Editing Lilies of the Field (1963 film)

{{Short description|American comedy drama by Ralph Nelson}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Lilies of the Field
| image          = Lilies of the Field (1963 film poster).jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Ralph Nelson]]
| screenplay     = [[James Poe]]
| based_on       = {{based on|''[[The Lilies of the Field (novel)|The Lilies of the Field]]''|[[William Edmund Barrett]]}}
| producer       = Ralph Nelson
| starring       = [[Sidney Poitier]]<br>[[Lilia Skala]]<br>[[Stanley Adams (actor)|Stanley Adams]]
| music          = [[Jerry Goldsmith]]
| cinematography = [[Ernest Haller]]
| editing        = [[John McCafferty]]
| studio         = Rainbow Productions
| distributor    = [[United Artists]]
| released       = {{Film date|1963|6||[[13th Berlin International Film Festival|Berlin Film Festival]]|1963|10|3|New York}}<ref name=AFI>{{AFI film|23111}}</ref>
| runtime        = 94 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
German
| budget         = $240,000<ref name="times">{{cite news| title=Hollywood Trick: Or, How To Turn Cheap 'Lilies' Into Gold| first=Murray| last=Sshumach| newspaper=[[The New York Times]]| date=February 9, 1964| page=X9| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/02/09/archives/hollywood-trick-or-how-to-turn-cheap-lilies-into-gold.html}}</ref>–247,000<ref name="los">Warga, Wayne. A Blue-Ribbon Packager of Movie Deals. ''Los Angeles Times'' April 20, 1969: p. w1.</ref>
| gross          = $3&nbsp;million <small>(rentals)</small><ref name="times"/> or $7&nbsp;million<ref name="los"/>
}}
'''''Lilies of the Field''''' is a 1963 American [[comedy drama]] film directed and produced by [[Ralph Nelson]]. Adapted by [[James Poe]] from [[William Edmund Barrett]]’s [[The Lilies of the Field (novel)|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 Awards|Academy Award]] nominations, including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|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".

==Plot==
Homer Smith, a drifting handyman, stops at a remote [[Arizona]] farm seeking water for his car. He encounters a group of [[Eastern Europe]]an nuns—led by the stern Mother Maria Marthe—struggling to maintain their modest desert homestead. Though initially resistant, Homer agrees to repair their roof in exchange for payment. The nuns, who speak little English, humorously dub him "Schmidt" (the German equivalent of Smith) and invite him to stay for meals, slowly endearing themselves to him.

When Homer demands payment, Mother Maria deflects by quoting the Bible's Sermon on the Mount ("Consider the lilies of the field…"), urging faith over materialism. Homer counters with {{Bibleverse|Luke|10:7}} ("The laborer is worthy of his hire"), but her resolve remains unshaken. Through interactions with locals, including Juan, a café owner, and a traveling priest, Homer learns of the nuns’ harrowing escape from behind the [[Iron Curtain]] and their impoverished existence. Despite their inability to pay, he begrudgingly prolongs his stay, lured by the challenge of building a chapel for the nearby [[Mexican Americans|Mexican American]] community, whose nearest church is miles away.

Homer's initial reluctance gives way to ambition when he confesses his unrealized dream of becoming an architect. Using donated materials and his dwindling savings, he begins constructing the chapel single-handedly, insisting on perfection. Tensions flare with Mother Maria, who prioritizes pragmatism over his ideals, leading Homer to abandon the project temporarily. He returns hungover but remorseful, finding renewed purpose as the community gradually rallies to assist. Locals donate supplies and labor, transforming Homer's solitary endeavor into a collective effort, though he initially resists their involvement.

As construction progresses, Homer's leadership earns respect, even from Ashton, a dismissive contractor who later offers him a job. The chapel's completion culminates in a bittersweet victory: Homer secretly signs his work, symbolizing pride and humility. On the eve of the dedication, Mother Maria subtly implores him to stay, but Homer, aware their partnership has reached its natural end, departs quietly at nightfall. The nuns’ echoing rendition of “[[Amen (The Impressions song)|Amen]]"—a hymn they learned from him—underscores their unspoken gratitude as he drives away.

==Cast==
{{castlist|
* [[Sidney Poitier]] as Homer Smith
* [[Lilia Skala]] as Mother Maria
* Lisa Mann as Sister Gertrude
* Isa Crino as Sister Agnes
* Francesca Jarvis as Sister Albertine
* Pamela Branch as Sister Elizabeth
* [[Stanley Adams (actor)|Stanley Adams]] as Juan Acalito
* [[Dan Frazer]] as Father Murphy
* [[Jester Hairston]] as Homer Smith Singing (uncredited); composer of the song "Amen"
* [[Ralph Nelson]] as Mr. Ashton (uncredited)
}}

==Production==
''Lilies of the Field'' was filmed primarily on a ranch owned by the family of [[Linda Ronstadt]], located on the northern edge of [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]], near Sabino Canyon and Cloud Road.<ref>{{cite news |last=Simpson |first=Corky |date=September 12, 2013 |title=Tucson, Poitier scored with 'Lilies of the Field' |url=http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue2/2003/09/12/11203-tucson-poitier-scored-with-lilies-of-the-field/ |access-date=September 11, 2019 |newspaper=[[Tucson Citizen]]}}</ref> The church doors featured in the film were borrowed from the Chapel in [[Sasabe, Arizona]], and were carved by local Tucson artist [[Charles Bolsius]].

[[Jester Hairston]], who wrote the gospel arrangement of "Amen" used in the film and arranged the vocal parts, also dubbed the vocals for Sidney Poitier, who was tone-deaf.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

==Release==
''Lilies of the Field'' was screened in competition at the [[1963 Berlin Film Festival]] in June 1963. It opened October 3, 1963 at the [[Murray Hill, Manhattan|Murray Hill]] Theater in New York City.<ref name=AFI/>

== Reception ==
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|92|8.1|26|Sidney Poitier lends heart and humor to the wonderfully simple ''Lilies of the Field'', in which splendor sprouts from wholesome soil.|access-date=February 3, 2022|ref=yes}} {{MC film|68|nine|access-date=February 3, 2022|ref=yes}} ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' said it was a film "loaded with charm and which is full of good, clean, honest fun."<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=July 3, 1963|page=6|title=Film Reviews: Lilies of the Field|author=Myro.}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[36th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]
| [[Ralph Nelson]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"|<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1964 |title=The 36th Academy Awards (1964) Nominees and Winners |date=October 5, 2014 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=May 4, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502002917/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1964 |archive-date=May 2, 2015}}</ref> <br><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057251/awards| title=Lilies of the Field| website=IMDb}}</ref>
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| [[Sidney Poitier]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| [[Lilia Skala]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium]]
| [[James Poe]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography – Black-and-White]]
| [[Ernest Haller]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[13th Berlin International Film Festival|Berlin International Film Festival]]
| [[Golden Bear]]
| rowspan="4"| Ralph Nelson
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/1963/programme/19630005.html |title=Berlinale 1963: Prize Winners |publisher=[[Berlin International Film Festival]] |access-date=January 13, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| Interfilm Award
| {{won}}
|-
| OCIC Award
| {{won}}
|-
| Youth Film Award – Honorable Mention
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Silver Bear for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| Sidney Poitier
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Blue Ribbon Awards]]
| [[Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Foreign Film|Best Foreign Language Film]]
| Ralph Nelson
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[18th British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Best Foreign Actor]]
| Sidney Poitier
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"|<ref>{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1965/film |title=BAFTA Awards: Film in 1965 |publisher=[[British Academy Film Awards]] |access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| colspan="2"| United Nations Award
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[16th Directors Guild of America Awards|Directors Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film|Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures]]
| Ralph Nelson
| {{nom}}
| align="center"|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dga.org/Awards/History/1960s/1963.aspx?value=1963 |title=16th Annual DGA Awards |publisher=[[Directors Guild of America Awards]] |access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="4"| [[21st Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama|Best Motion Picture – Drama]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="4"|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/lilies-field |title=Lilies of the Field |publisher=[[Golden Globe Awards]] |access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama]]
| Sidney Poitier
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture]]
| Lilia Skala
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="2"| Best Film Promoting International Understanding
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[Laurel Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Top General Entertainment
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| 
|-
| Top Male Dramatic Performance
| Sidney Poitier
| {{nom}}
|-
| Top Female Supporting Performance
| Lilia Skala
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[National Board of Review Awards 1963|National Board of Review Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[National Board of Review: Top Ten Films|Top Ten Films]]
| {{draw|2nd place}}
| align="center"|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1963/ |title=1963 Award Winners |publisher=[[National Board of Review]] |access-date=October 28, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[1963 New York Film Critics Circle Awards|New York Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| Sidney Poitier
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[16th Writers Guild of America Awards|Writers Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written Comedy|Best Written American Comedy]]
| James Poe
| {{won}}
| align="center"|<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551 |title=Awards Winners |publisher=[[Writers Guild of America Awards]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205095022/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551 |archive-date=December 5, 2012 |access-date=June 6, 2010 |language=en}}</ref>
|}

Sidney Poitier became the first African-American actor to win the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]] and the second [[List of black Academy Award winners and nominees|African-American Oscar winner]] overall (after [[Hattie McDaniel]] won the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]] for ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'' in [[12th Academy Awards|1939]]).<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001627/awards| title=Sidney Poitier| website=IMDb}}</ref>{{efn|[[James Baskett]] won an [[Honorary Academy Award]] for ''[[Song of the South]]'' (1946); it was not competitive.}}

Also, the film is recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in these lists:
* 2003: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains]]:
** Homer Smith – Nominated Hero<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/handv400.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains Nominees |website=AFI |access-date=2016-08-06 |archive-date=2015-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921120917/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/handv400.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 2006: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers]] – No. 46<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/cheers100.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313150511/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/cheers100.pdf |archive-date=2011-03-13 |url-status=live |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=August 14, 2016}}</ref>

==Sequel==
The sequel ''[[Christmas Lilies of the Field]]'' was made in 1979 for television in which Homer Smith (now played by [[Billy Dee Williams]]), returns and is "persuaded" to build a kindergarten for a group of orphans and runaways whom the sisters have taken in.

==See also==
{{portal|Film|Novels}}
* [[List of American films of 1963]]
* [[Loretto Chapel]]

== References ==
===Informational notes===
{{notelist}}

===Citations===
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0057251|title=Lilies of the Field}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=81430|title=Lilies of the Field}}
* {{AFI film|23111}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|1012370-lilies_of_the_field|Lilies of the Field}}

{{Ralph Nelson}}
{{Blue Ribbon Award for Best Foreign Film}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lilies Of The Field (1963 Film)}}
[[Category:1960s American films]]
[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
[[Category:1963 films]]
[[Category:1963 drama films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:American drama films]]
[[Category:Catholic Church in popular culture]]
[[Category:Films about Catholic nuns]]
[[Category:Films about Catholicism]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Ralph Nelson]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Actor Academy Award–winning performance]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Drama Actor Golden Globe winning performance]]
[[Category:Films scored by Jerry Goldsmith]]
[[Category:Films set in Pima County, Arizona]]
[[Category:Films shot in Arizona]]
[[Category:Films set in convents]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by James Poe]]
[[Category:United Artists films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]