Lilies of the Field1963Lilies of the Field
1963
Homer Smith, a traveling handyman, stops at a farm in the Arizona desert for water and finds five nuns, refugees from East Germany. Their stern Mother Superior is sure God has sent him to build them a chapel.
The default: films the whole family can watch together; any scary or intense moments for the littlest viewers are flagged in the Context Notes.
Why it’s here
Sidney Poitier's Oscar role: a Baptist builder and Catholic nuns, honest work offered to God, and "Amen."
Context notes
For parents, before you press play.
Mother Maria avoids paying Homer and won't thank him, which the film shows as pride that both she and Homer must lay down. Men get drunk at a party, a priest drinks and smokes, and a few racist remarks are shown as wrong.
Lilies of the Field (1963)
Discussion questions
When the credits end, go around the room. Each person gives the film a score out of ten and says why.
- Why did Mother Maria think God had sent Homer?
- Why did Homer want to build the chapel himself?
- What did Homer and Mother Maria each learn?
- What does "consider the lilies of the field" mean?
Content advisory
Movieguide (+4) and IMDb parents guide (via WebSearch): one light obscenity; no violence or sex; men drink and get drunk; a priest drinks and smokes; brief hangovers.
Trailer
Best edition
The disc comes first.
Lilies of the Field Blu-ray (Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT)
Blu-ray · March 15, 2016
Coming later
Where to stream
Streaming services are not listed yet. When they are, this note stays secondary to the disc.