When an arranged marriage brings Ada and her spirited pre-teen daughter Flora to the wilderness of 19th-century New Zealand, she finds herself locked in a battle of wills with both her controlling husband and a rugged frontiersman to whom she develops a forbidden attraction.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Holly HunterAda McGrath | Ada McGrath |
 Harvey KeitelGeorge Baines | George Baines |
 Sam NeillAlisdair Stewart | Alisdair Stewart |
 Anna PaquinFlora McGrath | Flora McGrath |
 Cliff CurtisMana | Mana |
 Kerry WalkerAunt Morag | Aunt Morag |
 Ian MuneReverend | Reverend |
 Geneviève LemonNessie | Nessie |
 Pete SmithHone | Hone |
 Bruce AllpressBlind Piano Tuner | Blind Piano Tuner |
 Rose McIverAngel | Angel |
 Verity GeorgeBluebeard's Wife | Bluebeard's Wife |
 Stephen PappsBluebeard | Bluebeard |
 Karen ColstonBluebeard's Wife (Miss Palmer) | Bluebeard's Wife (Miss Palmer) |
| EEddie CampbellSeaman | Seaman |
| TTe Whatanui SkipwithChief Nihe | Chief Nihe |
| TTungia BakerHira | Hira |
| NNeil GudsellTahu | Tahu |
| JJon SperryTaunting Man | Taunting Man |
 Greg MayorTipi | Tipi |