WHERE THE LILIES BLOOM

US, 1974, 98 minutes, Colour.
Julie Gholson, Jan Smithers, Harry Dean Stanton.
Directed by William A. Graham.

Where the Lilies Bloom is a very strong family film – a portrait of a group of children living in the Appalachians Carolina Mountains. They work together, especially after the death of their widowed father. The film shows the struggle of the children, their bonds amongst themselves, the way of life in the mountains.

The film is emotional, appealing to audiences to identify with the children and their plight. The film was directed by William A. Graham, a prolific director of television films who made a number of for the big screen including Change of Habit, Cry for Me Billy.

1. How appealing this film, the nature of its charm, its appeal to families, to girls in the audience?

2. What made the film attractive? The portrayal of its locations? The quality of the photography and colour, the reality and strength of the characters?

3. The importance of the films being based on a true story? Mary Call and her diary? Her poetic goals giving meaning to the title of the film? Audience identification with Mary Call and her dreams?

4. The importance of the mountains. the atmosphere, the benign mountain and the hostile mountain? The children and the family shaped by their environment? Trapped by their surroundings? The film's comment on
environment and people?

5. The importance of the film's opening on the mountain? Mary Call's description of the mountain in a personal way highlighting the significance of their life, the atmosphere in which the family lived?

6. The portrayal of the family: the memory and influence of the robbers the feeling of her absence? The father and his illness, the way that he organized the family, his likes and dislikes? The older sister and her attractiveness but lack of responsibility for running the household? The younger children? Mary Call and her age, her tautness, her
appearance, her way of speaking. her ability to organize things? Thebonds between them and the quality of their way of life?

7. Audience reaction to the father's illness? His testament and orders to Mary Call? the obligations he laid on her? What right did he have to do this? The impact of his death on them all? The burden of living out the orders of the father? Experiencing the mistakes in his orders?

8. How attractive a girl was Mary Call, in herself, within the family? Her strengths, the efforts that she made. the demands on her wisdom? The growing tensions and frustrations? Her own personal yearnings and her subduing these to the goals of the family? How did the incidents illustrate this well?

9. How was the audience asked to identify with Mary Call and the details of her handling the situation?

10. The other children and the strain of obeying their father’s wishes? Their work on the mountain collecting the herbs, the hard work of the chores around the family. concealing their dead father, going through routines of pretence. going to school, being continually tired. Edgy with each other? How real did this all seem?

11. How well portrayed were the neighbours, the shopkeepers, their interest in the children, their wanting to visit the father? As a kind of tension for the children?

12. The importance of the school sequences, the teacher encouraging Mary Call, Mary's working in the Dining Room with the washing-up etc,? The other children trying to keep up at schoolwork? The contrast of the modern school with the mountain way of life?

13. The neighbour and the father's hostility towards him? His love for the daughter? His gifts of animals? The car? The hostility of his sister?

14. How well did the film build up to a crisis for Mary Call? The accident and the injuries in hospital? Mary Call’s visit and her contract of marriage? What had happened to her by this?

15. The resulting insight into the pressures, and her father's mistake? Her consent then to the marriage and happiness for all?

16. What insight into the portrayal of children,, families,, growing up? What is the value of entertainment and instruction from film like this?