Average Rating: 
Rating: - Simply Unforgettable, Magnificent
I first saw this mini series in 1983 when it first aired, I was 13! I watched each subsequent rerun and taped it. Even though I had it on tape I would always watch it again if it's on, like on the Love Stories channel. In a word, "unforgettable". If you are into romance novels, this is the ultimate romance. Forget the sappy, brainless, shallow Harlequins, this is the real thing. If you are into romance but haven't read this book or seen the movie, you are missing out on something magical. Trust me, buy the book, rent the movie or buy it. You won't regret it. You won't ever forget it. The acting is first rate. I disagree with the previous reviewer about Rachel Ward, she does fine, in fact once you watch it you'll want these people to be real. You'll want to visit Drogheda! Barbara Stanwyck is amazing as the vindictive Mary Carson. The birthday party is one of many high points. Richard Chamberlain, Rachel Ward, Piper Laurie, Christopher Plummer, Mare Winningham, Earl Holliman, Richard Kiley, Jean Simmons, Bryan Brown are all excellent. The story starts out in 1920's Australia and begins with Paddy Cleary and his family, including the very young Meggie Cleary (played by Sydney Penny of All My Children!) arriving at the Gilley Station, Father Ralph meets them and sees Meggie for the first time. I'll leave it at that. From there, you won't want to get up to go to the bathroom or get a snack until you have to change tapes. This is, in my opinion, the best mini-series ever on TV by far. The impact of this story was so great that they made a second mini-series in 1996 to satisfy fans. This time, without any of the original actors except Richard Chamberlain. It's not horrible but doesn't have any of the magic of the original. Even with that, you'll want to see "The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years" after you've watched the original. Disregard the two reviews by the "Aussie's". They are completely off base and misinformed. First, the movie was filmed in AUSTRALIA, not OREGON. I live in Oregon and no where in Oregon looks like that. I remember reading that it was indeed filmed in Australia. Second, the accents are fine. Third, no Aussie actors? Bryan Brown anyone? The Thorn Birds is unforgettable. Take a rainy Saturday and watch it alone. The day will go by so fast, it will be dark when it ends and you won't have noticed but you'll have a big smile on your face and tears in your eyes at the end, if only because it is the end of the story.
Rating:  - A melodramatic yet guilty pleasure, I love The Thorn Birds..
but, as they say, the book was much better. Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward did a fine job as the leads. (I despised Chamberlain's Father Ralph just as much in the movie as in the book and Ward's Meggie impressed me far more towards the end of the movie as in the novel). All the other characters were played well by the actors except for Justine's character. In the book, Justine was a strong, self-willed, determind young woman struggling with knowing she wasn't as treasured as her brother Dane. However, in the miniseries, she came across more as a cynical, whining brat. On the whole, because I've read the book so many times, I watch the movie every once in a while as a guilty pleasure. But I'll always go back to the book to get the whole story that somehow the movie seems to miss. By the way, Meggie's maiden name is not Carson, it is Cleary. Mary Carson was her aunt, Paddy's sister, not her grandmother.
Rating: - I Could Probably Recite the Dialogue by Heart
Ok... first, I have to say that Tom Keogh, whose review sits above as the standard review for Amazon, needs to actually watch the movie. Opinion is one thing, but at least get the facts correct. Rachel Ward plays Meggie Cleary (not Meggie Carson) and Barbara Stanwyck plays her greedy, manipulative, devil-incarnate aunt.... not her grandmother. That aside...this still stands...for me at least, as the greatest mini-series ever! And, considering all the recent scandal surrounding the Catholic Church today, it is as relevant and thought provoking today as it was in 1983 when so many were incenced not only by the content and plot of the movie, but by its time of airing (holy week-the days leading up to Easter). The cast is perfection and makes an already engaging story about the inner battles of an ambitious Austrailan Priest (played by Richard Chamberlain who never looked more gorgeous)even more amazing. Not a single miscast here. The performances are phenomenal. This is a movie with that searing edge of forbidden love and the torment of unrequited love combined with a heavy dose of romance, great characters, manipulation, greed, and the progress of a family torn apart by various maladies. The chemistry between the all the characters is so apparent. It is a movie that makes you think and makes you cheer for something that is deliciously guilt-ridden. In case you couldn't tell... I love this movie!!!!!!! This is a guilty pleasure to the highest degree... like the most decadent Godiva chocolate if it could be made in the form of a film. Buy it...keep it... watch it over and over. Perfect for a girls only party or a rainy saturday afternoon. Get some snacks... sit back and know that 8 hours will seem to float by.
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