Colleen McCullough wrote The Thorn Birds in 1977. The story of illicit love between a priest and a young girl, set in Australia, starting in 1920 and spanning the next 60 years in Rome and Australia.
The Thorn Birds was turned into a mini-series in 1983, starring Rachel Ward and Richard ... Read review
The hit mini series adaptation of Colleen McCullough's novel. Young handsome Father Ralph ... more
de Bricassart surrenders to ambition when he accepts a bequest to the church from wealthy matriarch Mary Carson. The legacy advances Father de Bricassart to the upper echelons of church hierarchy but it denies Mary's heirs of their rightful fortune - and ties Mary's granddaughter Meggie to the priest. Meggie grows into a stunningly beautiful woman and Father de Bricassart suffers the temptation of a woman he is not allowed--and cannot leave. Together the two share a secret passion that endures for decades and proves greater than even his faith and his love for the church.
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What happened to Father Ralph de Bricassart and Meggie Cleary O'Neill during the mystery ... more
years not covered in the original 1983 smash-hit miniseries? Now every fan can be in the know. "The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years" provides the spellbinding answer. The time is World War II. De Bricassart heroically rescues refugees in Rome then is sent by the Vatican to the sprawling Australian sheep ranch he though he had left behind forever. There a fateful reunion with Meggie leads to new temptations and a profound crisis: Meggie may lose custody of the beloved son conceived during the season of forbidden love she shared years earlier with de Bricassart....
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The second most-watched mini-series (after Roots) of all time,The Thorn Birdswas ... more
originally broadcast in 1983 and captivated viewers with its story of a lifelong conflict between the spirit and the flesh. Adapted from the bestselling novel by Colleen McCullough, the production stars Richard Chamberlain as a Catholic priest named Ralph de Bricassart, whose life in Australia between 1920 and 1962 is one long torment as he pines for his lover, Meggie Carson (Rachel Ward), while seeking advancement in his clergyman career. The passion and the guilt make for compelling drama, but a stellar cast of supporting players adds muscle to the proceedings: Barbara Stanwyck (who won an Emmy for her work as Meggie's tough grandmother), Jean Simmons, Richard Kiley, Christopher Plummer, Bryan Brown, and Mare Winningham. Chamberlain, who was something of the king of the miniseries form at the time, is very good in the lead, as is the often-underrated Ward. Their affair is indeed irresistible to watch, which proves to be true, too, of the story's thick weave of church politics, forbidden desire, social change over decades, and family secrets.--Tom Keogh
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The second most-watched mini-series (afterRoots) of all time,The Thorn Birdswas originally ... more
broadcast in 1983 and captivated viewers with its story of a lifelong conflict between the spirit and the flesh. Adapted from the bestselling novel by Colleen McCullough, the production stars Richard Chamberlain as a Catholic priest named Ralph de Bricassart, whose life in Australia between 1920 and 1962 is one long torment as he pines for his lover, Meggie Carson (Rachel Ward), while seeking advancement in his clergyman career. The passion and the guilt make for compelling drama, but a stellar cast of supporting players adds muscle to the proceedings: Barbara Stanwyck (who won an Emmy for her work as Meggie's tough grandmother), Jean Simmons, Richard Kiley, Christopher Plummer, Bryan Brown and Mare Winningham. Chamberlain, who was something of the king of the mini-series form at the time, is very good in the lead, as is the often-underrated Ward. Their affair is indeed irresistible to watch, which proves to be true, too, of the story's thick weave of church politics, forbidden desire, socialchange over decades, and family secrets. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The second most-watched mini-series (after Roots) of all time,The Thorn Birdswas ... more
originally broadcast in 1983 and captivated viewers with its story of a lifelong conflict between the spirit and the flesh. Adapted from the bestselling novel by Colleen McCullough, the production stars Richard Chamberlain as a Catholic priest named Ralph de Bricassart, whose life in Australia between 1920 and 1962 is one long torment as he pines for his lover, Meggie Carson (Rachel Ward), while seeking advancement in his clergyman career. The passion and the guilt make for compelling drama, but a stellar cast of supporting players adds muscle to the proceedings: Barbara Stanwyck (who won an Emmy for her work as Meggie's tough grandmother), Jean Simmons, Richard Kiley, Christopher Plummer, Bryan Brown, and Mare Winningham. Chamberlain, who was something of the king of the miniseries form at the time, is very good in the lead, as is the often-underrated Ward. Their affair is indeed irresistible to watch, which proves to be true, too, of the story's thick weave of church politics, forbidden desire, socialchange over decades, and family secrets.--Tom Keogh
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1997 - Drama - Director: Ronan O'Leary - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: James Spader, Anne Brochet, Barry McGovern, Anna Massey
Advantages: lovely mini-series to watch Disadvantages: bit long to watch in one go
Colleen McCullough wrote The Thorn Birds in 1977. The story of illicit love between a priest and a young girl, set in Australia, starting in 1920 and spanning the next 60 years in Rome and Australia.
The Thorn Birds was turned into a mini-series in 1983, starring Rachel Ward and Richard Chamberlain in the starring roles.
I remember watching this, I would have been 11 at the time and I have also read the book several ... ...is a little review on The Thorn Birds.
CAST
+++++
Mary Carson - Barbara Stanwyck
Megan Cleary - Rachel Ward
Father Ralph de Bricassart - Richard Chamberlain
Fiona Cleary - Jean Simmons
Anne Mueller - Piper Laurie
Luke O'Neill - Bryan Brown
Dane O'Neill - Philip Anglim
Justine O'Neill - Mare Winningham
These are just some of the main cast members. more
Colleen McCullough wrote The Thorn Birds in 1977. The story of illicit love between a priest and a young girl, set in Australia, starting in 1920 and spanning the next 60 years in Rome and Australia.
The Thorn Birds was turned into a mini-series in 1983, starring Rachel Ward and Richard Chamberlain in the starring roles.
I remember watching this, I would have been 11 at the time and I have also read the book several times.
My husband gave me the DVD for Christmas, so here is a little review on The Thorn Birds.
CAST +++++
Mary Carson - Barbara Stanwyck Megan Cleary - Rachel Ward Father Ralph de Bricassart - Richard Chamberlain Fiona Cleary - Jean Simmons Anne Mueller - Piper Laurie Luke O'Neill - Bryan Brown Dane O'Neill - Philip Anglim Justine O'Neill - Mare Winningham
These are just some of the main cast members.
STORYLINE ++++++++++
Mary Carson lives on Drogheda, a large sheep station in the Australian outback. She has no children and no heirs, so she asks her brother Paddy Cleary and his family to move from New Zealand to Australia, on the promise that they will inherit Drogheda one day.
The Cleary family move into a house on the station. Paddy is made foreman, but the family are treated as staff, not family.
Father Ralph De Bricassart has been punished for being outspoken within the church and is sent to the Australian outback to preach. He is lusted after by Mary Carson, who pulls every trick in the book to get Father Ralph to break his vows.
Mary Carson offers to leave Drogheda to the church if Father Ralph will sleep with her. Ralph refuses, leaving Mary bitter and twisted. Mary knows that Ralph is deeply ambitious and that he will do anything to succeed and become an Archbishop.
When Father Ralph meets the Cleary family, he is particularly taken with little Megan, known as Meggie. She learns to adore Father Ralph, who treats her as if she were his own child.
As the years pass by, Meggie grows up, and Father Ralph starts to realise that she is now a beautiful young woman. Meggie is madly in love with Father Ralph, but he has to tell her that it can never be. Ralph does love Meggie, but he loves the Church more.
On the night of a large party to celebrate Mary Carson's birthday, Meggie is left in tears when Father Ralph rejects her. Mary Carson dies that night. The solicitor explains the will to Father Ralph and he has a decision to make. Will he choose Meggie or the Church?
Shock - Mary Carson has left the entire ranch to the Church, on the grounds that the Cleary family are still able to live there and run it.
Father Ralph De Bricassart has sold his little Meggie for 20 pieces of silver. He is then returned to the papal fold at the Vatican in Rome.
The mini-series then follows the Cleary family through life, death and tragedy. Meggie tries to forget Ralph so she marries, has two children, Justine and Dane, then returns to the family.
The love story between Meggie and Father Ralph continues over the years. What is the outcome? Will either of them ever be happy?
I do not want to go into too much more detail or it will spoil the story for people who have not read the book or watched the mini-series.
Basically, what goes around comes around. The Cleary family find this to be true.
There are several smaller storylines which run alongside this, including one about Meggie's mother Fi.
BACKGROUND ++++++++++++
This storyline is very contriversial because of the priest breaking his vows and caused uproar when screened in America.
In the mini-series there is a jump forward of 19 years at one point, in which Meggie's children grow up. This was true to the book, but a second mini-series was filmed in 1996 called "The Thornbirds - The Missing Years". This tried to fill the gap, and starred Richard Chamberlain again, but Rachel Ward's role was taken over by Amanda Donahoe.
I personally have never watched this series.
MY OPINION ++++++++++
This is one of my favourite mini-series of all time. The setting is Australia is superb and the story is well told and well adapted from the book. There are one or two alterations as there always are when books are turned into tv, but nothing major to worry about.
The acting is good, some of it over the top, but I believe that Barbara Stanwyck won an Emmy for her role.
The whole love story of forbidden love is dealt with in a good way, although I have often found it strange that Father Ralph watched Meggie grow up from a child and then he loves her in a different way. That has always seemed a bit sick to me.
However, this is still a great mini-series to watch, its about 6 hours on dvd and I would recommend it to anyone who likes this type of thing.
You can buy the soundtrack on CD.
DVD available from Amazon, Choices and Play, from £13.99 upwards. I think that some of them have special features, but mine didn't so I am reviewing this as film only.
Drama - Director: Frank Capra - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Claude Rains, Lionel Barrymore, Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, James Stewart, Henry Travers, Jean Arthur
Drama - Director: Chazz Palminteri - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Susan Sarandon, Penelope Cruz, Paul Walker, Alan Arkin, Marcus Thomas, Donna Hanover, Robin Williams
Production Year: 2000 - Drama - Director: Billy Bob Thornton - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Lucas Black, Ruben Blades, Miriam Colon, Bruce Dern, Robert Patrick, Sam Shepard, Matt Damon, Penelope Cruz, Henry Thomas
Production Year: 1980 - Drama - Director: Randal Kleiser - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Brooke Shields, Christopher Atkins, Leo McKern, William Daniels
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