THE Q&A
Beverly Gray is the author of Ron Howard: From Mayberry to the Moon…and Beyond (Thomas Nelson, 2003).
After years of working for filmmaker Roger Corman, she wrote Roger Corman: An Unauthorized Biography of the Godfather of Indie Filmmaking (Renaissance, 2000), which was re-published in 2013 under the alternate title Roger Corman: Blood-Sucking Vampires, Flesh-Eating Cockroaches, and Driller Killers — An Updated Authorized Life.
Her writings have appeared in numerous periodicals and newspapers including The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times and MovieMaker.
Her next book is Seduced by Mrs. Robinson: How The Graduate Became the Touchstone of a Generation and is due to be published this autumn by Algonquin Books.
Michael Coate (The Digital Bits): In what way should Far and Away be remembered on its 25th anniversary?
Beverly Gray: Far and Away should be remembered as a brave attempt to revive the idea of a romantic epic, combining historical accuracy with an intimate personal story.
Coate: What did you think of Far and Away when you (first) saw it?
Gray: I have never seen Far and Away on the big screen. I watched it while researching Ron Howard’s career, and was deeply disappointed by its far-fetched personal story. I did, however, appreciate the film’s two big action set-pieces, the boxing match and the climactic Oklahoma land run.
Coate: Where do you think Far and Away ranks among epics?
Gray: The land run sequence is a magnificent piece of epic filmmaking. I think the film is much less successful in its personal story. James Cameron’s Titanic, which tries for a similar blend of historical epic and intimate romance, works this vein more successfully, though Titanic is far from my favorite film.
Coate: In what way was it beneficial for Howard & Co. to have made Far and Away in 70mm?
Gray: The huge scale allowed by 70mm cinematography certainly benefitted the land-rush footage, reflecting the wide open spaces of the American west.
Coate: In what way was Ron Howard ideally suited to direct this film?
Gray: Ron Howard has always had great personal fondness for Far and Away because it reflects both his Irish roots and his family history: his two great-grandfathers both rode in the 1893 Oklahoma Land Race. Though when he shot Far and Away he had no experience directing a movie on such a grand scale, his ingrained sense of organization and discipline were essential to the success of the filming process.
Coate: Where do you think Far and Away ranks among director Ron Howard’s body of work?
Gray: Frankly I don’t rank Far and Away very high on Ron Howard’s long list of achievements. He has proved himself to be a gifted director of light comedy (Splash, Ed-TV) and intimate personal stories (Cocoon, A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon), but the interpersonal elements of Far and Away have always struck me as highly unconvincing. Howard would go on to blend historical and intimately human subject matter far more successfully in the great Apollo 13.
Coate: Where do you think Far and Away ranks among stars Tom Cruise’s and Nicole Kidman’s careers?
Gray: Tom Cruise has always had wonderful physicality and personal charm, but in Far and Away he’s simply unconvincing as a poor Irish lad. Nicole Kidman, a skilled actress, fares better. But the movie can’t shake the sense that here are two Hollywood hot-shots playing at being Irish immigrants who must battle class distinctions to advance their storybook romance.
Coate: The failure of Far and Away has been blamed for so few 70mm films since its release. Do you believe there’s any validity to this charge?
Gray: I don’t think Far and Away failed at the box office because it was in 70mm: the sweep of the land-run scenes validates that choice. However, it did make the film much more expensive, which raised expectations sky-high. And the weak personal story could in no way sustain filmgoers’ interest.
Coate: What is the legacy of Far and Away?
Gray: I suspect it taught Ron Howard that even in a star-driven vehicle, the story must be strong, and that action and character elements must be well integrated in order to achieve a successful outcome.
Coate: Thank you, Beverly, for sharing your thoughts on Far and Away on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of its release.
--END--
IMAGES
Selected images copyright/courtesy Imagine Films Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Universal Studios Home Video.
SOURCES/REFERENCES
The primary references for this project were regional newspaper coverage and trade reports published in Billboard, Boxoffice, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. All figures and data included in this article pertain to the United States and Canada except where stated otherwise.
SPECIAL THANKS
Laura Baas, Jim Barg, Seth Bartoo, Don Beelik, Deb Bier, Shelia Bumgarner, Jason Burks, Raymond Caple, Scott Clark, Andrew Crews, Saundra Cropps, Kathryn Devine, Kimberly Diebolt, Heather R. Edwards, Christine Filippelli, Debbie Gallagher, Anna Gooding-Call, Beverly Gray, Nicholas Grieco, Katie Grzech, Sheldon Hall, Wendy Hall, Thomas Hauerslev, Bobby Henderson, Matthew Vasquez Jaquith, Matt Kendall, Sarah Kenyon, David Kilmon, Anna Kimball, J. Klamm, Bill Kretzel, Ronald A. Lee, Mark Lensenmayer, Sarah Lubelski, Stan Malone, Linda McFarland, Gabriel August Neeb, Hannah Q. Parris, Charlotte Pendleton, Sophia Petrakis, Joe Redifer, Stephen Rice, Nina Sappington, Bob Sawatzki, Melissa Scroggins, Desirée Sharland, James F. Shearhouse, John Siegel, Tim Spindle, Cliff Stephenson, John Stewart, J. Michael Stubbs, J. Thomas, Robert Tucker, Enrique Valdivia, Troy Valos, Brian Walters, and to all of the librarians who helped with the research for this project.
IN MEMORIAM
- J.G. Devlin (“Villager #1”), 1907-1991
- Cyril Cusack (“Danty Duff”), 1910-1993
- Hoke Howell (“Crew Boss”), 1929-1997
- William Preston (“Blacksmith”), 1921-1998
- Harry Webster (“Derelict”), 1915-1999
- Jimmy Keogh (“Priest”), 19??-2003
- Joan O’Hara (“Lady #3”), 1930-2007
- Mark Mulholland (“Peasant #1”), 1937-2007
- Robert Prosky (“Daniel Christie”), 1930-2008
- Frank Coughlan (“Doctor”), 19??-2010
- Eileen Colgan (“Lady #1”), 1934-2014
-Michael Coate
Michael Coate can be reached via e-mail through this link. (You can also follow Michael on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)
