**Possible Spoilers** In 1892 Ireland, the son of a poor farmer forms an unlikely alliance with the daughter of a wealthy landowner, in `Far and Away,' a romantic adventure directed by Ron Howard, and starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. When his father dies, and an agent of the landlord to whom back rent is owed burns their modest home to the ground, Joseph Donnelly (Cruise) vows revenge. Armed with an ancient, rusty rifle, he travels to the estate of the landowner, Daniel Christie (Robert Prosky), intending to shoot him. But his plans to settle the score quickly go awry; as he draws a bead on Christie and pulls the trigger, the rifle explodes in his face. Christie takes him into his home to treat his wounds, and there Joseph catches the eye of Christie's daughter, Shannon (Kidman). The lad, she notes, has pluck, and he's obviously a scrapper; and she immediately sees him as the means by which she can effect her dream of running away to America, where they are giving land away for free (or so says the ad she has ripped from a newspaper). She realizes that such an undertaking would be impossible for a woman traveling alone, but with a man such as Joseph along to tend to her needs and offer protection, it could be done. Circumstances prevail in her favor, and soon the two of them are off, covertly, with the plan being to land in Boston, then head west to the Oklahoma Territory, where Shannon will be able to claim her land. Of course, Joseph sees land in it for himself, as well. They hit a snag, however, upon landing in Boston; Shannon's silver spoons, stolen from her mother, and with which the trek west was to be financed, are stolen from her, leaving them without means. With some help, they manage to find affordable accommodations (a room at a local bordello), and Shannon finds work in a factory. Meanwhile, Joseph finds he can make some money by prizefighting at one of the local pubs, under sponsorship of a man named Kelly (Colm Meaney), the `connected' Irishman of the town. It's enough to keep them going, temporarily, but the question is, can they make it to Oklahoma in time for the `land rush' of 1893? Cruise gives a credible performance here as Joseph, complete with a passable Irish accent, and he has a natural, charismatic persona that comes across so well on film. Kidman, too, fares well with her portrayal of Shannon; her accent is good, and the camera likes her. And, of course, there's a real chemistry between them. Howard has crafted a visually handsome movie, with a good story told in a predominately straight forward manner. There's not a lot of surprises, and much of it is predictable, beyond mere foreshadowing, but the pace is brisk and the characters are alive, which keeps it all interesting. Also, there's a touch of humor thrown in at appropriate junctures, which helps to offset the dramatics, maintain a positive atmosphere, and keep it all from becoming too sullen. The cinematography is especially notable, particularly early on, when capturing some of the lush vistas of Ireland, and later during the `land rush' sequence. The performances are good all around, and the excellent supporting cast includes Thomas Gibson (Steven), Barbara Babcock (Nora Christie), Cyril Cusack (Danty Duff) and Michelle Johnson (Grace). `Far and Away' is well made and delivered, and, most importantly, it's an entertaining movie; perhaps not one of the most memorable Howard has made, but it's an enjoyable film, and well worth seeing. All in all, it makes for a pleasant night at the movies. I rate this one 7/10.
Review of Far and Away
