While Tom Cruise may not be widely recognized as a Western star, one failed moviewas his chance to break into a new genre. The action-focused star is best known for his stunt work, his willingness to take risks, and his love for enormous stakes. That desire to embrace an unconventional filming style has undoubtedly contributed to his four Academy Awards nominations, three Golden Globe Awards, and his BAFTA Award. He simply does things that other actors are not willing to do. Even jumping out of a plane is not beyond him.
Today, that reputation precedes him. Every movie that he appears in is expected to be an epic, fast-paced action movie, and Tom Cruise is always expected to be the leading man. Those movies are also expected to succeed. In 1992, however, Cruise’s attempt to star in a Western completely failed. Rather than becoming the next John Wayne, he was left to forge his own identity.
Tom Cruise Is Not Known for Westerns
He Is Far Better Known for Action Movies
It is hard to deny that Tom Cruise is an exceptional action star. Cruise’s highest-grossing films are generally all a part of the Top Gun or Mission: Impossible franchises. 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick earned nearly $1.5 billion at the box office and has been praised as the movie that saved theaters after an extended pandemic-induced slow period. His action movies generally excel both domestically and internationally, though Maverick proved to be more of a hit in the United States than anywhere else.
Top Gun: Maverick remains Cruise’s highest-grossing movie, having taken in $718,732,821 domestically and $776,963,471 internationally for a $1,495,696,292 worldwide gross.
Tom Cruise’s wild stunts are typically the reason that audiences are so enthralled by his movies. The actor hung from the world’s tallest building, clung to a real plane as it took off, performed an actual HALO jump, and spent over six minutes underwater (without breathing equipment) to film a Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation stunt. It is truly hard to imagine any other actor performing as many death-defying stunts as Tom Cruise does. Considering that, it is no surprise that Cruise remains an extraordinary action hero. Unfortunately, that leaves little room to star in movies with considerably smaller stakes. While he has tried to get involved in the Western genre, for instance, Cruise’s work struggled.
Far and Away Was an Opportunity for Cruise
Cruise Had a Chance To Break Into a New Genre
In 1992, Cruise was interested in the Western genre. After the runaway success of 1990’s Dances With Wolves, which earned $424 million on a $22 million budget, it is no surprise that the star saw a bright future in Westerns. It was a staple of Hollywood that was extraordinarily prominent throughout the history of the industry. Making his name as a great Western star could very well help him break out as an even bigger name. He was already established in the action industry through Top Gun (1986) and a recognized drama star from Rain Man (1988), but he had not yet broken into the enormous Western genre.
Cruise was just 30 years old when he starred in Far and Away . He is now 62 years old.
Far and Away was a chance for Cruise to showcase his talents in three major realms: Romance, Westerns, and History. The movie focuses on an Irish immigrant in the late 1800s, as he and his beloved partner desperately race to claim American land for themselves. It seemed like a perfect opportunity for Cruise. Star Wars‘ legendary composer, John Williams, was attached to the project, and it had an enormous $60 million budget. In today’s money, that would be a $137.5 million budget for an epic Western. It was an astounding investment, but it never went anywhere.
Far and Away Failed at the Box Office
It Was A Serious Disappointment
Instead of helping Cruise’s rise to prominence, Far and Away was a disappointment. Hollywood movies generally require two and a half times their budget from the box office to be considered a success. That accounts for marketing costs and the cut that theaters take from each ticket. Unfortunately, the Western never achieved that mark. Far and Away made just $138 million, which would be $315 million today. Against its $60 million budget, it would likely have needed $150 million to be considered a success. Its return was simply not enough to prove that Cruise could be a true Western star.
Cruise was already a movie star, but he would never again seek the chance to star in his own Westerns.
Even critics were disappointed. Today, it sits at a 50% Tomatometer score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences have been similarly mixed, offering a 62% Popcornmeter score. The total is hardly enough to be the runaway success that Cruise likely dreamed of, and it was a setback after the wild success of Top Gun. Cruise was already a movie star, but he would never again seek the chance to star in his own Westerns. His short cameo in 1988’s Young Guns and Far and Away would be his only real attempts at Western appearances.
Why Did Far and Away Fail?
It Simply Failed To Stand Out
Despite being led by a renowned star, Far and Away is far from the minds of modern audiences. Cruise’s Western failure has largely been forgotten in the years since its release. Rather than launching an opportunity to thrive in a new genre, it ensured that Cruise would always remain firmly fixed on the action industry still bringing him resounding success. He is even returning to his roots yet again with his plan to reprise his role as Maverick in the upcoming Top Gun 3.
Still, it is worth considering where Far and Away went wrong. It had all the elements that should have made audiences enjoy it. It had a strong romance, good chemistry between its stars, and a marketable name that has proven to have lasting star power. Yet, even in the years after its failure, it never managed to capture any public recognition. Many reviewers argue that the movie was flat and uninteresting. Neither of the stars was prepared to carry a drama of that scale, even if Cruise had already shown some experience with Rain Man.
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman are iconic actors today, but neither were prepared for the Western world.
The movie also failed to stand out. It told a fairly cliché story of two people running away together and struggling in the 1800s. There was nothing that necessarily set it apart. The romance was somewhat interesting, but it developed exceptionally quickly, and each character survived miraculous circumstances with nothing more than contrived excuses. Director Ron Howard has certainly left his mark on Hollywood, but he was simply too experienced to lead the movie. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman are iconic actors today, but neither were prepared for the Western world. Unfortunately, Far and Away ended too far away from success.
