The reason why this charming little gem was nominated for (and should have won) an Oscar for screenplay based on other material was the particular material that it was based on -- and that it largely remained true to the original work. A perfect 10.
Lilies of the Field was written as a short novel by William E. Barrett. Others have described the story well, so I will concentrate on the author. His works, small in number, were masterfully crafted inspirational tales of faith. Lilies of the Field seems to be timeless because its simple message of faith is timeless, and the story is simply told. That is why it works so well -- Barrett is a brilliant author and a master of the telling of belief in God. He manages this without being preachy.
(potential spoiler) By contrast, Barrett's other work, The Left Hand of God, is infinitely more complex in its story line -- crammed with tension and suspense, the very title gives a glimpse of its irony contained within. Its premise is based on a blasphemous assumption of someone else's identity by the main character. And yet, in the end -- as with Lilies of the Field -- it is simple faith that wins out.
When these works are translated to the screen, Lilies of the Field remains largely true to Barrett's book. This is unfortunately NOT the case with Left Hand of God. Forget that the great Bogart is the male lead. Forget that it also contains the worthy Gene Tierney, Agnes Moorehead, Lee J Cobb, E G Marshall. These stars cannot overcome the heavy-handed hatchet job that was done to the script. After all, Lilies of the Field had only Sidney Poiter with any real name recognition, and him not a whole lot yet. Rather, it was the story that the superb if largely unknown cast was able to pull off.
If you are a fan of Lilies of the Field, I suggest that you do NOT see the movie Left Hand of God. Instead, track down a copy of William E. Barrett's book (search well -- it is out of print) and READ the story as the author intended it.
Lilies of the Field was written as a short novel by William E. Barrett. Others have described the story well, so I will concentrate on the author. His works, small in number, were masterfully crafted inspirational tales of faith. Lilies of the Field seems to be timeless because its simple message of faith is timeless, and the story is simply told. That is why it works so well -- Barrett is a brilliant author and a master of the telling of belief in God. He manages this without being preachy.
(potential spoiler) By contrast, Barrett's other work, The Left Hand of God, is infinitely more complex in its story line -- crammed with tension and suspense, the very title gives a glimpse of its irony contained within. Its premise is based on a blasphemous assumption of someone else's identity by the main character. And yet, in the end -- as with Lilies of the Field -- it is simple faith that wins out.
When these works are translated to the screen, Lilies of the Field remains largely true to Barrett's book. This is unfortunately NOT the case with Left Hand of God. Forget that the great Bogart is the male lead. Forget that it also contains the worthy Gene Tierney, Agnes Moorehead, Lee J Cobb, E G Marshall. These stars cannot overcome the heavy-handed hatchet job that was done to the script. After all, Lilies of the Field had only Sidney Poiter with any real name recognition, and him not a whole lot yet. Rather, it was the story that the superb if largely unknown cast was able to pull off.
If you are a fan of Lilies of the Field, I suggest that you do NOT see the movie Left Hand of God. Instead, track down a copy of William E. Barrett's book (search well -- it is out of print) and READ the story as the author intended it.