User reviews

In my house, The Thornbirds is a go-to classic. I don't know if it is in yours, but if it isn't, rent it during a long weekend and it soon will be.

This sprawling epic takes place in Australia, focusing on one family's generational journey, the Clearys. Headed by Richard Kiley and Jean Simmons, the Clearys struggle with their sons and daughter as they run the family ranch with Barbara Stanwyck. As a little girl, the daughter Meggie develops a crush on Father Ralph, who is kind to her and her family. While the main storyline of the epic miniseries is the relationship between Father Ralph and Meggie when she grows up, there's so much more to this wonderful drama than a forbidden romance. Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward play the starcrossed lovers, and after watching The Thorn Birds, it'll be hard to see either of them in anything else. They are Meggie and Father Ralph.

This was an enormously successful miniseries, and for good reason. With a huge cast, including Bryan Brown, Piper Laurie, Christopher Plummer, Ken Howard, Mare Winningham, and Earl Holliman, a memorable theme, and a story full of romance, heartbreaking family relationships, religious conflicts, and the drama of finding and forgiving yourself, it's no wonder it won four Golden Globes (with four additional nominations) and six Emmys (with ten additional nominations). I could praise each actor's individual performance, but this review would turn into an essay. But if you're a Jean Simmons fan, she gives the best performance of her career in this miniseries. And if you loved Barbara Stanwyck in her youth, you'll be very touched to see her still feisty at 76 years old, reaching out to the audience and reminding them that there's still a young woman inside of her. Christopher Plummer makes for a very believable Archbishop, and Bryan Brown was so charming, he married his costar Rachel Ward!

The Thorn Birds gets its title from the legend of the particular bird. The birds pursue a beautiful rose, knowing there is a deadly thorn attached. They love the rose so much, they can't stand to be apart from it, and they end up impaled upon the thorn. Every character in this decades-long miniseries has a compelling love, one that isn't healthy and practically kills them just by loving it. The love can be a partner, a child, or even God. I won't spoil the plot, but it's a very emotional, tragic story. You'll fall in love, and you'll shake with sobs. If you don't go through an entire box of Kleenex, you need to take some time to find your heart. Then watch it again.

My Mother talked me into watching this movie with her about 15 years ago. I loved it but didn't quite understand all the emotion behind it. I watched it again this past week and was amazed at how differently it spoke to me.

We can learn so much about love, forgiving and humility from this story. I also loved how in the end Meggie and her mother finally come to understand one another and her mother is able to show her the love she has longing for. It's a great reminder to not put off showing love to those close to us, but to be like Meggie and give it whether it is given or not.

If it's been a while see it again, because your perspective has changed and it will mean something different to you today.

If you have never seen it before, I think it is well worth the time you'll invest in seeing it. But be sure to grab some tissues.

This was one of the most beloved love stories, right up there with Gone With the Wind, Somewhere in Time, and The Way we Were...I remember there was talk once on making a sequel to The Way we Were, and I thought please don't. In my mind Hubel and Katie eventually reunited. Again, in my mind things turned out wonderful for the Cleary's. I remember the series when it came out, I was 12, I understood sacrifice, torture, love, betrayal, hate, undying love from this movie---I never get bored of seeing this again and again. The passion these two had for each other--the love Father Ralph showed to God--his tortured soul of loving both, but only committing to one kept me on the edge till the end.

For anyone who has suffered through the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune in love, this 1983 mini-series will touch their hearts like no other film or TV series ever made. The casting was perfect in every way to bring the story of the Australian Cleary family to life so vividly (Jean Simmons as the mother "Fee" won the Emmy Award that year; unfortunately Henry Mancini didn't for his gorgeous musical score, and he deserved to win!).

While the main thrust of this story and film appears on the surface to be the love of a Roman Catholic priest for a young girl whom he sees grow into adulthood, the underlying, truly poignant aspect of this story is about the long-term effects of what happens to children when mothers love one child more than another. This theme is the real heart tugger here. Meggie is an afterthought to her mother Fee until the very end of the story (Frank is her favorite child, even though he is troubled, because Frank was the love child of a pre-marital affair), and later on when Meggie becomes a mother Dane is her favorite child (also a product of a clandestine love), and her daughter Justine is the afterthought.

It is this basic lack of love that each child feels from his or her mother that determines the choices they make in life (i.e. Meggie choses to love someone who cannot commit to her, Justine choses to avoid love altogether and throw herself into acting to escape reality, Frank goes off and kills a man because he cannot deal with loving his mother too much, Ralph reveals his mother abandoned him early so he too inclines towards a non-committal type of love with Meggie and escapes through the church, etc.)

The pattern develops early and continues throughout the lives of the Clearys. That is why, to me, the most profoundly moving scenes in this entire series are right near the end: 1) when the old Fee has to tell Meggie that her son Dane has died, and she caresses Meggie's face for the first time in both their lives, and 2) the scene in the stable barn, between Meggie and Justine, as they confront the truth: that Meggie does love Justine, but Dane WAS the favorite child, for reasons beyond Justine's control. In hugging Fee and crying in grief, and in resolving her differences with Justine, Meggie finally finds the peace she needs in life; she is then able to let go of Ralph when the inevitable takes him from her for good.

Richard Chamberlain became an even bigger heartthrob with the advent of this epic mini-series, Rachel Ward became a star, and Barbara Stanwyk made a major comeback and stole the show in only three hours of on-screen time. "The Thorn Birds", based on Colleen McCullough's best-selling epic novel takes place in the Australia of the 1920's and stretches across three generations to the 1960's and tells the story of a life-long romance between an ambitious priest (Chamberlain) and the woman who only wanted his love. Rachel Ward is a beautiful rose as Meggie, Richard Chamberlain is an ideal Ralph de Bricassart and Barbara Stanwyk is at her best as Mary Carson, Meggie's aunt, the richest yet loneliest woman in Australia. She desires Ralph for herself but he easily spurns her and she takes revenge on him with unmerciful vengeance. He had broken his vow of obedience prior to meeting Mary Carson and she sets out to cause him to break his other vows of poverty and especially chastity. When she dies suddenly she leaves her entire estate to the Church in Rome with Ralph in soul charge as overseer (vow of poverty now broken). She also knows that sooner or later he will hopelessly succumb to Meggie's wish of receiving his love. Several years pass before that vow is broken but it eventually is and what comes of it is a deep, dark secret that will either make or break Ralph. The entire supporting cast is brilliant also: Barbara Stanwyk, Richard Kiley and Jean Simmons all won an Emmy for their performances. Piper Laurie, Christopher Plummer and Bryan Brown were all nominated but poor, little Rachel Ward and Mare Winningham got the shaft. See it! It's a full, rich story with powerful stamina!

Very well done; highly watchable. Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward are okay as the tortured lovers, but the acting kudos go to Barbara Stanwyck and Christopher Plummer. Stanwyck won an emmy for her role and Plummer was nominated for his. (He should have won.) Ms. Stanwyck's final scene is wrenching--the emotion came straight out of her guts and no matter how many times I see it, it chokes me up. She was one of the greats and it shows in this performance. Christopher Plummer's portrayal of "Vittorio," Ralph's friend and mentor in the church, is delightful and oh, so perceptive. He sees right through Ralph and we see what he knows in his eyes--subtle and convincing; a good role for Plummer. Numerous plot lines, interesting locations, adventure, romance, tragedy, strong cast, great music, thought-provoking theme, engaging script--I recommend it!

I saw this movie first time when I was 16. I didn't understand it at first, but after that I got the novel and read it all over in 3 days. I have a VHS copy of this movie at home and I usually watch it twice a year (It means that I have nearly watched it more than 20 times). Every time I watch it I can't give any breaks! Last night I watched it till the end again until 6am... It always makes me sad and I can't stop my emotions, I cry (together with smiles) for a forbidden love.... especially the last 30 minutes of the movie.

Very great movie with a wonderful music, the best movie I have ever seen in my life, I always have recommended it for all my friends and the people who believe in existence of a true love. I am going to buy the DVD version of this movie for myself, although I have VHS version of it.

I always adore the acting of both Richard (Ralph) and Rachel (Maggie). Both of them have done best in this movie and I have become to love Rachel Ward since I saw this movie.

I hope the people who read my comment have seen the movie. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend you to hire it and watch it till the end at least once in your life time.

My mother was given the box set DVD for Christmas, we sat down to watch it on Christmas day at about 8 o'clock, and didn't move until the early hours of the next morning. I simply couldn't drag my eyes away from the screen for one second. I became such an instant fan that as soon as I could I rushed off and bought the book, and before I knew it, I'd finished that as well! Towards the end of the film I felt myself identifying more with Justine, than I had done with Meggie the younger and elder throughout the film. Fate is always so cruel, how could Dane leave Meggie, and how could Justine desert her mother, and just how long did Fee live? That women seemed everlasting! Overall, I loved every second of it, and felt, as every women does, a very strong attraction to Richard Chamberline THROUGHOUT! I probably would've starved and gone without sleep if the book hadn't been prised away from my hands.

This is an epic series that truly has it all. Drama, tragedy, forbidden love...u can't go wrong. I was glued to the TV when it came on the hallmark channel. But it's LONG. You have to break it down into different days because it's like 10 hours long. I think it's better than Gone with the Wind. But that's just me! It takes you on this long journey of the Cleary family in the early 1900's all the way to the 1950's. Sometimes Rachel Ward's and Richard Chamberlain's acting is a little on the dramatic side, but it's OK. It really does add to the whole story. I actually bought the DVD and it was pretty reasonable...only $24.99. You just get mesmerized by this story and it takes you to another time and place and just can't help wondering what is going to happen in the end.

How did Rachel Ward have a career after this? She is plain awful. Especially amidst the company of so many outstanding performers and performances. Watching her try to be dramatic almost makes me laugh! Very dab casting. Think of the great ladies. Barbara Stanwyck,Piper Laurie, Jean Simmons. She reminds me often a deer in headlights. The men overwhelm her too. But I do love this series. First time I have seen it.I would surmise that these great old mini-series have been replaced by shows on HBO, Showtime, and the like. Perhaps too expensive for regular broadcast TV. Mores the pity. But by and large this was a truly great television experience.

As an Australian who knows the country and sheep stations well, I found this TV series IMPOSSIBLE to watch.

1) The landscape is not Australian. Australia is flat, scrubby, has red soil and certainly does not have North American tree species growing in the wild. The grass is usually spinifex, a really distinctive species which I am sure the director knew nothing about.

2) The architecture was in keeping with Southern California, not Australia. Station homesteads in Australia are always of a single story and built with corrugated iron, mud brick (maybe) and bush timber poles.

3) Australians drive on the left hand side of the road.

4) The flocks of sheep are anywhere between 2,000 and 10,000 head, comprised entirely of merinos, and are herded with dogs. The dogs are of quite specific breeds - kelpies and border collies - and are quite valuable. You don't shoot them because they fight.

5) In the 1920s, fences were of timber poles with 6 - 8 plain wires topped by a single strand of barbed wire. Gates were generally made of the same materials and known as "cocky" gates.

6) Australians speak with Australian accents, not American ones. Sure, Irish immigrants might have Irish accents (but I did not notice too much of that) but their children will certainly speak with Australian or New Zealand accents (as the case may be).

7) New Zealanders who have lived on farms will certainly have some idea about the handling and shearing of sheep.

Upon my initial viewings, this moved me. It is an emotionally charged drama of forbidden love, scandal and tragedy that teaches a very powerful lesson...that we, as a human race, are all doomed to destruction, each generation repeating the mistake of the one before (remember Rev. Jim Jones himself said "those who cannot remember history are doomed to repeat it").

This miniseries was the Australian outback's answer to "Gone With The Wind". Only this time it's Cardinal DeBricissart (Richard Chamberlin) that's the Scarlett O'Hara and Meggie Cleary (Rachel Ward) that's the Rhett Butler. And yes, it cries for a sequel that can never be made. And yes, not all love stories have happy endings.

And there are some sequences that do not depend on a music score, such as the touching climactic scene with Meggie and Justine in the barn.

But that's just what makes a miniseries a classic. This is not some cheap-skate adaptation of a best selling book...this is the way novels should be made.

I believe the Thorn Birds to be the absolute best romance of all time! It has unrequited love, tragedy, passion, retribution and a love which is haunting and forever. The Australian Outback, Greece, Rome and London are the backdrops of this tragic, passionate, fantastic film.

Rachel Ward and Richard Chamberlain deliver the best performances of their careers as lovestruck, tragic Meggie Clearly and confused, ambitious Father Ralph deBricassart. Other notable actors include Jean Simmons as Fiona Cleary, Meggie's mother, who watches her daughter make so many of the same mistakes she made in her life. Christopher Plummer as Vittorio the Cardinal is a great morality mirror for Ralph. One cannot also forget to mention Barbara Stanwyck as the conniving Mary Carson who sets up so much heartache and tragedy, even from the grave. The moral and lesson of the series is to ask how much of our lives we choose and how much is already decided for us? Will each generation make the same mistakes the previous did? Fiona makes the mistake of never having the man she loves but loving his son more than her other children. Meggie loves a man who is unattainable and makes many of the same mistakes her mother did. It is only up to Justine, Meggie's daughter, to attempt to break the cycle.

If you have not seen this, you MUST!! It is on DVD which makes it even better for those scenes you just cannot get enough of! Henry Mancini's soundtrack is the perfect backdrop for the movies most poignant scenes.

A story of life changing decisions and love, ripped apart by ambition. A love so pure, so desirable, it's forbidden. The Thorn Birds speaks of true decisions...true love.

The cast was a wonder. Richard Chamberlain playing Father Ralph was brilliant. Rachel Ward playing Meggie Cleary was marvelous. And the others in their own part was superb. I cannot imagine any others playing their characters as well as they did. What I saw in them that I did not in other films, was pure dedication. And that's what makes it a cast like no other. (But really seeing them as if the part they played was meant for them.)

This story is so much more than what it seems. It's hate, passion, and love all developed by the difficulties of growing up in addition to simply living life. What each of the characters go through is significant and should be watched alongside the main idea.

Seeing this miniseries at the age of 17, I can safely say that it is a masterpiece. I compare it to an artist's second canvas of painting. The first will definitely have mistakes. And even though you correct those mistakes the second time around, there's bound to be a few more. And still, it's acceptable. The little mistakes made are what makes it resplendent.

I can only hope that if you ever obtain an opportunity to see this, you do not pass it off. You will watch it with a smile on your face, tears in your eyes, and always with passion in your heart. I can be certain that you will not only watch it once, but various more times. It's one of those miniseries/film that you will not be able to let go of...ever!

It goes without saying that I found it amazing! And definitely my favorite.

I was only 2 when the miniseries first came out, but when I was in the 6th grade it was on TV, and the part that I saw that hooked me, was when Meggie was coming down the stairs at Mary Carsons birthday party. Ever since then it has been my most loved film of all time. I even showed it to my boyfriend and he actually liked it.

I wouldn't change anything from the miniseries and I believe that everyone in it were excellent, especially Richard Chamberlain, Rachel Ward, and Christopher Plummer. I believe if anyone was played by a different person, it wouldn't completely satisfy us viewers. About a year ago I created a webpage dedicated to The Thorn Birds (only) so if you would like to see it, e-mail me or click through under the photos link if it is listed. Or just go to yahoo and do a search.

I also am writing a sequal of my own to it so if anyone is curious as to what it's about, don't hesitate to email me.

On a down note, they shouldn't have made the sequal 'the missing years'. The people in it weren't good enough at their character, only Richard Chamberlain was in it, and the storyline just didn't do anything for the original. If you haven't seen The Thorn Birds yet, just see Thorn Birds, and do not see the sequal unless you just want to see it to see how disappointing it is compared to the original. It also wasn't good to alter the actual characteristics of the original characters (such as Fee). Quite disapointing in my opinion, and many others seem to agree with me.

Enjoy! Long live The Thorn Birds! P.S if anyone knows if thorn birds will be coming out on DVD or know where I can contact someone to ask, please please PLEASE let me know!

Wow! Best describes this brilliant film.

No wonder Richard Chamberlain was known as the king of mini-series. He etched one unforgettable character after another.

This time, he is Father Ralph Di Bricissart, who is loved by the town's wealthy Mary Carson. Barbara Stanwyck turned in a brilliant performance as Miss Carson. Her love for Father Ralph had no bounds. When he spurned her, she decided to fix him but good, even if it meant hurting her own family. That's exactly what she did by leaving her fortune to Father Ralph, thereby creating an embarrassing situation for him as well as the church.

That being resolved, years pass and we are now finding out that a niece of Carson is romantically involved with Father Ralph. Dane is the result.

The Australian outback is beautifully realized here. Jean Simmons, as the sister-in-law of Mary Carson is wonderful as well as the gentleman who portrayed her husband.

A story of heartbreak and of the human spirit, "The Thorn Birds" is well recommended.

so fascinating.a warm and sympathetic story force you see it to end.great screenplay . a film about how destinies involved together. spectacular locations and good make up.a story about challenge between ambitions and love. Richard Chamberlain acted wonderful as the cardinal DE Bricassert who fell in love with Rachel ward as Maggie who loves him to be her husband. one of the best series ever made. highly advised to be seen.lovely landscapes particularly the beach scene in which Meggie walks through the seashore so disappointed and surprisingly his man of love comes to visit her and a very warm passion takes place between them results the birth of her son.

Thorn Birds. Hmmm. Just One Word. Fascinating !!! I have memorized all the scenes of the film at that time. I have watched it with my parents when i was a teenage in 1985. It affected all of us very deeply. Nowadays you cant find this kind of films very often. Unfortunately I couldn't get the DVD version in Turkey. But i can assure you that after watching this film i got all the movies of R. Ward and R. Chamberlain. Now I simply suggest everyone to watch this masterpiece. By the way do you know how can i find also the soundtrack? In this movie I like the way of telling and expressing of a love and individuals from beginning to an end. Thanx for all. LoveFrom Ankara. Alper A. Sahin

I've only watched the first side of disc one and am so far enjoying it, but what is with the accents? They are supposed to be in Australia and everyone is either Irish or American. The Irish makes sense, but not the American everybody! I'm Australian so I find it disappointing and distracting. I think poor immitations would have been better than effortless American accents.

Meggie goes from being an American accented child of an Irish accented father and non-descript accented mother, and grows up into a British/Australian accent.

Mary sounds like she's a New Yorker with an Irish brother, but the killer was at the fair when the emcee said to the girl who won something "Good on you!" awkwardly because if he was Australian, it would have been "Good on ya!" I am enjoying it, but this accent issues is quite abominable! I can't wait until Bryan Brown hits the scene to sets things straight. Oi!

Never been a fan of love stories, but this one I enjoyed a lot, on repeated viewings. The story is dripping with passion and repressed desires, Oedipal complexes, love, hate, anger, guilt, sacrifice… And of course, there's the eternal struggle between body and spirit, the search for truth and meaning, and its disastrous personal consequences.

The series is well written, and the acting is very good, especially from the supporting cast. Unfortunately, Rachel Ward is obviously the weak link. In fact, one of her very first lines, a simple exclamation like "Oh, no!" sounds unbelievably false. In addition, she seems to have a speech impediment, a lisp, which is very grating. She sounds like Daffy Duck. Casting Ward for this role was one gigantic, inexcusable mistake.

Nevertheless, the story is poignant, endlessly entertaining and "feels" real on many levels, no matter how outrageous it gets. The movie resorts to shameless manipulations, but it's the subtleties of fine acting and clever direction that elevate the melodrama and make it compelling. Art direction and editing are splendid! The story's twists and turns are plausible, and the characters' reactions are always reasonable - they remain believable to the very last minute, even if sometimes the dialogue gets overly dramatic (as in "exquisitely over- the-top"). Strong character development is one of the film's great achievements.

Christopher Plummer is simply unforgettable in a key supporting role, as well as Jean Simmons and Barbara Stanwyck, who often steal the show from Chamberlain himself. The chemistry between all actors is palpable, and it's a rare delight to see all those energies cross-fire. Take for instance Ralph and Mary or Frank and his mother- their encounters are sizzling! "Star Trek" fans will be delighted to discover John "Q" De Lancie in a cameo.

I was also very surprised to see that the "aging make-up" was excellent, in fact much better that what we see in movies today. The best part of "The Thorn Birds" is arguably the first episode, which includes, among other highlights, the legendary party scene. The last episode was a bit "overdone" in my opinion, more specifically the last 4 scenes or so contain too much unnecessary, explanatory dialogue, that undermines the power of those scenes. Less words would have been preferable.

"The Thorn Birds" never gets old, it's a classic for a reason. Die-hard romantics will cherish it, while cynics will enjoy it too for its heavy theatrics and great old-school entertainment value. It's a spectacular three-hankie like no other.

A WARNING for those who watch the DVD: there's a completely unnecessary "preview" at the beginning of each episode, where they show the outline of the entire film. It contains many spoilers and will ruin the whole experience for you. Movie trailers were lame back then, but these ones are galactically stupid. So make sure to skip that extra-footage!

Covering three generations of a family, "The Thorn Birds" is a big canvas. It's packed with emotional highs and lows that stretched the abilities of the cast, and over-stretched them occasionally. But the camera loved the three leads: Richard Chamberlain, Rachel Ward and Bryan Brown, while veteran actors Barbara Stanwyck and Jean Simmons added a touch of class.

After the Cleary family arrive in Australia from New Zealand to work on Drogheda, the sheep station owned by Aunt Maggie Carson (Barbara Stanwyck), they meet Father Ralph de Bricassart (Richard Chamberlain). He takes their daughter, 8-year old Meghann (Meggie), under his wing leading to a lifelong love between them. Meggie was played by Sydney Penny as a child and Rachel Ward as an adult.

Although presented as benign and paternal, after all the revelations about child abuse within the church since the series was made, the relationship between Father Ralph and young Meggie is a bit disturbing.

When Meggie reaches adulthood, Father Ralph can hardly control his feelings for her, but his faith and ambition hold him back, except for the odd moment of weakness. Father Ralph's rise within the church is reminiscent of Otto Preminger's "The Cardinal", especially the way his motives are challenged by a mentor played by Christopher Plummer in this case.

The Cleary's fortunes ebb and flow and Meggie marries Luke O'Neill, a shearer played by Bryan Brown. One of the most fascinating sequences is when they head off to the cane fields in Queensland before their marriage falls apart.

Megan and Father Ralph come together at the end where they are forced to confront the difficulties their love created.

"The Thorn Birds" was filmed in California with Hawaii standing in for Queensland. The scenes of sheep and shearing are convincing and impressive. Not quite as convincing are the dodgy Irish accents of the mainly American cast. Maybe they would have been better off tackling dodgy Aussie ones instead.

No problem with Henry Mancini's score though. He created a memorable theme inspired by songs such as "Bound for Botany Bay", and "Queensland Drover".

"The Thorn Birds" endures with beautiful stars and a script full of insights into the nature of love and faith drawn from Colleen McCullough's novel. There are worse ways to spend a wet weekend.

Lots of silly melodramatic nonsense, Rachel Ward's lousy acting (Luise Rainer award worthy), so-called epic story of goings-on but little of true meaning, characters who doesn't trully develop during eight (truly long) hours. anyway it's over and done with.