ABC NOVEL FOR TELEVISION: THE THORN BIRDS {EPISODE 4} (TV)
Summary
The final episode in this sweeping miniseries based on the novel by Colleen McCullough. This drama presents the saga of the Cleary family of New South Wales, Australia, and the forty-year relationship between the beautiful and willful Meggie Cleary and the handsome, ambitious Father Ralph de Bricassart. In this part, the following events occur in 1935: Meggie returns from her vacation renewed, and tells Anne she can live a lifetime on her memories of her few days with Ralph; a distraught Ralph returns to Rome and tells Contini-Verchese that he has broken all his vows, but Contini-Verchese suggests that perhaps this humbling experience has actually saved Ralph from his own pride; Meggie leaves Anne and Luddie to return to Drogheda; on her way out of Queensland, Meggie stops at the cane plantation, introduces Luke to his daughter Justine, and proceeds to vent her rage at him for using her -- embarrassing him in front of his beloved mates; Meggie tells Luke he can have her money, that she never wants to see him again, and then takes off for home as O'Neill looks on in shock; Meggie arrives back at Drogheda and informs Fiona she is pregnant again; Meggie gives birth to a boy she names Dane; Fiona informs a horrified Meggie that she has intuited that Dane is Ralph's son, and Meg counters by revealing that she always knew that Frank was not Paddy's child; when Fiona suggests that God will punish Meg like he did her, Meg surprises her mother by saying she no longer fears God and will never tell Ralph that Dane is his son. The following events occur nineteen years later, in 1954: Cardinal Ralph De Bricassart pays a surprise Christmas visit to Drogheda and meets Meggie's grown children: Justine -- a spirited, quick-witted actress who disdains religion -- and Dane -- sensitive, respectful, and deeply devout; Meggie and Ralph have an emotional reunion and at dinner it is evident that Meg is quite cool toward her daughter and that Dane is her joy; at dinner, Meg's brothers remind Dane that they want him to succeed the as managers of Drogheda, but Dane appears highly uncomfortable with this suggestion; Ralph and Meggie make love, and recalling their time at the island together, he hurts her deeper than he realizes by revealing how it pained him when he learned that she conceived a second child with Luke after their days on the island; Justine -- on Christmas holiday -- leaves Drogheda early to return to her repertory company in Sydney, anguished by her mother's coldness; Dane and Ralph hit it off instantly, and Dane confides in Ralph he wishes to be a priest; Ralph tries to discourage Dane -- knowing what it will do to Meggie -- but Dane is passionate and determined to be a priest; Ralph gives Meggie the news and she is devastated, reminding Ralph that his God has yet again taken the one she loves away from her; fighting her anger, Meggie says she would like Dane to study with Ralph in Rome; Meggie, Dane, and Ralph share an emotional, familial embrace.
In 1955, Dane visits Justine in Sydney and she delights him by revealing that she has decided to move to London and will therefore be able to visit him often in Rome; at Drogheda, Dane and Meggie have an emotional farewell: after Dane's departure, a time-softened Fiona tries to comfort her daughter, but Meggie is icy; in Rome, Justine meets Rainer Hartheim, a West German diplomat and friend of Ralph's who takes an immediate interest in the feisty actress; Justine reveals to Rainer her fear of getting close to people; and Ralph confides to the sick and wheelchair-bound Contini-Verchese that he is very taken with Dane, who has become like a son to him. The following events occur in 1958: in London, Rainer and Justine share a close, but platonic relationship; in Rome, a new pope is elected, closing the door on Ralph's dream; Contini-Verchese dies; and Ralph's ambition becomes ambition for Dane. The following events occur in 1962: Justine brings Rainer to Drogheda and begs Meggie to come to Rome for Dane's ordination; Meggie and Justine argue when Meggie refuses to go; Rainer reveals to Meggie that Cardinal Ralph -- now an aide to Pope John -- is ill; Rainer confides to Fiona that he is in love with Justine; Dane is ordained in Rome; Dane surprises Ralph by choosing to be stationed in New South Wales in order to be in a simpler place, and to be closer to his mother; Ralph is moved by Dane's lack of personal ambition; Rainer tells Justine that he loves her and she runs off, frightened by the revelation; Dane vacations in Greece prior to returning to Australia and is surprised when a confused Justine joins him there; Justine tells Dane what happened with Rainer and he urges her not to feel unworthy of love, as she always has; Justine summons Rainer to Greece and when he arrives she tells Dane to go for a swim while they talk; Justine admits that she loves Rainer and they make love; Dane drowns attempting to save two teenage girls who get caught in the undertow; back at Drogheda, Meggie prepares the house for Christmas with her old friends the Muellers, and Meggie tells Anne she did not go to Rome because she did not want to tempt fate; Fiona informs Meggie that Dane is dead; Ralph returns to Drogheda with the body and gives the funeral mass; after the funeral Meggie tells Ralph there is no peace with his greedy God and bitterly informs him that Dane was his son; Ralph breaks down and cries, destroyed; Fiona apologizes to Meggie for being so distant to her all her life and begs her not to make the same mistake with Justine, who blames herself for Dane's death; Meggie is overcome and she and Fiona embrace; Meggie apologizes to Justine and reveals she always blamed her for being Luke's daughter and apologizes for loving Dane more than her; Meggie urges Justine to go on with her life, with her work, and to marry Rainer; Meggie and Justine share an emotional farewell as Justine leaves Drogheda with Rainer; Meggie and Ralph share some final moments and revelations before Ralph dies in Meggie's arms in the rose garden. Includes commercials. (This program is closed-captioned.)
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: March 30, 1983 Wednesday 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:43
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T85:0008
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Literature - Adaptations; Romance; Clergy - Priests; Australia
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1983
- COMMERCIALS:
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- TV - Commercials - Bank of America IRA
- TV - Commercials - Budweiser beer
- TV - Commercials - Burger King restaurants
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- TV - Commercials - Centrum vitamin supplement
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- TV - Promos - "7 Eyewitness News"
- TV - Promos - "20/20"
- TV - Promos - "ABC News Close-Up: Adapt or Die"
- TV - Promos - "ABC News Nightline"
- TV - Promos - "Baby Makes Five"
- TV - Promos - "Barbara Walters Special"
- TV - Promos - "Benson"
- TV - Promos - "Condo"
- TV - Promos - "Fifty-Fifth Annual Academy Awards"
- TV - Promos - "Good Morning America"
- TV - Promos - "High Road to China" motion picture
- TV - Promos - "Man, Woman and Child" motion picture
- TV - Promos - "Matt Houston"
- TV - Promos - "Renegades"
- TV - Promos - "Ryan's Four"
- TV - Promos - "The Fall Guy"
- TV - Promos - "The Sting" motion picture
CREDITS
- David L. Wolper … Executive Producer
- Edward Lewis … Executive Producer
- Stan Margulies … Producer
- Irving Lazar … Associate Producer
- Daryl Duke … Director
- Carmen Culver … Writer
- Colleen McCullough … Based on the novel by
- Henry Mancini … Music by
- Richard Chamberlain … Cast, Ralph de Bricassart
- Rachel Ward … Cast, Meggie Cleary
- Jean Simmons … Cast, Fiona "Fee" Cleary
- Mare Winningham … Cast, Justine O'Neill
- Piper Laurie … Cast, Anne Mueller
- Earl Holliman … Cast, Luddie Mueller
- Bryan Brown … Cast, Luke O'Neill
- Philip Anglim … Cast, Dane O'Neill
- Christopher Plummer … Cast, Archbishop Contini-Verchese
- Allyn Ann McLerie … Cast, Mrs. Smith
- Stephanie Faracy … Cast, Judy
- Barry Corbin … Cast, Pete
- Stephan Burns … Cast, Jack Cleary
- Brett Cullen … Cast, Bob Cleary
- Chard Hayward … Cast, Arne Swenson
- John de Lancie … Cast, Alastair MacQueen
- Lucinda Dooling … Cast, Martha
- Aspa Nakopolou … Cast, Phaedre