''Far and Away'' is a 1992 American epic

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

romantic

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

directed by

Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of '' The Twilight Zone''. ...

from a screenplay by Bob Dolman and a story by Howard and Dolman. It stars

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Go ...

and

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...

. This was the last cinematography credit for Mikael Salomon before he moved on to a directing career, and the music score was by

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review '' WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...

. It was screened out of competition at the

1992 Cannes Film Festival The 45th Cannes Film Festival was held from 7 to 18 May 1992. The Palme d'Or went to the '' Den goda viljan'' by Bille August. The festival opened with ''Basic Instinct'', directed by Paul Verhoeven and closed with ''Far and Away'', directed by R ...

. Cruise and Kidman play

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

immigrants seeking their fortune in 1890s

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, eventually taking part in the

Land Run of 1893 Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various isla ...

. This was

Cyril Cusack Cyril James Cusack (26 November 1910 – 7 October 1993) was an Irish stage and screen actor with a career that spanned more than 70 years. During his lifetime, he was considered one of Ireland’s finest thespians, and was renowned for his in ...

's final film before his death the following year.

Plot

In Ireland in 1892, Joseph Donnelly's family home is burned down by his landlord Daniel Christie's men because of unpaid rent. Joseph tries killing Daniel, but he injures himself in the process and is nursed back to health by Nora, Daniel's wife, and her daughter, Shannon. Shannon plans to run away from home and travel to America, as there is land being given away for free there, taking Joseph with her as her servant. Together on a ship bound for America, Shannon meets Mr. McGuire, who tells her and Joseph about free land being given away in

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

. Shannon divulges that her collection of silver spoons will cover all expenses to get them to Oklahoma, and McGuire offers to help her find a shop to sell them to once they arrive. Upon arriving, McGuire is shot, and Shannon loses her spoons. Mike Kelly, a Boston ward boss, finds Joseph and Shannon jobs and a room to rent. Joseph becomes a regular in

bare-knuckle boxing Bare-knuckle boxing (or simply bare-knuckle) is a combat sport which involves two individuals throwing punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time without any boxing gloves or other form of padding on their hands. It is a regulated ...

matches at Boss Kelly's club to make extra cash. Joseph discovers that Shannon has gone to Kelly's club to dance

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

. The Irish men surrounding the couple beg him to fight for $200, which would get them to Oklahoma. Joseph agrees and is winning until he notices one of his backers groping Shannon. Joseph pushes through the crowd to free her, but is pushed back into the ring where he is defeated by a

sucker punch A sucker punch (American English), also known as a dog shot, coward punch, king hit or one-punch attack ( Australian and New Zealand English) or cold-cock (American English), is a punch made without warning or while the recipient is distracted ...

. Joseph returns to their room to find Kelly and his thugs taking the money he and Shannon saved, and Joseph and Shannon are thrown out into the streets, homeless. Cold and famished, the pair stay in a seemingly abandoned house. The owners of the house return and chase them away, shooting Shannon in the back. Joseph, knowing the Christies are looking for her in Boston, brings Shannon to the home where they're staying. Deciding Shannon will be better cared for by them, Joseph leaves, despite his obvious feelings for her. Joseph heads west to the

Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant port ...

, and finds work laying train track. He sees a wagon train out the door of his boxcar. Knowing it is headed for the Oklahoma land rush, Joseph abandons the railroad and joins the wagon train, arriving in time for the

. Joseph finds Shannon, Chase, and the Christies already in Oklahoma. Chase, having seen Joseph talking to Shannon, threatens to kill him if he goes near Shannon again. Joseph outpaces everybody and catches up with Shannon and Chase. Joseph is ready to plant his claim flag, but Chase rushes on horseback at Joseph. A fight breaks out, with Joseph being crushed by the horse. Shannon runs to his side and rejects Chase when he questions her actions. Joseph professes his love for Shannon and dies in her arms, but comes back to life fully revived when Shannon reciprocates Joseph's love. They both drive the land stake into the ground and claim their prize land together.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in Montana for business reasons, but the

Oklahoma Historical Society The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is an agency of the government of Oklahoma dedicated to promotion and preservation of Oklahoma's history and its people by collecting, interpreting, and disseminating knowledge and artifacts of Oklahoma. ...

was involved in its production. Imagine Production Co. toured the areas around Montana for a week. They visited different areas before selecting

Billings, Montana Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Met ...

. Ron Howard, whose film ''

Backdraft A backdraft ( North American English) or backdraught (British English) is the abrupt burning of superheated gasses in a fire, caused when oxygen rapidly enters a hot, oxygen-depleted environment; for example, when a window or door to an enclosed ...

'' was in the stages of being released in theatres at the time, arrived in Billings to begin groundwork for the film. One site outside of town was a ranch, which was going to be used to film the Oklahoma Land Rush scene. Working titles for the film included ''The Irish Story'' and ''An Irish Story''. Principal photography began in Montana on May 28, 1991. After several weeks of preparation, the cast and crew filmed the Oklahoma Land Rush scene on July 7, 1991. Eight hundred riders and extras, nine hundred horses, mule, oxen, and two hundred wagons were used on a quarter mile wide set. Nine cameras were used to film the action sequences. During the filming of the scene four people broke bones and one horse died. Cruise's boxing match was filmed at the Billings Depot. Local area residents were used as extras for the sequence.

American Humane American Humane (AH) is an organization founded in 1877 committed to ensuring the safety, welfare, and well-being of animals. It was previously called the International Humane Association before changing its name in 1878. In 1940, it became t ...

reported that "The production company not only met American Humane's Guidelines, but went that extra mile to ensure both the physical and mental well-being of the animals." After filming wrapped in Billings, the cast and crew traveled to

Dublin, Ireland Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, to complete filming.

Ardmore Studios Ardmore Studios, in Bray, County Wicklow, is Irelands's only four wall studio. It opened in 1958 under the management of Emmet Dalton and Louis Elliman. Since then, it has evolved through many managements and owners. It has been the base for ...

in Wicklow was used to film interior sequences, and the streets of Boston were filmed in Dublin city. It was the first film shot in Panavision Super 70 and the first film to be shot in 70mm in a decade since ''

Tron ''Tron'' (stylized as ''TRON'') is a 1982 American science fiction action- adventure film written and directed by Steven Lisberger from a story by Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. The film stars Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer ...

'' (1982). The

Arriflex 765 The Arriflex 765 is a 65 mm movie camera created by Arri in 1989. History The camera was conceptualized by Otto Blaschek, who had already engineered the Arriflex 35BL and the 35 III, for which he won the "Scientific and Engineering Award" of th ...

camera was also used, as the camera was capable of 100

frames per second A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...

which was used for

slow-motion Slow motion (commonly abbreviated as slo-mo or slow-mo) is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger in the early 20th century. This can be accomplished through the use ...

shots during the Oklahoma land rush scene.

Soundtrack

The music to ''Far and Away'' was composed and conducted by

. The score, a mixture of traditional Irish instrumentation and conventional orchestra, prominently featured performances by the Irish musical group

The Chieftains The Chieftains are a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous wi ...

and a revision of the song " Book of Days" composed and performed by

Enya Enya Patricia Brennan (; ga, Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin; born 17 May 1961), known professionally by the mononym Enya, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician known for modern Celtic music. She is the best-selling Irish solo arti ...

. The soundtrack was released 26 May 1992 through

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...

and features 19 tracks of music at a running time just over 67 minutes. Selections from the soundtrack have been featured in the trailers for various films including ''

Rudy Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch poli ...

'' (1993), ''

Getting Even with Dad ''Getting Even with Dad'' is a 1994 American comedy film starring Macaulay Culkin and Ted Danson. Plot Timmy Gleason is the estranged son of ex-con Ray Gleason and has been living with his aunt Kitty and her fiancée Wayne since the death of his ...

'' (1994), '' Circle of Friends'' (1995), ''

Treasure Planet ''Treasure Planet'' is a 2002 American animated science fiction action-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The 43rd Disney animated feature film, it is a science fiction adaptat ...

'' (2002) and ''

Charlotte's Web ''Charlotte's Web'' is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams; it was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. The novel tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and hi ...

'' (2006). # "County Galway, June 1892" (1:55) # "The Fighting Donellys" (2:18) – featured performance by

# "Joe Sr.'s Passing/The Duel Scene" (4:41) # "Leaving Home" (1:55) # "Burning the Manor House" (2:43) # "Blowing Off Steam" (1:31) # "Fighting for Dough" (2:02) – featured performance by The Chieftains # "Am I Beautiful?" (3:38) # "The Big Match" (5:56) # "Inside the Mansion" (4:24) # "Shannon is Shot" (4:06) # "Joseph's Dream" (3:08) # "The Reunion" (3:50) # "Oklahoma Territory" (2:12) # "The Land Race" (4:56) # "Settling with Steven/The Race to the River" (4:08) # "Joseph and Shannon" (3:14) # " Book of Days" (2:53) – composed and performed by

# "End Credits" (6:35) – featured performance by The Chieftains La-La Land Records released a remastered 2-CD set in March 2020 as a limited edition of 3500. This release includes alternate cues as well as previously unreleased score components. # County Galway, June 1892 2:01 # The Fighting Donnellys+ 2:22 # Joe Sr.'s Passing** 2:22 # The Village Burns* 1:56 # Leaving Home 2:02 # The Barn/Running Away* 4:32 # The Duel Scene+ 3:02 # This is My Destiny* 1:12 # Burning the Manor House 2:50 # Am I Beautiful? 3:43 # Blowing Off Steam 1:36 # Fighting for Dough +2:07 # My Own Man* 1:15 # Into the Bath* 1:37 # The Big Match 6:02 # Banished* 3:40 # Inside the Mansion 4:30 # Shannon is Shot 4:13 # Day Dreaming 1:13 # Joseph's Dream 3:13 # The Horseshoe* :35 # The Reunion (Film Version) 2:57 ''Score Presentation (cont'd)'' # Oklahoma Territory 2:17 # The Land Race 5:03 # Race to the River 1:51 # Settling with Stephen** 3:09 # Joseph and Shannon 3:22 # End Credits+ 6:43 ''Total Score Presentation:'' 1:21:53
''Additional music'' 28:28 # Joe Sr.'s Passing (Alternate)** 1:37 # The Barn (Alternate)* 2:41 # My Own Man (Alternate)* 1:14 # The Big Match (Alternate)** 5:24 # Oklahoma Territory (Film Version)** 2:17 # The Land Race (Alternate)** 5:01 # Joseph and Shannon (Alternate)** 3:21 # End Credits (Alternate)**+ 6:47 Total (2-disc) Time: 1:50:30

Release

''Far and Away'' was released on May 22, 1992 in 1,583 theaters, 163 of which were in 70mm.

Home media

The film was originally released on VHS and

laserdisc The LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as MCA DiscoVision (also known simply as "DiscoVision") in the United States in 1978. Its diameter typical ...

with it then released in the United States on DVD in May 1998 by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment with subtitles in English, Spanish and French. It was first released as a

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...

disc and HD download package on March 4, 2014 with one extra feature, a

theatrical trailer A trailer (also known as a preview, coming attraction or attraction video) is a commercial advertisement, originally for a feature film that is going to be exhibited in the future at a movie theater/cinema. It is a product of creative and techn ...

Reception

Box office

The film, which cost $60 million to make, earned $13 million in its first weekend at the box office and stumbled at the box office making only $58 million in the United States and Canada. It was the third highest-grossing film in Ireland with a gross of £0.8 million. It grossed $79 million internationally for a worldwide total of $137 million.

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

the film has an approval rating of 50% based on reviews from 36 critics. The site's critics' consensus reads: "Handsome and simplistic, ''Far and Away'' has the beauty of an American epic without the breadth." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

it has a

weighted average The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...

score of 49 out of 100 based on reviews from 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by

CinemaScore CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data. Background Ed Mintz founded Ci ...

gave the film a grade "A" on scale of A to F.

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

praised the film's cinematography while criticizing its script:

Todd McCarthy Todd McCarthy (born February 16, 1950) is an American film critic and author. He wrote for '' Variety'' for 31 years as its chief film critic until 2010. In October of that year, he joined ''The Hollywood Reporter'', where he subsequently served ...

of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' called it "handsomely mounted and amiably performed but leisurely and without much dramatic urgency." Hal Hinson of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'' wrote: "''Far and Away''... is the director's attempt to step into the cinematic shoes of directors John Ford and David Lean. And, certainly, he's stepped into something with this sprawling, old-fashioned melodrama." Writer Tony Parsons called it "a stinker of a picture...which was far and away the worst film I have ever seen." The film was nominated for a

Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song The Razzie Award for Worst Original Song was an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards for the worst song written for a film in the previous year. The following is a list of recipients and nominees of that award, along with the fi ...

for the song "Book of Days".

Telecast

For its airing on ABC in March 1995, the network had reinstated 35 minutes of deleted scenes to fit two hour blocks in two days.

References

External links

* *
''Far and Away''
at TomCruise.com * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Far And Away 1992 films 1992 romantic drama films American adventure drama films American romantic drama films American boxing films Films directed by Ron Howard Films produced by Brian Grazer Films scored by John Williams Films set in Ireland Films set in Boston Films set in Oklahoma Films set in 1892 Films set in 1893 Films shot in the Republic of Ireland Films shot in Montana Universal Pictures films Imagine Entertainment films American Western (genre) films 1992 Western (genre) films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films Films set in the Ozarks