The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years (1996) (TV)

Director:

Kevin James Dobson

Writers (WGA):

Colleen McCullough (novel)
David Stevens (written by)

Release Date:

11 February 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A love reignited. A faith renewed.

Plot:

Actually taking place in the middle of the original Thorn Birds miniseries, which chronicled the love affair of Meggie Cleary and Fr...

Plot Keywords:

Sequel | Based On Novel

Cast

Richard Chamberlain	...	Ralph de Bricassart
Amanda Donohoe	...	Meggie Cleary O'Neill
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Bertram	...	Harry Gough
Julia Blake	...	Fee Cleary
Olivia Burnette	...	Justine O'Neill
Michael Caton	...	Bill Masters
James Costas	...	Italian officer (as Jimmy Costas)
Rob Doran	...	Blackshirt #2
Zach English	...	Dane O'Neill
Peter Ford	...	The Warder
Christopher Gabardi	...	Father Angelo
Adam Grossetti	...	Tony Masters
Jonathan Hardy	...	Father Emilio
John Heywood	...	Doctor
Phillip Hinton	...	Levi
Enrico Mammarella	...	Blackshirt #1
Marijke Mann	...	Mrs. Smith
Ingrid Mason	...	The Mother
Maximilian Schell	...	Cardinal Vittorio
Todd Schulberg	...	Samuel
Robert Taylor	...	Jack Cleary
Jack Thompson	...	The Judge
Simon Westaway	...	Luke O'Neill

Directed by
Kevin James Dobson

Writing credits (WGA)
Colleen McCullough		(novel "The Thorn Birds")
David Stevens		(written by)

Produced by
Jeffrey M. Hayes	....	executive producer
Darryl Sheen	....	producer
David Stevens	....	co-producer
David L. Wolper	....	executive producer
Mark Wolper	....	producer

Original Music by
Garry McDonald
Laurie Stone		(as Lawrence Stone)

Cinematography by
Ross Berryman

Film Editing by
Stephen Butler
Philip Reid

Production Design by
Stewart Burnside

Art Direction by
Michael Rumpf

Set Decoration by
Suza Maybury

Costume Design by
Jean Turnbull

Production Management
Julie Forster	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Brett Popplewell	....	first assistant director
Wade Savage	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Bob Booker	....	props
Karyn-Lee 'Lilly' Miyoshi	....	props set dresser
Ray Pedler	....	scenic artist
Rolland Pike	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Julius Chan	....	dialogue editor
Gavin Myers	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Matt Sloan	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
James Rogers	....	digital compositor
Peter Webb	....	digital compositor
Derek Wentworth	....	digital matte painter
Rowena Zande	....	cgi production manager

Stunts
Danny Baldwin	....	stunt coordinator
Sue Baldwin	....	stunts
Haydn Dalton	....	stunts
Mike Kent	....	stunts
Glenn Suter	....	stunts
Darryl Young	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Jason Binnie	....	second assistant camera
David Elmes	....	first assistant camera
Mike Kelly	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Mike Kelly	....	first assistant camera
Daryl Pearson	....	best boy
Greg Tidman	....	rigging grip
Dick Tummel	....	gaffer

Music Department
Robin Gray	....	music score mixer
Robin Gray	....	scoring mixer

Other crew
Wade Krawczyk	....	assistant armourer
Kathryn Metcalfe	....	production assistant
Yuell Newsome	....	stock librarian
Jenny Quigley	....	script supervisor
Rebecca Thornell	....	clearance

Production Companies

• Village Roadshow Pictures
• Warner Bros. Television
• Wolper Organization, The

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1996) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Photon Stockman

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:178 min

Country:

Australia | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Queensland, Australia

Company:

Village Roadshow Pictures

Trivia:

Richard Chamberlain was the only original cast member to reprise his role from the original miniseries.

Quotes:

Ralph:Meggie, my list of sins is long enough!

Movie Connections:

Follows "The Thorn Birds" (1983)

How disappointing and a sad excuse to make more money!

This was really, really bad. Things really stuck out for me like a sore thumb in this one. It was painful to watch. Chamberline was the only one who could act and evoke the same personality he had in the Original, but, bad idea recasting Meggie. Even badder re filming the famous stairs sequence where Ralph sees Meggie for the first time as a teenager and completely falls head over heels. One: Meggie's hair wasn't up in the original Secondly: It looked like some sort of spoof trying to attempt that scene, it was completely disgusting. Also it doesn't make sense. Ralph didn't see Justine or Dane until they were adults! I'm pretty sure if he hadn't, he would've remembered them. The original makes it clear that he has just met them. It is so, stupid. What's worse is the fact that they tried to make it seem like Ralph returned to Drogheda during the war, which is false as the author of the damn book said there was no missing years. Meggie and Ralph last saw each other on Mattock Island and saw each other again years after, in the early fifties. Do you get how mad I am right now? Ugh. I get that this DVD is included with the original, but seriously, I'm binning my copy. A really bad and lame excuse to make more money. It looks cheap and casting others to play roles of such familiar and outstanding people was just awful!