Far and Away (1992)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers (WGA):

Bob Dolman (story) &
Ron Howard (story) ...

Release Date:

22 May 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

They needed a country that was big enough for both of their dreams.

Plot:

A young man (Cruise) leaves Ireland with his landlord's daughter (Kidman) after some trouble with her father...

Plot Keywords:

Ireland | Oklahoma | Train | Boxing | Historical

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Tom Cruise	...	Joseph Donnelly
Nicole Kidman	...	Shannon Christie
Thomas Gibson	...	Stephen Chase
Robert Prosky	...	Daniel Christie
Barbara Babcock	...	Nora Christie
Cyril Cusack	...	Danty Duff
Eileen Pollock	...	Molly Kay
Colm Meaney	...	Kelly
Douglas Gillison	...	Dermody
Michelle Johnson	...	Grace
Wayne Grace	...	Bourke
Niall Toibin	...	Joe
Barry McGovern	...	McGuire
Gary Lee Davis	...	Gordon
Jared Harris	...	Paddy

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence and sensuality.

Runtime:

140 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | UK:12 (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Chile:TE | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:12 | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios - Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Imagine Films Entertainment

Trivia:

Director Ron Howard wasn't happy with Nicole Kidman's facial reaction during the shooting of the scene where her character lifts the bowl covering Joseph's (her husband Tom Cruise's) crotch. Without telling Kidman, he asked Cruise to remove his underwear. Howard got the reaction he wanted, and it appears in the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Shannon falls off her horse into the muddy water, submerged nearly to her neck. The next time we see her on her horse, her white shirt is dry and pristine.

Quotes:

Nora Christie: [upon seeing Shannon's collar unbuttoned] Better to choke than be vulgar.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: (#4.9)" (2009/I)

Soundtrack:

BOOK OF DAYS

Irish immigrants caught in a cross-class romance set amidst late 19th century Boston and the Oklahoma Land Rush.

A truly brilliant film, this is Ron Howard's masterpiece. I never tire of viewing Far and Away, and enjoy every moment each time I see it. This film is admirable in several respects: 1)it shows how a romance can develop over time, without the typical Hollywood touches of "whirlwind" happenings and people hopping in the sack after only a couple of days (a la "Titanic"), 2)Ron Howard captured the beauty of Ireland, the filth of a large city, and the expanse of the open prairie by resurrecting 70mm film - the colors in this film are absolutely incredible, 3)a simple, character-driven story is enhanced by the historical backdrop. In fact, there are many similarities between the romance in "Titanic" and in "Far and Away." I feel that the depiction in this film works much better than the other, mainly because of the plausibility factor (how many times would you run into the same person on a huge ship?). We understand why Shannon would want to take Joseph along with her. This is the opportunity she's been waiting for. Along the way, and through helping each other through tough circumstances, they fall for each other. This is not some momentary crush that will pass when the next good looking person walks by, we know that these two truly care for each other, and admire each other. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman are perfect - one would think that they're both Irish natives. If their marriage is anything like their relationship here, it is bound to last for some time. This is, hands down, Tom Cruise's best movie ever. Here we don't see the typical cocky young man, but instead, a man driven by passion and destiny to do what needs to be done. This is probably much closer to the real Tom Cruise: Proud, without being arrogant. This film remains on my list of all-time favorites, and I look forward to seeing it on the large screen one day.