One of the chief problems with the movies of today is `plotiness.' Potentially interesting subjects and characterizations are left in the lurch, due to filmmakers' insistence on giving top priority to the twists, turns and layers of the story. In a good movie the characters should drive the action; not the other way around. Those who disagree with this assessment are referred to "Lilies of the Field."
Here is a film which gets by cheerfully on a wisp of a plot. It's a simple tale about Homer Smith (Sidney Poitier), an amiable drifter who stops to get water for his car and is eventually conned into building a chapel for a band of European nuns. There is no great conflict in the film; only the constant threat of running out of materials. In the midst of this, Poitier manages to teach the nuns a bit of English, as well as a `goin' to meetin' song' called `Amen,' which serves as the film's theme and is played throughout.
The real joy of the film is in the personalities and interactions of the characters, and in the individual scenes. Poitier is dynamic and jovial in his Oscar winning role. It may not have been his top performance, or indeed the year's best acting, but it has a special low-key charm that few other actors could have mustered. The supporting cast is uniformly excellent, particularly Lilia Skala as the wily Mother Superior. There are several touching sequences, and also a richness of humor. Delightful on every level, this is a film to treasure.
Here is a film which gets by cheerfully on a wisp of a plot. It's a simple tale about Homer Smith (Sidney Poitier), an amiable drifter who stops to get water for his car and is eventually conned into building a chapel for a band of European nuns. There is no great conflict in the film; only the constant threat of running out of materials. In the midst of this, Poitier manages to teach the nuns a bit of English, as well as a `goin' to meetin' song' called `Amen,' which serves as the film's theme and is played throughout.
The real joy of the film is in the personalities and interactions of the characters, and in the individual scenes. Poitier is dynamic and jovial in his Oscar winning role. It may not have been his top performance, or indeed the year's best acting, but it has a special low-key charm that few other actors could have mustered. The supporting cast is uniformly excellent, particularly Lilia Skala as the wily Mother Superior. There are several touching sequences, and also a richness of humor. Delightful on every level, this is a film to treasure.