"Brides of Christ" (1991) TV mini-series

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Ken Cameron

Writers:

John Alsop (writer)
Sue Smith (writer)

Release Date:

13 June 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Diane, a young woman growing up in Australia in the mid 1960s, walks away from her fiancé to join a...

Plot Keywords:

Convent | Abortion | Australia | Novice | Nun

Awards:

8 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Brenda Fricker	...	Sister Agnes
Sandy Gore	...	Mother Ambrose
Josephine Byrnes	...	Diane / Sister Catherine
Lisa Hensley	...	Veronica / Sister Paul
Simon Burke	...	Jack Delahunty
Melissa Jaffer	...	Sister Attracta
Philip Quast	...	Ian McGregor
Pat Bishop	...	Mary Maloney
Naomi Watts	...	Frances Heffernan
Kym Wilson	...	Rosemary Fitzgerald
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Braunstein	...	Frank Markham
Beth Champion	...	Sister Clare
Dimity Clancey	...	Moya Maloney
Gian Clancey	...	Kerry Maloney
Vanessa Collier	...	Jacinta
Syd Conabere	...	Da
Christen Cornell	...	Lucy Mulcady
Michael Craig	...	Bishop
Russell Crowe	...	Dominic Maloney
Christine Degeuron	...	Mrs. Upton
Ann Fay	...	Sister Innocent
Stuart Finch	...	Father Riordan
John Frawley	...	Bishop
Frank Gallacher	...	Priest
Caroline Gillmer	...	Sister Philomena
Pippa Grandison	...	Bernadette
Deborah Hanley	...	Mary Statue
Damon Herriman	...	Grant
Connie Hobbs	...	Sister Pierre
Keith Holloway	...	Lawrie Tierney
Harold Hopkins	...	Ken Maloney
Joy Hruby	...	Sister Polycarp
John Langrishe	...	Tom Heffernan
Adrian Lee	...	Kevin
Stephen Leeder	...	Brother Thomas
Liberty Lee	...	Frances, aged 8
Tathom Lennox	...	Anne Fitzgerald
Ned Manning	...	Helen
Rhys McConnochie	...	Monsignor
Kirsty McGregor	...	Caroline
Kristen Minichbauer	...	Carmel Fitzgerald
Genevieve Mooy	...	Judith Fitzgerald
Antonia Murphy	...	Novice Therese
Russell Newman	...	Brother Louis
Louise Pajo	...	Jean Markham
Michelle Pettigrove	...	Sister Francine
Hazel Phillips	...	Mrs. Purley
Brian Rooney	...	Brendan Maloney
Irene Rowland	...	Sister Perpetua
Rob Steele	...	Senator Kearney
Penny Stehli	...	Sister Patrick
John Stone	...	Roger Conlan
Bianca Sulkowicz	...	Diane, aged 6
Leo Taylor	...	Bill Fitzgerald
Anne Tenney	...	Liz Heffernan (Elizabeth Jane Heffernan-Colman)
Melissa Thomas	...	Brigid Maloney
Paul Williams	...	Mark
Michael Winchester	...	Martin Tierney

Country:

Australia | UK | Ireland

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Santa Sabina College, Strathfield, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

Quotes:

Diane: For various reasons I did not keep a journal while I was in the convent, so I have to piece this one together from memory. The result is probably more balanced and forgiving than I knew how to be at the time, so I have decided to dedicate it to Saint Anselm...

You don't have to be Catholic...

Incredible account of the sweeping changes that occurred during the Vatican-inspired mini-revolution during the 1960s, focusing on one convent of nuns in Australia. I must admit, not being Christian myself, I was a little skeptical before seeing this series; as it happens, I was so hooked, I watched all six episodes back-to-back (I had it on video), and woke up tired the next morning!! Like the brilliant CHANGI a decade later, each episode revolves around one particular character; unlike CHANGI, each episode is primarily concerned with keeping the plot moving, rather than going back and looking at the character's past, although this comes into it. What we see is a group of women who, for whatever reason, have all chosen to live a celibate life following the teachings of Christ (from the Catholic viewpoint) and of the various religious philosophers of the past millenium. Like any group of people, there are, of course, differences: many of the older women are happy to let the church guide their decision processes, and accept whatever their superiors say. The more educated among the group tend to question the values of the church and, in the opinion of the seniors, threaten to undermine the very substance of what the religious is all about. It was an interesting time for the Catholic church: still regarded as one of the more stringent Christian sects, the western world was undergoing a major cultural revolution, as scientific developments, introductions to new cultures, and different ways of thinking were being encouraged by youth leaders. In an attempt to remain relevant, the Vatican, led by the Pope of the time, recognised that change was inevitable and thus tried to instigate it themselves. A wide number of issues are dealt with here: birth control, abortion, divorce, sex before marriage, interchurch marriages, etc...: many of these issues are, of course, distinct NON-issues among non-Catholics and non-Christians today - birth control, via pills, condoms and surgery, is seen as necessary and, indeed, healthy practice; 50% of marriages in the USA and Australia now end in divorce or separation; most people have sex before marriage. But to Catholics of the time these things were mortal sins, and led to eternal damnation (I can hear non-believers either chuckle or, indeed, gasp with horror, as I did, that all these people were and are wasting their lives, living in fear of something that wouldn't - couldn't ever happen...but it made sense to them, and that's the main thing, it gave their lives purpose...). Every single performance within this miniseries - even down to Russell Crowe's small role as a young man destined to become a conchie - is first-rate, and, when the 330-minute production came to an end, I felt like I had really gotten to know the characters - and indeed that I had seen longer movies with 80 minute runtimes! This is an absolutely top-quality miniseries, comparable with CHANGI, and everyone should see it. 9/10.