The Thorn is a comic, religious satire. It was first shown as The Greatest Story Overtold at the Detroit Institute of Art in 1971 then re-released on May 24, 1974, as The Divine Mr. J. It was released on video in the early 1980s as The Thorn. It was written, directed and produced by Peter Alexander. Its release was legally challenged on grounds that its title and advertising deceptively exploited the fame of its co-star, Bette Midler.