Where the Lilies Bloom (1974)
A family of children decide not to tell anyone their father has died, and to live on their own in the backwoods of rural North Carolina. If the state finds out they are on their own, they will be split up and sent to live in foster homes.
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not horrible nor great
Great Film overall
Best movie ever!
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
One of the first films I ever saw in a theater as a teen, in the '70's. Set in the mountains of NC, a young girl leads her siblings in survival after being orphaned. A beautiful setting & good storyline. It has been a long time since I saw it, but it is one of those "feel good" movies. When you get to the end you want the story to continue. The characters are well cast & not that well known as actors for the most part. For a large part the main characters are young, but very good in that the portrayal is believable. As in any movie about struggle there is a "bad guy" & a hero, or heroine in this case. "Where The Lilies Bloom" is a drama that takes you through a good range of feelings, you will laugh & cry & feel victory as well as defeat.
I live in the Blue Ridge near the places where the filming took place. I love the area and I enjoy movies depicting life in the Appalachians many years ago. This is one of the best. My non-profit company recently purchased the old Elk Park School, a 1937 stone WPA school building which is the same school shot in the film. We have converted the school to beautifully rehabilitated affordable senior housing and in the process have secured permanent status for the building and the grounds on the National Register of Historic Places. Many area residents attended school there including most of the local extras seen in the movie. These good people are now once again drawn into the building through community activities scheduled in the refurbished gymnasium.
I loved this film. The children are engaging and I became surprisingly invested in their efforts. I wish I could have seen the film on the big screen because this area of North Carolina is incredible. Their poverty and tremendous difficulties juxtaposed with the peace and serenity of the land combine the sweet and the bitter beautifully.
I loved this movie. I give it 5 stars because the movie shows the hard life in the mountains. It just stood out at the library when I looked for a movie. I read the book and it was just as good. Mary Call was bossy, but I understood why. Ima Dean was cute but boring. All she did was sit, sing songs, take bathes and go to school. Romey was rather loud and Devola was queer in the head. All in all, it was a great movie.