Far and Away (1992)

Tom Cruise is Joseph Donnelly, son of a tenant farmer in Northern Ireland who watches his father die after being beaten by the landlord’s men, then his home burned because his dad was behind in rent.

Spurred on by Danty Duff, an old friend of his father’s, Joseph sets out to even the score with landlord Daniel Christie (Robert Prosky). Duff even provides Joseph with an antique rifle.

But the first member of the Christie family Joseph meets is the landlord’s daughter Shannon Christie (Nicole Kidman). Spooked by his presence in their stables, Shannon stabs Joseph with a pitchfork, then rushes to her father for help.

When Joseph staggers out of the stable, still intent on killing Daniel Christie, the gun explodes in his face. Instead of assassin, he winds up being a patient in the Christie home, a commoner to be mended so he can hang later.

But Shannon, bored with the life of an upper class young woman, yearning for “modern” America, decides Joseph could be useful. She’s planning to run away to America, where land is going to be given away for free in the Oklahoma Land Rush.

But she can’t without a male escort. Joseph, she decides, could be her escort and her servant boy.

So off they go. They land in Boston, and quickly learn their destination is still 1,000 miles away and getting there won’t be easy.

Posing as brother and sister, they grow closer and finds their roles reversed. Joseph begins to make decent money as a prize-fighter. Shannon winds up plucking chickens for pennies in a factory.

A tragic turn causes them to part. Shannon winds up back with her parents, who have traveled to Boston to find her. Stephen Chase (Thomas Gibson) has also followed Shannon to America, planning to refindle a union arranged back in Ireland.

Joseph and Shannon are still determined to make it to Oklahoma Territory. Joseph, even more than Shannon, wants the freedom that comes with owning land of his own.

Tom Cruise as Joseph Donnelly, being convinced to avenge his father in Far and Away (1992)

Nicole Kidman as Shannon Christie, armed with a pitchfork and ready to use it in Far and Away (1992)

Review:

More adventure and romance than Western, considering our characters don’t land in the West until the final 40 minutes of the movie. But there’s an impressive recreation of the 1893 land rush, filmed with the help of 800 extras, 200 horses and 100 wagons.

And the film itself is more impressive than the mixed reviews it received at the time. How can you not find yourself rooting for Joseph Donnelly and Shannon Christie to suceed in their dreams? And to do so together?

Cruise and Kidman are front and center for the entire film. Little is required from the rest of the cast. Kidman also seems to be the focus in all the most memorable scenes.

There’s the pitchfork scene. There’s a scene in which the antique silver spoons she planned to use to finance her trip to Oklahoma are stolen. And there’s a delightful scene in which her mother, having undressed Joseph to mend his wounds, places a bowl over his crotch to protect her daughter’s innocence.

Curious, Shannon steals a peek under that bowl as soon as her mother leaves the room. Intrigued by what she’s seen, she can’t help but lift the bowl a second time. At which point, Joseph begins to stir. Horrified at the thought of being caught peeking, Shannon quickly tells him he’s dreaming.

Cruise and Kidman were husband and wife when this film was made. They had two children together before divorcing in 2001.

Thomas Gibson as Stephen Chase, learning Shannon has fled to America in Far and Away (1992)

Colm Meaney as Mike Kelly, making money of Joseph Donnelly’s boxing ability in Far and Away (1992)

Directed by:
Ron Howard

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
Steve O’Donnell … Colm

Runtime: 140 min.

Robert Prosky as Daniel Christie, reacting when Joseph Donnelly shows up at his home, intent on vengeance in Far and Away (1992)

Barbara Babcock as Nora Christie, distraught over the loss of her home and daughter in Far and Away (1992)

Memorable lines:

Joseph Donnelly: “I’ve only killed chickens and pigs until now.”
Danty Duff: “He’s a pig and a chicken all in one, Daniel Christie. Here, now, give him a proper taste of death.”

Shannon Christie, running to her father for help after stabbing Joseph with a pitchfork: “Help, help. I’ve been almost raped. Almost slaughtered. In the stables. It’s the devil himself.”

Shannon Christie, of Joseph Donnelly: “If he’s so worthless, then why are you bothering to dress his wounds.”
Nora Christie, her mother: “It’s our duty to restore him to full health, so he can hear his own neck crack when he dangles from the hangman’s noose.”

Shannon Christie: “Boy, you said you wanted land. If that’s what you want, then come with me. … You’re brave. You shoot men. You step on their necks. When I saw that, I realized you could be very useful to me.”
Joseph Donnelly: “Useful to you?”
Shannon: “Yes, you could be my serving boy.”

Shannon Christie: “Joseph, am I beautiful at all?”
Joseph Donnelly: “I’ve never seen anything like you in all my living life.”
Shannon: “Good.”

Shannon Christie, of Grace, out of jealousy: “If she goes in the confession box, she’ll never come out, the little tramp.”

Daniel Christie, as Nora tries to curb his rebelious side: “The wild west suits me, Nora. There’s no telling what I might do.”

Nicole Kidman as Shannon Christie, humored by Joseph’s instructions on how to wash clothes in Far and Away (1992)

Tom Cruise as Joseph Donnelly, struggling to get Shannon to acknowledge his accomplishments in Far and Away (1992)

Michelle Johnson as Grace, the dancer who spurs Shannon’s sense of jealousy in Far and Away (1992)

Cyriul Cusack as Danty Duff, urging Joseph Donnelly to even the score with Daniel Christie in Far and Away (1992)

Cyriul Cusack as Danty Duff, urging Joseph Donnelly to even the score with Daniel Christie in Far and Away (1992)

Tom Cruise as Joseph Donnelly explaining to Shannon Christie (Nicole Kidman) why they need to pretend to be brother and sister in Far and Away (1992)

Nicole Kidman as Shannon Christie, wondering if she’s ‘beautiful at all’ in Far and Away (1992)

Tom Cruise as Joseph Donnelly, finding Shannon again in Oklahoma in Far and Away (1992)