[4] Cruise and Kidman, who were married at the time, play Irish immigrants seeking their fortune in the 1890s America, eventually taking part in the Land Run of 1893.

In 1892 Ireland, tenant farmers work land they could never own and pay unfairly high rents to their wealthy landlords.

After his father dies, their family home is burned down by their landlord Daniel Christie's men, due to unpaid rent.

Daniel's wife, Nora, and his daughter, Shannon, nurse Joseph back to health so that he can be hanged for the attempted murder.

Mike Kelly, an Irish ward boss, finds jobs for Joseph and Shannon and gives them a room to rent.

Romantic tension flares between them, especially after Grace, a dancer at Kelly's club, shows interest in Joseph, making Shannon jealous.

One night, Joseph discovers that Shannon has gone to Kelly's club to dance burlesque and earn extra money.

When he storms in to take her home, Kelly and the other Irishmen there beg him to fight an Italian contender, promising to split the two-hundred-dollar winnings with him if he triumphs.

As payback for the loss, Kelly and his men take all of the money the couple had saved and throw Shannon and Joseph out into the streets.

They share a tender moment and a kiss before the owners of the house return and chase them away, shooting Shannon in the back.

Deciding she will be better cared for by them, he leaves despite his feelings for her, heading west to the Ozarks and finding work laying train track.

Knowing it is headed for Oklahoma, Joseph abandons the railroad and joins the wagon train, arriving in time for the Land Run of 1893.

[17] Selections from the soundtrack have been featured in the trailers for various films including Rudy (1993), Getting Even with Dad (1994), Circle of Friends (1995), Treasure Planet (2002) and Charlotte's Web (2006).

[24][25] It was first released as a Blu-ray disc and HD download package on March 4, 2014, with one extra feature, a theatrical trailer.

[26] For its airing on channel ABC in March 1995, the network reinstated 35 minutes of deleted scenes to fill two two-hour blocks over two nights.

It's depressing that such a lavish and expensive production, starring an important actor like Tom Cruise, could be devoted to such a shallow story.

[35]Todd McCarthy of Variety called it "handsomely mounted and amiably performed but leisurely and without much dramatic urgency.