Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Softwing Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

HotToastyRag 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.

vincentlynch-moonoi I couldn't help thinking of playwright Lillian Hellman as I began watching this tale of an OLD matriarchal figure in love with a hunk of a young priest, a young priest with a crush on a young girl (and vice-versa), a father who had a negative relationship with his wife's son, and a son who hated his father for making his post-40s mother pregnant. Then a husband who doesn't really love his wife; babies that are wanted or unwanted. Etc. And therein lies the problem -- for me -- with this film. I couldn't find a single major character to root for. All were badly flawed people.I remember watching this when it was on TV back in 1983, and it was nice watching it again, although frankly it isn't as good as I remember it being...although it is still better than most of what's on television nowadays. It's a great example of how mini-series can tell stories that could never really fit into a 2 hour movie.Richard Chamberlain was...as usual...magnificent here. Rather perfect for the part. On the other hand, I was not impressed with Rachel Ward. She was...adequate; and ironically seemed better in the later years of the saga. Perhaps the standout performance was that of Jean Simmons. It got me thinking that while Simmons was never a flashy actress, time after time, in film after film, she turned in solid performances. Certainly one of America's most underrated actresses. She did win an Emmy for this performance.I did have a little problem with Barbara Stanwyck's performance. Oh, good acting, and over the years an actress I always enjoyed. But at age 76, what I usually think of as false-teeth lisp (although it may be caused by other health factors) was a bit distracting. Nevertheless, good to see her here, a full 14 years after here television series ("The Big Valley") ended.Back in 1983, this was my introduction to Bryan Brown. I remember being impressed with him, although there were few endeavors of his after this miniseries that impressed me. I was a bit disappointed in the performance of Richard Kiley. I guess maybe I was too used to seeing him more a college professor type role, and I didn't enjoy his depiction as a rough Irish farmer.It's always a pleasure to see Christopher Plummer, and no less so here as a Catholic prelate. While this is not his best role, he added to the quality of the production.In terms of the younger actors in the drama, none went on to bigger stardom, with the exception of Mare Winningham.The production quality seemed somewhat low to me, and certainly care was not taken in some of the outdoor photography.If you haven't seen it and you like sudsy melodrama, this is a good miniseries, and in seemed like the later "chapters" were done better than the early ones.

chasrhodes2000 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.

CinefanR 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!