Throughout their relationship and marriage of more than 10 years,Tom CruiseandNicole Kidmanfamously co-starred in three films. Having met and first worked together onTony Scott’sDays of Thunder, the Hollywood power couple would conclude their professional partnership nine years later withStanley Kubrick’sEyes Wide Shut, a film that some speculatemay have even played a partin the dissolution of their marriage. Between making those very divergent films, however, the co-stars-turned-spouses embarked on a different kind of venture with 1992’sFar and Away.
Once described by directorRon Howardas Cruise and Kidman’s “honeymoon project,“the epic Western romancetransports audiences back to the turn of the century as immigrants from around the world traveled to America in search of opportunity. Classical and old-fashioned in its sensibilities, italso remains Cruise’s sole venture into theWesterngenre. AlthoughFar and Awaydoesn’t truly delve into Western territory until its final act, it delivers one of the most grand and thrilling finales in its director and stars' respective bodies of work. Weaving his characters through a historical tapestry of adventure and romance, Howard caps the film off with a bang and offers a glimpse into a formative era of collective aspiration and individual ambition.
Far and Away
A young Irish couple flee to the States, but subsequently struggle to obtain land and prosper freely.
What Is ‘Far and Away’ About?
Far and Awaytells a tale of Irish lovers from widely divergent social backgrounds. A farmhand seeking to avenge his father and the destruction of his home, Joseph Donnelly (Tom Cruise) embarks on a mission to kill Daniel Christie (Robert Prosky), a greedy landowner enriching himself through unjustly high rents on tenants. When his pursuit of Christie backfires (literally), Joseph crosses paths with the landowner’s daughter, Shannon (Nicole Kidman), an impetuous and stubborn young woman looking to dissociate from her privileged environment.Enticed by one anotherand the prospect of securing land in the Oklahoma Territory, they set sail across the Atlantic and settle in Boston.
Arriving in America, Joseph and Shannon pass themselves off as brother and sister, with the former finding local celebrity as an amateur bare-knuckle boxer and the latter relegated to factory labor and burlesque. In the meantime, Shannon’s wealthy parents are driven from their ivory tower by angry tenants, ultimately fleeing Ireland for America in search of their daughter. After a series of misfortunes, Joseph and Shannon are torn apart and head West with hopes of securing land. Reunited by mere chance in Oklahoma, they participate in the historic Cherokee Outlet Land Run of 1893 and ultimately claim their place in a new world.
Is ‘Far and Away’ Based On a True Story?
Historically based but fictional in nature, Ron Howard’s film stemmed from an original story he conceived along with writer/producerBob Dolman. As one of his only writing credits within a prolific career,Howard took inspiration from exploring his own heritageto dramatize the multifaceted experience of immigration to America at the turn of the century. In a retrospective discussion for the film’s 30th anniversary, he revealed toYahoo! Entertainmentthat “Far and Awayreally began probably when I was 6 years old, maybe 7, and I visited my great-grandmother in Kansas. And she pulled out of her drawer this newspaper, and it was from the 1890s, and it was a photo for the Oklahoma land rush starting line. And she thought that her future husband was in the lead on a horse.”
In drawing froma sweeping bit of American history, Howard and co-writer Dolman offer viewers a glimpse into a raucous time period in which cultures clashed like oil and water, with immigrants from all walks of life clamoring to keep themselves afloat amid a rapidly transforming and growing society. RegardingFar and Away’s romance, which derives from largely one-dimensional lead characters and often verges on something out of a teenage love story,Cruise and Kidman nonetheless display undeniable chemistrythat transcends the film’s narrative and tonal shortcomings. Spending much of their time squabbling over petty grievances, exchanging digs and jabs like two kids refusing to acknowledge they’re crushing on each other, Joseph and Shannon’s relationship harkens back to thescrewball Hollywood romancesof old. And while Howard and Dolman’s screenplay doesn’t shy away from superficial stereotypes, its occasional observations on societal hierarchies land with resonance. But for all of its historicity on a tangential level, it’s the film’s finale that drops audiences smack dab in the middle of a lesser-known corner of American history.
‘Far and Away’s Western-Based Final Act Is Its Best
At midday on August 25, 2025, roughly 100,000 eagerly awaited their chance to claim land in present-day northwestern Oklahoma. Dubbed the Cherokee Outlet, the area comprised roughly 40,000 parcels and was yet another chunk of territory being carved up by the U.S. government after generations of inhabitancy by Native Americans. It would be the fourth and largest of five land rushes in the area over several years. After a starting gun sounded at noon, people on horseback, in wagons, and on foot stormed the frontier hoping to score a piece of the limited real estate. InFar and Away’s final half-hour, Joseph and Shannon find themselves front and center at the starting line of the Cherokee Outlet Land Rush, andit’s in this ambitious recreation of American history that Ron Howard’s film truly soarswith spectacle, excitement, and a good old-fashioned sense of adventure.
Years before CGI became the norm for staging such sequences, evermore incentivizing filmmakers to rely on increasingly stale technology to populate their epic frames, Howard had no choice but to employ hundreds of stunt performers, extras, animals, and period-authentic props to bring the event to the screen.Of shooting the sequence, Howard remembers, “We had 750 people and horses lined up. We had 13 cameras, two in the air, cameras dug in everywhere.” And several of those cameras were loaded with wide, high-resolution film, expanding on the scene’s large-scale sense of grandeur and scope.According to Variety,Far and Awaywas “notable as the first narrative, non-effects-oriented Hollywood feature in more than two decades to have been shot on 65mm stock (with Panavision’s new Super 70 equipment) and released in 70 mm.”
As the film’s main characters finally converge at this historic moment,Far and Awayearns its spurs as an exercise in Western filmmaking, with a game Cruise and Kidman deftly weaving through Howard’s frame on horseback as the filmmaker’s cameras sweep above and through the action. An Oklahoma native, Howard orchestrates one of the most logistically complex and thrilling sequences of his decades-long career behind the camera, and thoughFar and Awaywould come and go with a lukewarm reception from audiences and critics in 1992, it nevertheless remains an enduring and underrated effort on the part ofits director and lead performers.
Tom Cruise Should Do Another Western
For an actor whose career has spannedmore than 40 filmsover more than four decades, Tom Cruise has managed to make waves by playing a well-rounded variety of characters across genres. Before becoming a bona fide action star, and returning to that realm time and time again, viaTop Gunand theMission: Impossiblefilms, Cruise’s career trajectory was more heavily characterized by an insatiable drive to experiment and explore in ways that challenged his skills and sensibilities as a performer. More than thirty years later,Far and Away, as a period drama that ultimately delves into the Western genre, endures as one of the actor’s more notable outliers regarding character and genre while also proving that Cruise is right at home donning a cowboy hat on horseback.
Far and Awayis also a feature that fans of Cruise should consider adding to their watchlist, as the historical epic shows a side of the actor rarely seen on screen — innocent, hopeful, and to an extent, a little naïve. With a career built on being the quick-witted, fast-acting hero of the story, seeing Cruise without answers or a plan is something of a novelty for audiences. While he is not leaping off the world’s tallest buildings orjumping out of planes,Far and Awaystill presents an exciting adventure for the actor. This is bolstered even further by his palpable, although often comical, chemistry with Kidman. Considering how far Kidman and Cruise have come in their respective careers, it is quite interesting to see both stars tackle such demanding roles relatively early in their careers.
Westerns Had an Unexpected Golden Age in This Decade
This run of films is well worth a “YEE-HAW”!
WithWestern-themed television and filmmakingseeing a resurgence in popularity in recent years via major hits likeYellowstone, this current era of entertainment appears to be presenting a ripe opportunity for writers, directors, and actors to throw their hats into the ring of a seemingly bygone genre. Though Cruise has yet to return to the Western genre,Far and Away’s inclusion in his extensive filmography showcases his willingness to be adaptable and versatile. This is echoed in roles likeAmerican Made,Rock of Ages, and evenTropic Thunder, which all show Cruise stepping away from his familiar onscreen persona to give viewers something new. Cruise is as busy and in-demand as any star of his or any generation, with ambitious and exciting projects lined up, but one can’t help but speculate as to if and when he may seize on an opportunity to try his hand at another Western. A full-blown foray into the genre would not only be a first for the actor, but present an opportunity for a character study, a sweeping spectacle complete with death-defying stunts and action, or something combining the best of both those worlds. While Cruise shows no signs of slowing down, it’s anyone’s guess as to what he has in store for audiences. It’s safe to assume, however, that moviegoers will show up in droves should he ever decide to get back in the saddle.
Far and Awayis available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the U.S.
