Posted on 10/09/2011 9:52:24 PM PDT by Sick of Lefties
Lilies of the Field (1963)
No-family enjoyed another of its favorite movies this weekend, "Lilies of the Field" starring Sidney Poitier and Lilla Skalla.
Poitier plays Homer Smith, a handyman drifter whose station wagon is his magic carpet and whose domain is the world. Driving through Arizona, he stops for radiator water at a desolate farm in Arizona, which turns out to be the convent of a group of eastern European sisters.
Mother Superior (Maria), played by Skalla is a battle-axe nun in the pre-Vatican-II mold: extremely high on the faith and endurance scales; extremely low on the social grace and gratitude scales. The nuns barely speak English.
Homer's grand adventure begins when Mother Maria identifies him as the answer to her prayers. She's asked for God to send her a strong man to build them a chapel. His good nature and humor make him a perfect dupe. But, for whom? Mother Superior, or God?
You feel badly for Smith as he gets sucked into Mother Superiors schemes, and badly for her (them) when he walks out or stands on his rights as a man owed his due. They are made for each other; they need each other in providential ways; they do God's will through their struggles against each other's wills.
The movie's most famous artifact is the "Amen" song that too many Catholics have had to endure in too many Church's for too many decades. Nevertheless, it's fresh in this scene, which is more-or-less repeated, quite meaningfully, at the end. This feeling-it Baptist shows these buttoned-up Romans a thing or two about sacred music. And, they dig it.
In this scene, Smith, having come to grips with his aversions, insists on undertaking the project on his own despite others desire to help him. His commitment drags them out of incredulity into Mother Superior's dreams, but he doesn't want to share the task with anyone.
This movie works for a number of reasons. First, Poitier is magical actor. He could invoke more pathos with one facial expression than most contemporary actors can with 100 grunts and emotional conundrums. Secondly, the interplay of Mother Maria, Smith, the nuns, and the Mexican town folk is precious. Thirdly, it is a story of profound faith, mysterious providence, human frailty and divine strength.
A YouTube commenter left the following illuminating tidbit:
"This movie was made is three weeks, with almost no budget, and no sets. The director saved money by casting himself in the part of "Mr. Ashton." Poitier agreed to do the project for no money, but a return on ticket sales. He won an Oscar for this performance, instead."
There's a character for every disposition in this film: the carefree soul who revels in his capability and freedom; the strong-willed autocrat who doesn't know the meaning of the words "give it up," "enough" or "thank you"; the pure and trusting souls who live in obedience and the grace of state; the pious and humble people for whom the souls of their children mean more than all the riches of the world; the skeptics whose grasp of the practical leaves little-to-nothing to reach towards heaven with; the fallen for whom things have not turned out as they bargained. All are saved, just as we would hope for in reality.
For Noman's money, this is nearly a perfect film. It makes you laugh, cry, squirm and, most importantly, contemplate the mysterious ways of God who writes prose with the leg of a table just to let everyone know who the author is.
Very nice and informative review of the movie and its cast.
Poitier has avoided the lure of political involvement to remain a master of his craft as well as being a decent human being.
then there is “In The Heat of the Night”. Loved it.
dang now you got me humming “amen” I’ll never get that out of my head.. great review
HE build a shapel...
I’ll forgive its bizarre depictions of Tucson Mexicans. The film was shot here west of town. I can’t get over how clear the air was then. Gorgeous.
Sidney is and always will be a spectacular actor. This movie is great. I did not know that he won the Oscar for it.
Nuns: "I STAND OOP, YOAL!"
I've lived mostly in the east. I've only passed through the west and southwest. I've tried to see movies and read fiction that takes place in the southwest.
This film is as perfectly crafted as a film has ever been. My daughter & I have it memorized. It can be watched endlessly.
Mother Superior doesn’t get the last word? Doesn’t she correct Homer and remind him that He, meaning God, was the builder? It’s kind of the punchline for the whole story.
A Patch of Blue (1965)
He also did a good job in that movie.
Amen, Amen & Amen!
The “Lilies of the Field” movie is one of the greatest; along with “The Private Life of Noah Dearborn.”
I have both of the videos, and play then often. It took doing to find those videos.
No one could have played those parts but Sidney Poitier.
Most of us noticed,In the Amen song: The Birth, Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of the Lord Jesus is given.
The Tucson connection is more than just the selection of the location. In 1876 the San Xavier Mission was having difficulty developing a consistant program to operate a school associated with the church just south of Tucson. The Bishop of Tucson asked 6 Sisters of Carondolet to come out from St Louis and take over the school. Their work provided the rough outline (with dates changed and Poitier’s character added) for the story concept of the film.
He was only the second Black actor to win an Oscar and the first to win Oscar for Best Actor.
It’s funny when he rubs his stomach and mocks the “Catholic breakfast.”
Then, there’s the scene when his stomach is symphonizing. The look on his face is precious.
One of the great actors of the era. “To Sir With Love” really got to me as a teen, and is still one of my children’s favorites. “The Defiant Ones” was also very good. I’ve never seen “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.”
“The Heat of the Night” was very good, but so celebrated as to never be able to live up to its hype. Besides, once you’ve seen Rod Steiger in “On the Waterfront,” everything else is a letdown.
The punchline is the title. She wins his ascent to working himself to death on her projects for no pay by having him read the passage in Mathews account of the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus preaches not to worry about money—something Smith wants in return for his labor—because the lilies of the field don’t worry about anything, and not even Solomon was as richly arrayed as they.
On your point, however, just who is in charge of everything is the delightfully dubious aspect of the film that the viewer must resolve for him- or herself.
I agree, the Defiant Ones was another great film he made. His, ‘cracker’ comments were always great. Especially when they were in the water tank and he saved the ‘cracker’.
The Heat of the Night is another brilliant movie for him. Kinda reminds me of the crap Mr. Herman Cain went through in his life. Anyhow, when Sidney slaps back the white guy in the green house, WOW.
Anyhow, the Lillies of the Field is a super-duper great movie. All kids should watch it. It has lots of good God Given Values for kids and adults to think about.
“...no....we build a shaple...”
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