I loved the book The Thornbirds, too. And I like Richard Chambelain - my favorite of his was The Man in the Iron Mask - I think he got Louis XIV *TOTALLY*. Made me so obsessed (what? me? obsessed?) with him, in fact, that I wrote my 10th grade "Historiography" (20-page research paper) on him. But I'd have rather someone more smolderingly lusty played Father Ralph. If it were redone today, Clive Owen or Jeremy Northam would be at the top of my list. I really thought Bryan Brown stole the thing. Every time he was on the screen, I was captivated.