The Thorn Birds

The Thorn Birds

  • Director:
  • Countries of origin: United States
  • Language: English
  • Release date: March 27, 1983
  • Runtime: 7 hours 40 minutes
  • Sound mix: Mono
  • Aspect ratio: 1.33 : 1
  • Also known as: Die Dornenvögel
  • "The Thorn Birds" is a miniseries aired by American Broadcasting Corporation, Inc in April 1983, adapted from the classic novel "The Thorn Birds" by Australian writer Colleen McCullough . The film is based on the early Australian outback development period. The background tells the love story between Meggie, a girl from a New Zealand immigrant family in Australia in the first half of the 20th century, and Father Ralph. The film depicts a fifty-year-long love-hate relationship with an excellent cast. It is a touching and poignant love masterpiece that has won seven Emmy Awards. 

    Details

    • Release date March 27, 1983
    • Filming locations Big Sky Ranch - 4927 Bennett Road, Simi Valley, California, USA
    • Production companies David Wolper-Stan Margulies Productions, Edward Lewis Productions, Warner Bros. Television

    Movie reviews

     ( 34 ) Add reviews

    • By Houston 2022-12-12 21:27:50

      "Thorn Birds" Movie Diversity Notes

      [Episode 1]
          When Little Meggie and the priest met for the first time, the use of camera language has already fully expressed the fetters of the two on the road to the future. The story of a man and a little girl, a "Lolita", a Plato such as "Thorn Bird" in the first episode.

      [Episode 2]
          Little Meggie grows up, and old Mary dies.
          Cruel Mary wins a bet with Father Ralph for a large sum of money. The religious beliefs that Ralph talked about, and the fiery...

    • By Madyson 2022-12-01 06:38:21

      Still very excited~

        It has been ten years since I saw the hardcover English version of bronzing fine lines at my cousin's house in the second year of junior high school. During the period, I have watched it countless times and recommended it to several people, but very few people really liked it as much as myself. At least in love fiction, this is an absolute masterpiece.
        I thought there was a movie version of Thorn birds a long time ago, but I was extremely disappointed with Ralph after seeing the...

    • By Bailee 2022-11-29 13:17:18

      Dangerous Thorns Complex

      MAGGIE doesn't love himself enough, doesn't cherish himself enough, that's why he sees RALPH as more important than anything else, loves him at all costs, and worships him.
      But he rationally ordered his needs. After firmly grasping MAGGIE's heart, he gave up on her and looked back at him occasionally.
      MAGGIE is the bird, RALPH is the thorn,
      she knew the pain and faced the thorn,
      he knew she was in pain, and he stabbed her.

      Maggie's self-sacrificing love and...

    • By Jana 2022-11-29 06:21:37

      Cowardly Love?

      I wanted to blame the cowardice of the hero, Love, but I couldn't.

      His lifelong struggle for love, his dying repentance, he said: Among all the mistakes I made, the biggest one was that I never chose love. My love is half to God and half to you, but it's really my own ambition. This sentence moved me.

      How many people in the world declare their selfishness and arrogance righteous without a struggle. And he's carried this struggle with him from the start, even as he feels...

    • By Jacynthe 2022-11-22 07:45:59

      what i've learned from this mini series

      There's a story...a legend...about a bird that sings just once in its life. From the moment it leaves its nest, it searches for a thorn tree...and never rests until it's found one. And then it sings...more sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth. And singing... it impales itself on the longest, sharpest thorn. But as it dies... it rises above its own agony... to out -sing the lark and the nightingale. The thorn bird pays its life...for just one song...but the whole world...

    User comments

      ( 29 ) Add comments

    • By Cindy 2023-09-02 19:40:15

      love it! The more suppressed it will only make her...

    • By Domenick 2023-06-13 06:24:14

      Why did it suddenly look like it was 1983? ... ugh, I've watched it several times....

    • By Merl 2023-06-11 08:55:44

      I watched this drama when I was in the early stages of love, and I hoped again and again that the male and female protagonists would not be separated again, and they couldn't get together again and again. Father Ralph is wearing a slender robe as beautiful as a god, and the girl Maggie is so bright and...

    • By Helmer 2023-06-10 11:59:57

      The ending is still good, and the tragedy did not...

    • By Kathleen 2023-05-17 17:04:55

      What made me think was faith and personal concern, and what I saw was the hypocrisy in Ralph's heart. What he pursued was not God or love, but his ambition. But in fact, I have no right to comment or even accuse him. What the human heart thinks, God naturally has insight. How much inner darkness and filth can't be covered up by seemingly bright actions. In addition, it is believed that forced abstinence is an act of alienation of belief. Hey, tangled...

    Movie plot

    Meggie's family lives in New Zealand. Her father makes a living shearing the family's wool. But this year, her father lost his job. When the family was worried, they received a letter from their aunt from Australia. It turned out that the aunt was very old and was going to let them inherit the inheritance. After some turbulence, the Meggie family set foot on the Australian mainland and came to Drogheda. As soon as she appeared, Meggie...
    more about The Thorn Birds Movie plot

    Movie quotes

    • Ralph de Bricassart: Poor little Meggie. It must be hard being the only girl.

      Fiona 'Fee' Cleary: But I've been blessed with sons, these and the two I've buried. It's her sons a mother thinks of, isn't it?

      [yells out to Meggie in the field]

      Fiona 'Fee' Cleary: Meggie don't dawdle! You've got the chickens to feed!

    • Ralph de Bricassart: Fee, she's your daughter. It's as if you never remember that.

      Fiona 'Fee' Cleary: Does any woman? What's a daughter? Just a reminder of the pain... a younger version of oneself... who will do all the same things, cry the same tears. No, Father. I try to forget I have a daughter.

    • Meggie Cleary: What kind of god would shut men out of paradise for loving women?

      Ralph de Bricassart: A god I still can't give up for you.

      Meggie Cleary: I know.