God to build them a chapel. Praised by critics, Lilies of the Field earned five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Skala. Poitier won the Academy Award for Best Actor, becoming the first Black actor to win in a leading role. The film also features an early score by Jerry Goldsmith. In 2020, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• Christmas Lilies of the Field (1979)
• Les Bricoleurs (1963)
• The Great Escape (1963)
• Hallelujah the Hills (1963)
• Wives and Lovers (1963)
• For Love or Money (1963)
• America America (1963)
• And So to Bed (1963)