Product: Lilies of the Field [VHS] (1963)
Rating: 4.0
A little movie masterpiece
Lilies of the Field is a 1963 black-and-white film directed by Ralph Nelson. It stars Sidney Poitier in an Academy-winning role as a young man named Homer Smith who lives in his car and befriends a group of German immigrant nuns on the way. The mother superior believes God has sent Homer to help them build a chapel. Homer reluctantly agrees on the condition she pays him for his services. When it becomes clear to him, they are penniless and have as much power of paying him as sending him to the moon he disappears, leaving the chapel half finished. However, he returns in a week to honor his word and do all he agreed to do out of the goodness of his heart.Sidney Poitier pulls off Homer's strengths and weaknesses well and brings a considerable amount of warmth and charm to the role. Lilia Skala also gives a great performance as the Mother Abbess and her interviews with Poitier are among the film's finest moments.James Poe's screenplay does an excellent job exploring the motivations of the characters in a short and snappy but sufficient manner. No guns, no cowboys and Indians, no romance, no sci-fi creatures; just good decent ordinary people and the clash of strong personalities.Four Stars