Dan Frazer, Francesca Jarvis, Isa Crino

Aimless ex-soldier Homer Smith (Sidney Poitier) is on his way to California when his car overheats in the desert. He stops to get some water at an isolated farm and soon finds himself building a chape...( read more  read more... )l for the nuns who live there. The stern mother superior (Lilia Skala) is certain God has sent Smith for just that purpose, and all of Smith's words to the contrary fall on deaf ears in this Oscar-winning film from director Ralph Nelson.

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Unrated, 1 hr. 34 min.

Directed by: Ralph Nelson

Release Date: January 1, 1963

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DVD Release Date: March 6, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (235)


  • March 23, 2008
    I'm not normally into classic movies but this is a wonderful movie about faith.
  • August 31, 2009
    Excellent film with Sidney Poitier in an Oscar winning performance as Homer Smith, an ex-GI now traveling contractor. Homer is making his way through a small town in Arizona when his car overheats. He pulls into a place and encounters a group of East German Catholic nuns led by t...( read more)he strict Mother Superior Maria (Lilia Skala). All Homer wants is some water for his radiator but he ends up staying at the request of Mother Maria to help out around the place. And when Mother Maria asks him to build a chapel cause she thinks God has sent him for that task, Homer reluctantly agrees. Lilies of the Field is a wonderful film mixing drama with some humor and a great performance by Mr. Poitier. I used to think Sidney's best acting work was in Guess Who's Coming To Dinner. I stand corrected, Lilies is by far his best work and he deservedly was named Best Actor for 1963. He makes Homer such an engaging character that most people can identify with. And all the actresses portraying the nuns give worthy performances also. Lilies is a small but immensely enjoyable film. One of the best scenes in the film is when Homer teaches the nuns how to sing an old time church hymn called Amen. It's heavenly, rousing, and funny all at once. A great music score by Jerry Goldsmith is a plus also. Add this Poitier's list of films that he made in the 1960's and you have one of the best stretches of film acting ever delivered. His other films during this period include A Raisin in the Sun (1961); The Bedford Incident (1965); To Sir, With Love (1967); Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967); and In The Heat Of The Night (1967). All equally impressive films during a six year span. And Lilies is right up there with them.
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    Mother Maria: [the morning after a fiesta] Well, you are awake?
    Homer Smith: Yeah, I guess so.
    Mother Maria: Good.
    [throws a cup of cold water in his face]
    Homer Smith: Why'd you go and do that?
    Mother Maria: The women last night, they say that is the only thing when a man has been mixing wine with tequila!
    [walks away]
    Homer Smith: I'm gonna mix you with tequila!
  • September 13, 2008
    Charming,intelligent and without a doubt,one of the origins of dramedy.It's not a one-man show,it's probably a very spiritual film,which will rise the soul even of the non-Christian groups of people like me,Poitier stomping his politeness in a flawless performance.
  • August 15, 2009
    Poitier brings it to another level.
  • August 14, 2009
    Just watch it, you won't be sorry you did!
  • June 23, 2009
    saving those old nuns!
  • March 21, 2009
    Sidney Poitier did an outstanding job in this film.







    A lot can be said for black n white movies
  • March 10, 2009
    This movie is stuck in my brain for life, I remember from many Easter's past, and it has a special place in my heart. The music is bright, the acting good, Sydney Portier makes the perfect Homer Smith. The nuns are a lot of fun too along with other great characters as they hope t...( read more)o see there chapel built.
  • March 8, 2009
    Talk about dated... I caught this on TCM on a Sunday afternoon. What a surprise Mother Marie was such an ungrateful b*tch - NOT! Oh my, me thinks my catholic roots may be showing. Best get those covered straight away!

    I had a hard time understanding what character flaw in ...( read more)Homer Smith made it so easy to bulldoze him and strongarm him into doing her personal bidding then endure her giving ALL the credit to God. I related better to the owner of the little cafe (Stanley Adams) who said, "God's not going to come in and work my counter so I can go to church. I have to put the money in my wallet."

    In the end, I understand that the comparison they were making (IMHO) was to Jesus Christ. His life, his existance was based almost entirely on service to his fellow man and the lesson was for this hungry baptist, Homer Smith, to learn what Jesus had to teach. It's about serving your family - your HUMAN family. The family of man. A tall order for a motion picture but it DID win an oscar for Poitier AND Lilia Skala (Mother Marie) so maybe they are far more adept than I give them credit for.

    Sidney Poitier IS wonderful in this but I like him better in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner or To Sir With Love or They Call Me Mr. Tibbs. I kind of resented the religious bullying that took place in this movie so I didn't really like it all that much. I gave it three stars for Sidney's performance alone ~
  • December 18, 2008
    i watched this film with a very good friend of mine a little over a year ago before she moved away... will never forget her or this movie

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Lilies of the Field Trivia


  • Sidney Poitier was the first African American to an Academy Award for best actor. What was the movie?  Answer »
  • A black man helps some German-speaking nuns build a chapel in Arazona.  Answer »
  • This question goes out to the idiot who asked : "Which African/American actor won the first Oscar Award for the leading male role". The answer, moron, is not Danzel Washington. It's Sir Sidney Poitier, who won it in 1963 for this movie:   Answer »
  • What do these have in common? Rio Bravo Rio Lobo Lilies of the Field Little House on the Prairie High Chaparral   Answer »

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