Far and Away on PAL Laserdisc

• Cat.no: PLFEC 35571
• Cert: 15
• Running time: 134 minutes
• Sides: 3 (CLV/CLV/CAV)
• Year: 1992
• Pressing: UK, 1997
• Chapters: 31 (17/10/3+1)
• Sound: Dolby Surround
• Widescreen: 2.35:1 (Panavision)
• Price: £29.99
• Extras: Trailers for Apollo 13, Backdraft, The Paper.
  

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  Director:

  Ron Howard (Apollo 13, Backdraft, The Paper, Ransom)

  Producers:

  Brian Grazer and Ron Howard

  Screenplay:

  Bob Dolman

  Music:

  John Williams

  Cast:

  Joseph Donelly: Tom Cruise (Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Jerry Maguire)
  Shannon: Nicole Kidman (To Die For, Batman Forever, Days of Thunder)
  Stephen: Thomas Gibson (Love and Human Remains, Sleep with Me)
  Christie: Robert Prosky (Last Action Hero, Miracle on 34th Street)
  Kelly: Colm Meaney (The Commitments, Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV))
  Colm: Steven O’Donnell (Bottom (TV))

Far and Awaywas the second film that now husband-and-wife team, TomCruise and Nicole Kidman made together following 1990’s Days ofThunder, and was directed by Ron Howard: ex-Happy Days star, anddirector of several films including the recent Mel Gibson starrer, Ransom.

The film opens in the West Coast of Ireland, 1892, where the poor tenant farmersare seeking to take matters into their own hands as the landlords put up theirland rent again. Cruise is Joseph Donelly, one of these farmers, whose fatherdies, and incensed with rage after the landlord’s men set fire to his housewhile the funeral takes place, he sets off with the intention to kill thelandlord, but instead finds himself taking a shine to the landlord’s daughter,Shannon, played by Nicole Kidman, and accompanying her to America in a questfor a piece of land to which every American inhabitant is entitled to.

Once in Boston, and posing as brother and sister, Joseph seeks accommodationwhile turning out to be a natural at bare-fisted boxing, but after constantarguing, they are thrown out. Just as they realise they are made for each other,events beyond their control tear them apart. Later on, while working on therailroad, Joseph remembers his goal to own a piece of land, and in the midstof planning his strategy he comes across Shannon, back with her formerfiancee…

When the Oklahoma land rush begins, will they find a way to get back togetherand join the search for the land which brought them together in the first place?

Tom Cruise gives a fine performance as always, as the Irish farmer, putting ona very strong accent, while Nicole Kidman does marginally better than she doesin most films she’s appeared in as the love interest, swapping her ownAustralian tongue for the Irish.

It’s interesting to note that part way through side one, when Kidman checksunderneath the bowl covering Cruise’s modesty, her look of surprise as shelifts it is a genuine one, as in reality she thought he’d have pants onunderneath….but he didn’t.

It’s also interesting, if not bizarre that this film was one of the very fewto be released on widescreen video to rent, but not to buy. Considering thatit’s very rare for a rental shop to order a widescreen copy when available,it’s unsurprising that I never came across it, and the price of this laserdiscis almost three times cheaper than that tape would have cost…

Picture quality is very good indeed, the 2.35:1 Panavision frame essential forall of Howard’s panoramic compositions, and the surround sound being mainlyused for ambience and spot effects. Also, it is well chaptered, with 30 spreadover the film’s three sides, although for some unexplained reason chapter 27is split over sides two and three. The last chapter contains stereo trailersfor three Ron Howard films available on PAL Laserdisc from Pioneer,Apollo 13, Backdraft and The Paper.

A final note is that side three is mastered in CAV enabling you to witness theOklahoma land rush with frame by frame analysis.

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 1997.