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Far and Away

(1992, Rated PG-13, Action/adventure, Starring Tom Cruise, Thomas Gibson, Nicole Kidman)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 13.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Intense, treacly Cruise-Kidman immigrant epic.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 13–14

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    There's talk of racism, and Shannon and her family treat Joseph as a second-class citizen because he's poor. People exploit both Shannon and Joseph, and Shannon gets harassed by her boss. When they're homeless, Shannon and Joseph break into a house for warmth.

  • Violence:

    Considerable violence, including several fistfights, a few riots, and several boxing matches where contestants, including Joseph, end up bloodied. Joseph's father dies after being hit. Joseph attempts several times to shoot Mr. Christie. Shannon stabs Joseph in the thigh with a pitchfork. Shannon gets shot in the shoulder. There are several scenes of men being trampled by horses and of covered wagons overturning. Joseph gets severely injured by a horse. A man is shot and killed at point-blank range. Joseph punches his horse.

  • Sex:

    Shannon and Joseph kiss and Joseph imagines disrobing her, but there's no sex. Lots of sexual innuendo, including comments about men having sex with goats and men leaving women "pulling up [their] knickers." Joseph appears naked in a bed with only a bowl over his genitals. Shannon peeks under it twice. Shannon and Joseph live in a whorehouse.

  • Language:

    Some salty language, including "hell," "bastard," "ass," "son of a bitch," "pissing," "tits," and "goddamn."

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Considerable drinking, and Joseph and Shannon are both shown very drunk at different points.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Far and Away

Parents need to know that while there's no sex in this film, there's considerable fist fighting, violence, and death. Several characters, including main characters, are shot, crushed, and beaten bloody. There's also considerable sexual innuendo about Joseph's virility and machismo. Characters are defined by their class and ethnicity and often exploited. There's also a subtext of the westward expansion in which the government stole land from Native Americans.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the westward expansion, the concept of "manifest destiny," and what else happened as a result of the Oklahoma purchase: the Trail of Tears. It's also a good opportunity for families to talk about how their relatives and ancestors immigrated to the U.S. and what barriers and challenges they faced. How different is it now for immigrants than it was for Joseph and Shannon? Is class still as important as it was then?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    xotitanicox
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 5.0

    Great!

    I loved it. I really enjoyed Australia, and this is similar. I really enjoyed the relationship between Shannon (Nicole Kidman) and Joseph (Tom Cruise)

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  2. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Jewlz57
    Lives in California
    I rate this title off for age 11 and give it 5.0

    The best movie I have EVER seen!

    This is a great love story, with a happy ending. This is the BESTEST movie I have ever seen!

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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