Borserie it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Maddyclassicfilms One of the best TV mini series ever made.Father Ralph(Richard Chamberlin)arrives in Australia and becomes the local priest in a small town.He meets the wealthy Mary Carson(Barbara Stanwyck)who falls in love with him,when he does not return her feelings she spends the rest of her life trying to destroy him(she only succeeds from beyond the grave).Ralph falls in love with Meggie Cleary(Rachel Ward)who he has known since she was a child.The series follows their relationship throughout the years and shows Meggie's pain as she loses Ralph to the church. As Meggie tries to cope with her situation Ralph becomes the assistant to a Cardinal called Vittorio(Christopher Plummer)who becomes a father figure to Ralph and makes it his mission to try and find out why Ralph is so unhappy despite his hard work and dedication to the church. Featuring a star studded cast including Jean Simmons and Christopher Plummer with some beautiful locations this is a well made series made with a great deal of care and effort this is well worth watching.Well worth buying on DVD.

edwagreen 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.

hjmsia49 This outstanding film has received many much deserved accolades by most of the reviewers who preceded me here. Some have described it as the best mini-series ever and as an admirer of the many superb British television series, I would agree that it is the best Americans have produced. It seems that many of the Australian reviewers were disturbed by the inaccurate accents which I consider a minor flaw. When you assemble a cast from many countries, all outstanding, it is too much to expect them all to blend into the national origin of the film. there are only so many Meryl Streep's. What amazed me most about the series was that I heard the author hated it. I don't know if it was the lack of red hair, the imperfect accents, the parts of her novel left out but I hope she takes comfort in the fact that most of the world loved this series. I agree that the Emmy's of Barbara Stanwyck, Jean Simmons and Richard Kiley were much deserved but I felt Richard Chamberlin and especially Henry Mancini were equally deserving. The haunting melody of Meggie's theme is enduring. Finally, I cannot offer enough praise for Jean Simmons. It is conceivable to me that this fine actress has never won an Oscar. If anyone is deserving of an Oscar for lifetime achievement or an AFI Lifetime Achievement Award it is Jean Simmons. I urge anyone who has not seen the Thorn Birds yet, to give it a try. It is a shining example of what Hollywood can do when it rises above the endless pap of current films.

Mrs-Misfit 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.