Far and Away Totally Explained

Everything about Far And Away totally explained

Far and Away is a 1992 adventure-drama-romance film directed by Ron Howard, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Cruise and Kidman play Irish immigrants seeking their fortune in 1890s America, eventually taking part in the Land Run of 1893.

Plot

Joseph Donelly (Tom Cruise) is a young Irishman facing property eviction after his father's death, decides to take revenge on Daniel Christie (Robert Prosky), his landlord. However, instead of killing Christie, he's injured and sentenced to a duel with Christie's arrogant manager, Stephen Chase (Thomas Gibson). Meanwhile, Shannon (Nicole Kidman), Daniel's daughter, is growing dissatisfied with the traditional views of her parents' generation and longs to be modern. She makes plans to leave for America, and with her help, Joseph is able to escape. Upon arriving in Boston, Mass., they find jobs and begin saving money. Joseph becomes a local barehanded boxer, while Shannon works in a chicken processing plant and then as a dancer at the social club. All goes well until Joseph loses a boxing match while he was trying to help Shannon. Because of this, their money is taken away and Joseph and Shannon are left to starve in the winter cold. Shannon's parents, still in Ireland, face a devastating loss and decide to come to America to be with her. Chase, who joined them, has begun a campaign to find her, but his efforts are unnecessary as Joseph brings Shannon to them after an accident. Joseph then heads west to work on the railroad. After many months, Joseph is confronted by his father in a dream, and is reminded of his desire to own his own land. Joseph decides to join the wagon trains and arrives in Oklahoma Territory just in time for the Land Run of 1893, which enabled him to own his own land. When he's there, he sees someone who resembles Shannon and it turns out to be her. He talks to her but then it shows Stephen later telling him to stay away from her. During the race, Joseph chases after Shannon and Stephen. He races Stephen to the land but then Stephen comes along and they've a fight in which Joseph falls to the ground, hitting his head on a rock, mortally wounding him. Shannon rushes to his side and tries to keep him alive. He confesses while dying that he loves her, "All I know is that Joseph loves Shannon". He dies, but as she's crying she says that she loved him since the moment they met. This suddenly revives him and together they drive their flag through the ground.

Cast

Tom Cruise as Joseph Donelly
Nicole Kidman as Shannon Christie
Thomas Gibson as Stephen Chase
Robert Prosky as Daniel Christie
Barbara Babcock as Nora Christie
Cyril Cusack as Danty Duff
Eileen Pollock as Molly Kay
Colm Meaney as Kelly
Clint Howard as Flynn

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 (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.

The dress that Shannon admires in the shop window in Boston is the same dress worn by Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen) in the last scene of Back to the Future Part III (1990).

Three of 'Ron Howard' 's great-grandparents actually rode in the Great Land Rush of 1893, as depicted in the film.

The recreation of the Great Land Rush involved 800 extras, 400 horses and 200 wagons. The extras were all recruited from a re-enactment society called The Re-enactors.

Although he'd over 17 years of experience in the business in 1992, this film marked the first time that dialect coach Tim Monich had to teach his cast to speak in an Irish accent. Technically, Nicole Kidman's accent is incorrect. As a well-to-do landowner's daughter in Ireland at the time, she'd have spoken with a largely English accent, but, as this probably would have confused international audiences, she was taught to speak in an educated Dublin accent.

Near the end of the credits, special thanks are given to, among others, Fungi the Dingle Dolphin.

Network version adds over 35 minutes of footage not included in the theatrical version.

On the network version, when Joseph is working on the railroad, there's a problem with a stick of dynamite. Showing how depressed and careless he's at the time, Joseph volunteers to reset the dynamite. There is a moment of tension after the explosion as we wait for Joseph to come into view out of the cloud of dust.

Also in the network version: after they're thrown out in the street, it's raining; Joseph, looking for a job, jumps into a ditch and begins digging, a few seconds later, Shannon joins him stating they need the money.

Reaction

The movie received generally mixed reviews, but was received well by audiences. The movie, which cost US $30 million to make, earned roughly $13 million on its first weekend and made a total of $59 million domestically (it also fared solidly abroad, with almost $79 million). The film altogether made $166,694,840 for worldwide and home video rentals.

Further Information

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