The biography of Ron Kovic. Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country he fought for.
When a sports agent has a moral epiphany and is fired for expressing it, he decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an independent agent with the only athlete who stays with him and his former secretary.
Director:
Cameron Crowe
Stars:
Tom Cruise,
Cuba Gooding Jr.,
Renée Zellweger
Injuries sustained by two Army rangers behind enemy lines in Afghanistan set off a sequence of events involving a congressman, a journalist and a professor.
A young man leaves Ireland with his landlord's daughter after some trouble with her father and they dream of owning land at the big give-away in Oklahoma ca. 1893. When they get to the new land, they find jobs and begin saving money. The man becomes a local bare-hands boxer and rides in glory until he is beaten, then his employers steal all the couple's money and they must fight off starvation in the winter and try to keep their dream of owning land alive. Meanwhile, the woman's parents find out where she has gone and have come to the U.S. to find her and take her back.Written by
Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com>
Ron Howard asked Rod Steiger to audition for the role of Daniel Christie, which greatly infuriated the Oscar- winning actor. He did, but failed to win the part. Richard Harris was also asked, but he flatly refused. See more »
Goofs
When the club hostess brings the battered Tom Cruise back to the room, she asks Nicole Kidman about him while she lights a filter tip cigarette. We are in 1895, and filter tips weren't invented until 1927. See more »
Quotes
Joseph Donnelly:
[about Grace]
Grace isn't a tramp. She's a dancer in the Burley-cue.
Shannon Christie:
That's not dancing. That's kicking her knickers up. I suspect if you asked her to, she'd kick her knickers off.
Joseph Donnelly:
Oh, maybe she would.
Shannon Christie:
Has she?
Joseph Donnelly:
Let me see... I'm trying to remember.
Shannon Christie:
Well, think hard! If there's any brains left in your head!
See more »
Crazy Credits
Near the end of the credits, special thanks are given to, among others, Fungi the Dingle Dolphin. See more »
Alternate Versions
On the Network version, when Joseph is working on the railroad, there is a problem with a stick of dynamite. Showing how depressed and careless he is at the time, Joseph volunteers to reset the dynamite. There is a moment of tension after the explosion as we wait for Joseph to come into view out of the cloud of dust. See more »
If you pay too much attention to the cliches and unlikely situations the characters are placed, you really miss the charm of this movie. I can see how people would be put off if they were expecting a serious historical reenactment. Still, I believe that Ron Howard fully meant for this to be a fully romanticized account of the time. This movie works in many of the ways Titanic does, and I think it does it more effectively. Still, with Titanic, most people seemed more than willing to overlook the absurdities. With Far and Away, I don't think Ron Howard was trying to trick us or dumb us down. I don't think he was ever trying to underestimate the intelligence of his viewers. I think he was asking us to follow him and trust him as he told a story. I enjoyed it. Kidman and Cruise were both fun to watch. The supporting cast, although they did seem like they came from a comic book, were entertaining. I hope this movie has life on cable and DVD.
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If you pay too much attention to the cliches and unlikely situations the characters are placed, you really miss the charm of this movie. I can see how people would be put off if they were expecting a serious historical reenactment. Still, I believe that Ron Howard fully meant for this to be a fully romanticized account of the time. This movie works in many of the ways Titanic does, and I think it does it more effectively. Still, with Titanic, most people seemed more than willing to overlook the absurdities. With Far and Away, I don't think Ron Howard was trying to trick us or dumb us down. I don't think he was ever trying to underestimate the intelligence of his viewers. I think he was asking us to follow him and trust him as he told a story. I enjoyed it. Kidman and Cruise were both fun to watch. The supporting cast, although they did seem like they came from a comic book, were entertaining. I hope this movie has life on cable and DVD.