89 Days of Oscar Nominees – #14 – Lilies of the Field (1963)

In my attempt to have a more prolific repertoire of Oscar Nominated Films, I have taken it upon myself to watch 89 new Best Picture Nominees that I’ve never seen before between 1 Dec 2016 and The 89th Annual Oscars on 26 Feb 2017.

Here is my 14th review of the 89 chosen Films…

–

“Gringo? I don’t know if that’s a step up or a step down from some other things I’ve been called.” – Homer

Number of Times Seen – 1 (12 Dec 2016)

Brief Synopsis – A handyman comes across a group of German nuns and together they begin to make some big changes in the small town they are in.

My Take on it – This film has a place in history because Sidney Poitier won a Best Actor Oscar for his amazing performance here making him the very first Black man to do so up until then.

The story itself here is quite a simple one, but the way that it is told helps it feel so much more grander than it really is.

I really loved the way that the story moves along slowly so we can start to get to know the characters because it gives the viewer a chance to understand and appreciate what it happening in front of our eyes.

Not only do we get to know the characters so well during this “warm up”, but it also lets the characters understand one another and learn so much about the other which helps us sympathize with both parties.

As we get to know the characters, they become quite endearing to us and it become hard to not want to get p and find a way to help them with their joint venture.

I am so glad that I finally got to see this film and can’t wait to see it again in the near future.

Bottom Line – Great film that has a simple theme that resonates so well. Loved the way that the story moved along slowly as the characters little by little get to understand and appreciate what they have between one another.  Poitier is superb as Homer and deservingly won an Oscar for this role.  The characters become so endearing throughout the film that it’s hard not to be easily taken it by it all and feeling the urge to also pitch in however you can. Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Since the story’s action was tied to the chapel’s construction, crew had to work through the night to keep up with it “progress” in the film. The actual building was real and could have stood for decades, but because it was built on rented property, it had to be demolished immediately after the filming was completed. (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy

_______________________________________

Check out my *updated* movie stats here

To see my reviews of Oscar Winning Performances check out this link

To see my reviews of all Oscar Best Picture Winners click here (now complete)

Here is a link to my movie index A-Z