Lilies of the Field

Description

Featuring an Academy AwardÂ(r)-winning performance by Poitier*, and nominated** for four additional OscarsÂ(r), including Best Picture, Lilies of the Field is a funny, sentimental, charming and uplifting film (The Hollywood Reporter). Homer Smith (Sidney Poitier), an itinerant handyman, is driving through the Arizona desert when he meets five impoverished nuns. Stopping to fix their leaky farmhouse roof, Homer discovers that not only will the Mother Superior not pay him for the job, but she also wants him to build their chapelfor free! Hesitant at first, Homer soon finds himself single-handedly raising the chapel and the financing. But although hewill not receive a monetary reward, Homer knows that when his work is done, he'll leave that dusty desert town a much better place than when he found it. *1963: Actor **1963: Supporting Actress (Skala), Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography (B&W)

Customer Reviews:

What happened to the passenger door?.......2007-09-14

I found this very charming, warming and smooth. Sidney Poitier, ever a smooth, graceful, dexterous and theatrical performer is wonderful here, expressing his physical and emotional range in a simply told, moral film that seems even older then it really is.
Words like heartfelt, sweet, winning, wholesome and uplifting come to mind.
This has a classic status by it's very quick beginnings, short credits, small cast, hokey but honest incidents, mild subtext, minimal edits, straight forward direction, energetic, verbal and larger than life acting, terrific music from Jerry Goldsmith and peaceful and nice conclusion.

Revisit the past with "Lilies of the Field".......2007-07-28

Nice story about a traveling handyman who is befriended by some German-speaking nuns. My favorite scene shows Sidney Poitier teaching the Nuns the spiritual "Amen."

Lilies of the Field.......2007-06-27

Ralph Nelson's crowd-pleasing "Lillies" was a gentle, charming change-of-pace for Poitier, whose itinerant jack-of-all-trades Homer learns something about human charity and the power of God's will, as exercised through His most faithful followers. Sidney's heartfelt performance went over very well with the Academy, too: he became the first black actor ever to win the Best Actor Oscar for his stirring portrayal of Homer.

A-men!.......2007-06-09

This is a classic film. I saw it new, in the theater, when I was a kid, but unlike most movies of the same time period (late 50s, early 60s) it is not dated at all. FINALLY, finally, finally, it is available for home viewing.

If you are too young to be familiar with this film, consider the following points:

This movie is the defining moment of Sidney Poitier's long and distinguished career. I would say it is the film that made Poitier famous, although some might disagree with me.

American popular culture usually does a really bad and dishonest job of dealing with religious issues, but this movie is an exception. It has as much integrity as Huckleberry Finn deciding to go to hell instead of betraying his friend Jim. This movie is much more light-hearted than Mark Twain, but they share an accurate view of the way people really approach religion in their personal lives. Juan has paid his insurance, Senor!

Last but not least, even if you are too young to have seen this movie -- even if you have never even heard of it -- you have sung the theme song at summer camp. Sing along and enjoy!

just like the first time.......2007-05-24

I bought this DVD as a gift for my son, to accompany Sidney Poitier's book "The Measure of a Man." I first saw "Lilies of the Field" when it was originally presented in theaters. (Am I dating myself?) It was just as good this time around. It was history in the making then; now it's a glimpse of history. Excellent quality--the DVD itself and the acting.

The Sidney Poitier DVD Collection (For Love of Ivy / In the Heat of the Night / Lilies of the Field / The Organization / They Call Me Mister Tibbs!)

Average customer rating:

The Sidney Poitier DVD Collection (For Love of Ivy / In the Heat of the Night / Lilies of the Field / The Organization / They Call Me Mister Tibbs!)
Starring: Sidney Poitier
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0000VD0M4
Release Date: 2004-01-20

Description

Disc 1: FOR LOVE OF IVY Disc 2: IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT Disc 3: LILLIES OF THE FIELD Disc 4: THE ORGANIZATION Disc 5: THEY CALL ME MR. TIBBS

Average customer rating:

not one of the best "family drama" movies...
Family Life with all the Strife
One of the Greatest Family Movies
wonderful!

The Amati Girls
Starring: Anna Berger , John Capodice , Cassie Cole , Edith Fields , and Lee Grant
Manufacturer: Spartan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005NGAX
Release Date: 2002-02-01

Customer Reviews:

not one of the best "family drama" movies..........2007-04-03

*The Amati Girls* was alright but not impressive. There were too many stars but little development for each of the characters.

4 sisters band together to help their mother. They've just buried their fathers/husband not long ago. Their mother is obsessed with her inevitable death. She wants everything planned with a casket picked out, a dress made and all that. The daughters want their mother to take it easy and just enjoy life.

Meanwhile, the sisters are dealing with issues on their own. 2 sisters are married and have their own marriage issues to deal with. 1 sister feels pressured to be married but doesn't see the excitement about marriage. At the same time, the single sister brings up uncomfortable issues that she sees in her 2 married sisters. The youngest is mentally challenged and wants a boyfriend. The sisters tell her that "sometimes a pot cannot have a lid".

Of course, while the mother is obsessed with her death that could happen anytime, something else unexpectantly happens. I guess for me, there could have been a build-up leading to this unexpectant turn of event. Symptoms could have been shown. There was a brief moment but that was like the frame just before the "surprise". It was just so out of the blue.

The impact of this surprise turn has changed the family. Marriage issues have been resolved. The single sister overcomes her fear. The youngest sister is given more freedom. The mother enjoys life a bit more. At least, the movie ended with a good feeling.

Like I said, there were just too many stars in the film. That is usually not a problem. The problem was trying to show all the stars with each of them having a few lines. You don't really get to know them on a deeper level. And Cloris Leachman as an Italiam mom...I'm sorry but I just could not buy that. She was that one thing that prevented me from suspending disbelief while watching the movie.

Family Life with all the Strife.......2005-03-30

What a delightful movie. The characters were not only lively but alive, mirroring real every day life and strife within a family. Each character brought a unique personality to the story that the audience could easily associate with someone they know within their own family or circle of close friends.

The story has a true-to-life flow that the viewer can assimilate into and be part of the drama, the laughter and tears as the plot of the movie develops. The script does a good job of capturing the common emotions, actions and reactions of the characters to conflict, opinion, and resolve.

Not an epic, but it is a very nice movie to watch with loved ones. Plenty of knowing head nods and `ahhh' moments to share and enjoy.

One of the Greatest Family Movies.......2002-06-11

This movie has heart. Pure and simple. The core of the movie has to do with four sisters, all having different troubles, yet they are always there for one another. This is truly a film that cannot be missed. It has humor, drama, and a general sweetness to it. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to see a good family movie.

wonderful!.......2001-09-26

this was the greatful movie i have ever seen before. you should see it.

Average customer rating:

HOLOCAUST HUMOR FALLS FLAT
Look elsewhere for laughs.
title of review
Jack Lemmon's worst film
Good in itself.

Getting Away With Murder
Starring: Dan Aykroyd , Lily Tomlin , Jack Lemmon , Bonnie Hunt , and Brian Kerwin
Director: Harvey Miller
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00021R7DK
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Customer Reviews:

HOLOCAUST HUMOR FALLS FLAT.......2005-09-17

Trying to milk any kind of laughs from the Holocaust and the plight of a Nazi war criminal is questionable as it is, and the people behind this travesty didn't achieve any kind of success. The movie follows Dan Aykroyd (another one of his phoned in performances) who discovers he is living next door to a suspected escaped Nazi war criminal (Jack Lemmon, looking both tired and bored). When Lemmon tells Aykroyd he is going back to Ecuador to escape this so called fabrication, Aykroyd decides to take matters into his own hand and poisons Lemmon with cyanide apples. The plot takes a few twists and turns, but ultimately falls flat on its face. Lily Tomlin shows up as Lemmon's daughter with an accent right out of Laugh-In; and poor Bonnie Hunt is wasted as the doctor who ends up becoming Aykroyd's fiancee. Few films that try to invoke humor out of serious situations work (M*A*S*H is the most noticeable exception and it worked because its humor came as part of the situations and plotlines, and was never intended to minimize the atrocities it parallelled). GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER is a film that never should have made it's attempt.

Look elsewhere for laughs........2005-06-23

Getting Away with Murder tells the story of Jack Lambert, a college ethics professor, who discovers that his neighbor may be a nazi war criminal. Dan Ackroyd is the professor and Jack Lemmon is the suspected war criminal. Ackroyd is known for being a funny man from his Saturday Night Live days and films such as The Blues Brothers. He is not funny in Getting Away with Murder. Viewers looking for humor in this film will be sadly disappointed.

Even though I was not amused, I was interested in the story of Lambert(Akroyd) deciding to take into his own hands the punishment for the war criminal. As a professor of ethics he should know better than to become judge, jury, and executioner. With all the safeguards in our legal system, we still make mistakes. Without safeguards, disaster must follow, as it does in this movie.

The plot has many twists and turns, none of them humorous, before the final conclusion -- ironic, but again, not funny. To say more about what happens as Akroyd hatches his plot to kill the criminal might spoil this film for viewers who want to decide for themselves if the movie is as bad as all the critics say it is.

I must admit that this film was just good enough to keep me watching until the implausible and unsatisfying end.

title of review.......2004-12-08

I think there's two kinds of good movies. The kind that keep you interested and entertained while you're watching, but don't provoke much afterthought, and the kind that can be trying to the patience while you're watching, but leave more of an impression. Film buffs are generally only interested in the latter. This film is the former, and as someone with a short attention span who isn't looking at films as something that should change one's life, I found this film to be a very satisfying viewing experience.
At worst it's an engaging story you can sit through without having to endure any boring parts, at best an intellectually stimulating look at the internal ethical dialogue a man explores when faced with a difficult situation, and the places his choices lead him.

Jack Lemmon's worst film.......2002-07-07

...I still cannot believe that I have actually seen this film. Just peeped in, because of Lemmon.

... Take my advice: Stay away from this film at any price!
Walk miles and miles in order NOT to see it!

...Watch more EARLY films of Jack Lemmon: "The great race" and "Under the Yum Yum tree" are good for starters. And if you are sophisticated enough to enjoy "Some like it hot", "The Apartment" and "The fortune cookie" you may laugh at yourself for ever having watched "Getting away with murder".

Good in itself........2001-10-22

this movie is well controlled and not aimed for a simple fun.
the storyline is interresting and satirizes a moralism in certain circumstances. this movie can be excellent if you possiblely don't have any preconception or image about the famous actors.

Average customer rating:

What happened to the passenger door?
Revisit the past with "Lilies of the Field"
Lilies of the Field
A-men!
just like the first time

Lilies of the Field [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00028HCE2

Customer Reviews:

What happened to the passenger door?.......2007-09-14

Revisit the past with "Lilies of the Field".......2007-07-28

Nice story about a traveling handyman who is befriended by some German-speaking nuns. My favorite scene shows Sidney Poitier teaching the Nuns the spiritual "Amen."

Lilies of the Field.......2007-06-27

A-men!.......2007-06-09

just like the first time.......2007-05-24

Average customer rating:

not one of the best "family drama" movies...
Family Life with all the Strife
One of the Greatest Family Movies
wonderful!

The Amati Girls
Starring: Anna Berger , John Capodice , Cassie Cole , Anne De Salvo , and Edith Fields
Director: Anne De Salvo
Manufacturer: Trinity Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00008G5SU
Release Date: 2002-02-19

Customer Reviews:

not one of the best "family drama" movies..........2007-04-03

Family Life with all the Strife.......2005-03-30

One of the Greatest Family Movies.......2002-06-11

wonderful!.......2001-09-26

this was the greatful movie i have ever seen before. you should see it.

Average customer rating:

not one of the best "family drama" movies...
Family Life with all the Strife
One of the Greatest Family Movies
wonderful!

The Amati Girls
Starring: Anna Berger , John Capodice , Cassie Cole , Anne De Salvo , and Edith Fields
Director: Anne De Salvo
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00003CY97

Customer Reviews:

not one of the best "family drama" movies..........2007-04-03

Family Life with all the Strife.......2005-03-30

One of the Greatest Family Movies.......2002-06-11

wonderful!.......2001-09-26

this was the greatful movie i have ever seen before. you should see it.

DVD:

DVD

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