At Play in the Fields of the Lord (film)

Movie Facts

Year Released:	1991
MPAA Rating (USA):	R
Director:	Hector Babenco
Starring:	Tom Berenger John Lithgow Daryl Hannah Niilo Kivirinta

Christian missionaries Martin and Hazel Quarrier (Aidan Quinn and Kathy Bates) and their blond haired blue eyed 10 year old son Billy (Niilo Kivirinta) travel deep into the Jungles of South America to save souls for Jesus. As you might imagine not all goes according to plan. As prudish Kathy Bates is attempting to teach the native women about modesty and instill some sense of body shame little Niilo befriends a group of about eight naked and stunningly beautiful native boys ages 8 to 12.

The children's nudity is natural and yet it doesn't seem entirely innocent. For some strange reason one of the young native boys had used a bit of string to tie his foreskin to what looks like a thin belt fashioned from grass thus holding his penis upright. I was unclear if this was done for comfort to prevent his penis from slapping his balls as he ran or if it was some sort of sexual fetish.

Alas all good things must come to an end. Bates freaks out when she sees her darling son naked with some of his nude Indian friends watching two natives screw. (In the book written by Peter Matthiessen in 1965 Niilo's character engages in mutual masturbation with his young male friend).

Macauly Caulkin was originally cast in this role but his father pulled him and had him work on another role which would offer the, then rising star, more visibility, The Good Son.

External link

• IMDb entry
• YouTube This film can be viewed on YouTube