Amen!

Sidney Pottier only has one Academy Award. He is known for his performance in The Defiant Ones (1958), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), A Raisin in the Sun (1961) and In the Heat of the Night (1967). But he didn’t win an Academy Award for any of these performances. His lone Oscar was earned for his portrayal of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field (1963).

Before there was Crash (2004), before it was trendy to be politically correct in dealing with racial relations, there was Lilies of the Field. This movie defines racial relations, while providing religious context and humor. In the movie Sidney Pottier’s vagabond Homer Smith ends up in the southwestern desert. Needing water for his radiator he stops off at a nunnery. The nuns give him water in return for help patching their leaky roof. It should be noted that these nuns are recent immigrants from Germany. They are also a pushing bunch and demand that Smith stay to help build them a chapel for the small village nearby. Smith reluctantly agrees and is never fully committed until Mexicans come into the picture.

The most poignant racial scene in the movie occurs when Smith watches as the German speaking Anglo nuns try to describe to the Spanish speaking Mexicans about where materials for their chapel need to be put. As the two sides are unable to communicate, Smith comes in and explains what the nuns want to the Mexicans. The three racial groups end up getting along and putting the chapel together for the good of the community.

This movie doesn’t beat you over the head with race like Crash did or go to extremes like American History X (1998). Race is dealt with in a mature, subtle manner. Although there isn’t an Oscar worthy speech made by Pottier about the ills of racism, or an over-the-top performance that creates a new acting style – Pottier is perfect as Homer Smith. He brings humor to the nuns during his English lessons. They loosen up and begin to adopt him as one of their own. It is sad to see him leave them in the end, but the audience doesn’t leave on a down note, rather they are left with the catchy hymn that has been a recurring theme throughout the movie. Simply put, Lilies of the Field is one of the most underrated movies made. It should be required viewing for anyone interested in positive stories, great writing and good acting.