IMDB-Monster I never thought I'd be interested in watching such a movie. I probably watch five movies a year, so I'm pretty choosy about what I spend my time on. With that being said, I saw 'Far and Away' one day on the TV and was hooked. I guess it goes to show the general idea of movies and storytelling. Any decent story with a clear goal can make for an enthralling experience when you just wanna sit back and enjoy a little journey. It's the living room equivalent of sharing stories by the campfire. And this movie does a good job in presenting the journey of some young people. You get attached to it and root for them to succeed. 'Far and Away' also represents the time period well and creates a specific coziness associated with it. The traditional Irish music also helps a lot. Thus, this movie offers somewhat of a compelling atmosphere -- the one thing I value the most in movies.But these positives just cant't outweigh all the negatives. Cliché plot, childish acting and many stupid scenes. Penis checking, double death, very unrealistic fighting, killing a guy fresh off the boat, casually finding an empty house, the death of the horse, just to name a few. It's like the target age for the movie was 12. This is a mediocre movie at best. Nothing about it stands out. It's just as generic as they come. If the best movie ever is 9.5 stars, then I gotta give 'Far and Away' 5.5 - 6 stars. Funny thing about it is I'm actually surprised how much I enjoyed it. It might be the worst movie I enjoyed so much. You never know, some day I might watch it again and replace Tom Cruise with Conor McGregor.

Wuchak Released in 1992 and directed by Ron Howard, "Far and Away" stars Tom Cruise as a young, grieving Irishman, full of spit and vinegar, who leaves for the new world with his landlord's daughter (Nicole Kidman). After arriving in Boston they acquire jobs with Joseph (Cruise) moonlighting as a bare-hands boxer. Eventually, the girl's parents and Joseph's nemesis arrive from Ireland looking for her (Robert Prosky, Barbara Babcock & Thomas Gibson). The story ends with the Oklahoma land rush of 1893. There was a lot of hype surrounding this movie when it was released in '92 and I found myself somewhat disappointed by it at the theater. Seeing it again almost 25 years later, I like it a lot better, probably because I'm mature and this is a movie that appeals more to adults because it's not a conventional Western, but rather a historical drama/adventure/western/romance. The opening is still weak, but once Joseph leaves his Irish homestead (around the 12-15 minute mark) the movie captured my interest and never let up till the end.I appreciate that the romance is a slow-build and there's no premature sex sequence. In lesser hands they would've been copulating at the half-hour mark. Instead, we observe Joseph tastefully fantasizing about Shannon (Nicole) in the third act. Michelle Johnson as one of the dancing girls is a highlight and IMHO significantly more beautiful than the overrated Kidman. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this movie is. The film runs 140 minutes and was shot in Ireland; Billings, Montana (the land rush); and Oklahoma.GRADE: B+

juneebuggy I remember seeing this years ago and really enjoying it, this time around not so much. Its okay, entertaining. The accents (with just about everyone concerned) are terrible and the plot does get a bit overblown and silly at times, actually the whole tone of this movie was a bit silly which I don't remember from before.Despite it all though, still an enjoyable enough movie. Episodic in its western frontier telling, with many adventures, decent period details and some grand scenes i.e. the land rush which is shot on a huge scale with hundreds of extras, horses and wagons and stunts galore.Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman do a decent enough job with their roles, not much chemistry though for an (at the time) real life couple. I enjoyed Tom in some of the boxing scenes and Robert Prosky was lovely as Shannon's Da.The story follows an impoverished 1893 Irish tenant farmer who has recently lost his home and his father. Through a series of somewhat witty events he runs off to America with his spirited landlords daughter. They arrive in Boston with barely more than the shirts on their backs, pose as brother and sister (while falling in love) and struggle for the American dream, which in this case also includes joining the Oklahoma land rush. 9/23/15

SnoopyStyle In 1892 western Ireland, tenant farmers are rebelling. Joseph Donnelly (Tom Cruise) loses his father during an incident with the landlord. Their home is burnt for overdue rent. He seeks revenge on landlord Daniel Christie (Robert Prosky) but his gun explodes. The landlord's daughter Shannon Christie (Nicole Kidman) wants to be Modern and get 160 acres of free land in America. She grabs Joseph from a pistol duel with the cruel henchman Stephen Chase (Thomas Gibson). She takes him on as her man servant on the journey. They find out the land is in Oklahoma, but she loses all her valuable spoons in Boston. They are penniless as they meet the ward boss Mike Kelly (Colm Meaney). He gains some worth as a bare knuckle boxer. Meanwhile a mob burns down the Christies mansion and they travel to America to follow Shannon. Eventually it ends in the great race to claim land in the Oklahoma Territories.The movie is beautifully shot by director Ron Howard. However the story is convenient and simplistic. It's as if Ron Howard wanted to check all the boxes of the era for the Irish. Everything feels manufactured. There isn't a real moment in the movie especially the pairing of Kidman and Cruise. There is no subtlety in their performance or the romance. It's not as problematic the first time around but it really annoys me with more viewings.