Christmas Lilies of the Field (1979)

Synopsis: Ralph Nelson directs this sequel to his Oscar-winning original of sixteen years earlier. Once again handyman Homer Smith, played in this version by Billy Dee Williams, turns up at the chapel he... Ralph Nelson directs this sequel to his Oscar-winning original of sixteen years earlier. Once again handyman Homer Smith, played in this version by Billy Dee Williams, turns up at the chapel he built in the Arizona desert. This time Mother Maria (Maria Schell) cons him into putting up an orphanage and a kindergarten. Although the convincing doesn't take as long as in the original. The lesson of their first encounter is recapitulated as the two old friends struggle to accommodate the community and iron out the details to suit everyone's needs and expectations. This nostalgic and genuinely poignant version was made for television and aired on December 16, 1979. In the original feature film LILIES OF THE FIELD, Sydney Poitier played Homer Smith and won the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his tender rendition of the lead character. [More]

Starring: Fay Hauser, Maria Schell, Billy Dee Williams, Judith Piquet

Starring: Fay Hauser, Maria Schell, Billy Dee Williams, Judith Piquet, Bob Hastings

Director: Ralph Nelson

Director: Ralph Nelson
Screenwriter: Ralph Nelson
Producer: Ralph Nelson

[See More Credits]