Lilies of the Field

“Consider the lilies of the field. How they grow, how they grow.

Consider the birds in the sky. How they fly, how they fly. 

He clothes the lilies of the field; he feeds the birds in the sky.

And He will feed those who trust Him and guide them with His eye.”

These sweet words of faith paint a picture of belief in a power greater than our own and showcase how a humble people can achieve great things through faith in a power from on high. Not everybody believes in a God, of course. Even more people believe in a different God than each other’s. But a disbelief in God doesn’t necessarily mean a disbelief in a higher power, even if that higher power is nothing more than the good intentions of your fellow man. Such is the world we live in. Much can be accomplished in it when those with the ability are willing to use it to better the world around them.

Lilies of the Field was adapted from William Edmund Barrett’s 1962 novel of the same name. In it, we see how miracles happen through the actions of the people around us. Nothing in the story is as fantastical as something we might see in a Cecil B. DeMille Bible epic, yet the message is still a powerful one. Whether you are religious or not, this film will manipulate your emotions and maybe even inspire you to do something nice for someone, even if it is but a small gesture of kindness.

The film stars Sidney Poitier as Homer Smith, a handyman who is drifting through the remote Arizona countryside. He stops at a small farm, seeking water for his car radiator, and finds a group of former East Germany nuns who are struggling to learn English while trying to maintain the farm. These women, led by the stern Mother Maria Marthe (Lilia Skala), lead a small congregation of people who wish to attend mass but have no chapel to meet in. Instead, when they gather for the Sabbath, they meet outside in the desert heat. They have been praying to God for someone who can build them a chapel to worship in and see Homer’s arrival as the divine answer to that prayer. 

Homer, however, doesn’t see things the same way. He agrees to help them with some work but only if they pay for his labors. When he realizes that they have no money, he intends to leave, especially when he finds they run a strict house, but something always gets in the way of him going. Soon he finds himself actively building on the new chapel. But when some locals show up to assist, he is at first unwilling to accept the help, wishing to build the chapel on his own. But some wise words from the local restaurant owner, Juan Acalito (Stanley Adams), who is also there to help build, help Homer get past his reservations and accept the help.

Juan has some interesting words of wisdom that echo sentiments I have shared in the past. At one point, he says that he cannot see beyond this life and therefore he cannot believe further, either. But if there is an afterlife and a God, then he is doing this good deed as insurance just in case. I always say, when speaking with an atheist, that if I am wrong and they are right, all I’m out is some time and I left the world a better place. But if I am right and they are wrong, how much have they lost? It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek but it does make an interesting point. Whether you believe or not, doing the right thing makes the world a better place. Juan may disbelieve, but he is open to the possibilities of an afterlife. Homer is a Baptist, not a Catholic, but he, too, knows what is right, even if he is reluctant to commit so much of his time and efforts to the sisters and building their chapel, with so little in monetary rewards to show for it.

When he does finally commit to the work, this mentality becomes infectious. It’s not long into the building of the chapel that a local businessman who owns a building materials business shows up with a truckload of bricks he’s donating to the cause. All of this because of his earlier conversation with Juan that got him thinking about his immortal soul. Sister Maria Marthe, who is always looking for more, begins talking about a school and a hospital, too, all things that will need more donated materials. Some of this comes back in a sequel made many years later: Christmas Lilies of the Field.

Homer’s ambitions to become an architect drive a lot of his decisions, but he does have a bit of a soft spot for the sisters, even if Mother Maria Marthe rubs him the wrong way more often than not. Her use of scripture to try and persuade him to forgo monetary compensation for his work is one of the best scenes in the film. You can use scripture to argue virtually any point, and she is an old pro at it. For his part, he argues plenty for his own point of view. But he also finds time to help them learn some English and to teach them a humorous and heartwarming new hymn. 

This project brings together the community who dedicates time and materials to realize this chapel, the only one for them within many miles. For most of them, the time and materials are a small price to pay for having a place they can raise their children in the knowledge of their God. Their priorities are for the spiritual well-being of the next generation, and the price is such a small one compared to the promise of eternities. The coming of Homer, with his specific skillset, brings this community together in a way that is reminiscent of the old saying: The Lord helps those who help themselves. This is the miracle the sisters have been praying for.

Sidney Poitier is just fantastic in this film. It’s almost insulting to realize that of all the amazing performances he has given over the years, he was only nominated for an Oscar twice. He didn’t win in 1958 for The Defiant Ones, losing to the rather subdued performance by David Niven in Separate Tables. This time around, though, he was given the win and rightfully so. There are so many facets to this character, and Sidney makes portraying them look effortless. I would argue that he is equally as good in To Sir, With Love, yet that one got ignored by the Academy. For his overall contributions to cinema, he was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2002.

Lilies of the Field is a wonderful showcase of acting talent and spiritual belief. In a world where Catholics and Evangelicals bicker over doctrine and atheists roll their eyes at the “backwards” thinking of the religious, we need more films that celebrate our differences and how we can join together as a community to do good for each other. It matters not that Homer is black or a Baptist. Nor that the sisters are escapees from the Russian side of Berlin and speak mostly German. Most of the townspeople are Mexican, too. Yet all these vastly different people are able to look past all that and come together for the benefit of all. That is a wonderful thing to see in a mainstream movie and a message we need again in a world that has grown increasingly more cynical.

Academy Awards Nominations:

Best Picture: Ralph Nelson

Best Actor: Sidney Poitier (won)

Best Supporting Actress: Lilia Skala

Best Screenplay - Based on Material from Another Medium: James Poe

Best Cinematography - Black-and-White: Ernest Haller

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Release Date: October 3, 1963

Running Time: 94 Minutes

Not Rated

Starring: Sidney Poitier, Lilia Skala, and Stanley Adams

Directed By: Ralph Nelson