American History X (1998)

A former neo-nazi skinhead tries to prevent his younger brother from going down the same wrong path that he did.

Director:

Tony Kaye

Writer:

David McKenna

Stars:

Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo

Top Rated Movies #34 | Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Edward Norton	...	Derek Vinyard
Edward Furlong	...	Danny Vinyard
Beverly D'Angelo	...	Doris Vinyard
Jennifer Lien	...	Davina Vinyard
Ethan Suplee	...	Seth Ryan
Fairuza Balk	...	Stacey
Avery Brooks	...	Dr. Bob Sweeney
Elliott Gould	...	Murray
Stacy Keach	...	Cameron Alexander
William Russ	...	Dennis Vinyard
Guy Torry	...	Lamont
Joe Cortese	...	Rasmussen
Jason Bose Smith	...	Little Henry (as Jason Bose-Smith)
Antonio David Lyons	...	Lawrence
Alex Sol	...	Mitch McCormick

Storyline

Derek Vineyard is paroled after serving 3 years in prison for brutally killing two black men who tried to break into/steal his truck. Through his brother's, Danny Vineyard, narration, we learn that before going to prison, Derek was a skinhead and the leader of a violent white supremacist gang that committed acts of racial crime throughout L.A. and his actions greatly influenced Danny. Reformed and fresh out of prison, Derek severs contact with the gang and becomes determined to keep Danny from going down the same violent path as he did.

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Plot Keywords:

neo nazi | prison | jail | hatred | tearjerker | 

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Taglines:

Violence as a way of life.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic brutal violence including rape, pervasive language, strong sexuality and nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 November 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

American History X

Filming Locations:

2206 Meade Place, Venice Beach, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$156,076, 1 November 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$6,719,864

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,875,127

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Savoy Pictures, The Turman-Morrissey Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min 101 min (workprint)

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The diner that Danny and Derek go to get breakfast at before Danny goes to school in the morning is the same diner that is used in The Big Lebowski (1998), during the infamous "toe" scene. It's located at Wilshire and Fairfax in Los Angeles and is called Johnie's Coffee Shop and is only open for filming.

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Goofs

When the family is fighting around the dinner table and it gets so bad that everybody is standing and yelling at each other, Derek's mom pulls on his shirt, opening up several snaps or buttons. When the scene is ending, Derek opens up his shirt by pulling it open quickly, but all of the buttons or snaps are closed again for this effect.

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Quotes

Derek Vinyard: Every night, thousands of these parasites stream across the border like some fuckin' piñata exploded.
[the skinheads laugh]
Derek Vinyard: Don't laugh! There's nothin' funny goin' on here!
[the skinheads immediately quiet down]

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Alternate Versions

The version released with the certificate 'UA' (Certificate #VFL/VV/2/19/2009-MUM) in the city of Mumbai, India, had the violence cut by 50%.

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Connections

Referenced in 2nd Annual Mystery Science Theater 3000 Summer Blockbuster Review (1998)

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Soundtracks

The White Man Marches On
by Johnny Rebel
[To the tune of Battle Hymn of the Republic.]

User Reviews

Controversial, yet very amazing & moving film

When I first heard of "American History X," I thought it was going to be "just another movie." Man, was I wrong! The first time I watched it, I sat there as it ended, and I was just completely in a state of shock. This movie, more than any other movie I had seen on the subject of racism, really made me think twice about how I treated people of a different race. The way that Derek Vinyard's family was almost completely split apart and destroyed due to his racist beliefs should be a wake-up call to those people who have any racist beliefs whatsoever. I believe that this movie was a whole lot more than just a ground-breaking, controversial drama; it was a portrayal of exactly how much damage can be done to a family and a nation simply because of the hate for a person or people of a different color, for almost no reason at all. The Bible says that "God created man in his own image." It also says to, "Love your neighbor as yourself," which, right there, implies that racism is not something people should even consider. I wouldn't recommend that anyone under the age of 16 see this movie due to its graphic content and language; however, I believe that everyone who is over the age of 16, should see this movie at least once. This way, more people will get a chance to see the true consequences of racism, and how it can easily tear apart a family.