Lilies of the Field

If anyone told me that I was going to be not only watching, but enjoying, Sidney Poitier's Oscar winning performance in Lilies of the Field today, I would have looked at them cross eyed. First of all, I love trivia, but I have no real talent for movie or music trivia. So while I have heard of the film and I know very well who Poitier is, I didn't know that the 2 went together. And shame on me that after 12 years of Catholic school, I didn't know that the title was from the Bible. I had no idea what this movie was about until now.

Why is this relevant to me and my hobby and this blog? Well, one of the major themes of scrapbooking is story telling. Hollywood is famous for telling stories and spending millions to do it. But this story was so bare bones on screen (at least compared to the blockbusters I am used to) that I didn't think it would hold my attention. It's been a train wreck ever since. I can't stop watching it. I am engaged in the story. I care about the characters. I don't want to turn the channel. And that's with NO bells or whistles. As old as this movie is, it is quite relevant to our world today. Race, the economy, women's struggles, religion...what more do you need to tell a good story? It's all there, quite literally, in black and white!

Telling stories doesn't have to be fancy. It doesn't have to be expensive. It doesn't even have to be Oscar winning or trailblazing or even in color. It just has to be sincere, heartfelt and something you really want to accomplish.