A History of Violence

20052005
RR
1h 36m

Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello in A History of Violence (2005)

Home Video Trailer from New Line Cinema

Play trailer2:26

Crime Drama Thriller

A mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core.A mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core.A mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core.

Director
- David Cronenberg
Writers
- John Wagner(graphic novel)
- Vince Locke(graphic novel)
- Josh Olson(screenplay)
Stars

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 37 wins & 84 nominations total

Videos3

A History of Violence

A History of Violence

A History of Violence

A History of Violence

A History of Violence

A History of Violence

Ed Harris in A History of Violence (2005)

Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello in A History of Violence (2005)

William Hurt in A History of Violence (2005)

Maria Bello in A History of Violence (2005)

Maria Bello in A History of Violence (2005)

Maria Bello in A History of Violence (2005)

Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello in A History of Violence (2005)

David Cronenberg in A History of Violence (2005)

David Cronenberg, Viggo Mortensen, and Maria Bello in A History of Violence (2005)

David Cronenberg in A History of Violence (2005)

David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen in A History of Violence (2005)

Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello at an event for A History of Violence (2005)

Leading a happy and quiet life with his lawyer wife and their two children in the small town of Millbrook, Indiana, mild-mannered Tom Stall cherishes his simple, uneventful existence. However, their idyllic lifestyle is shattered when, one night, Tom saves his customers and friends in self-defence, foiling a vicious attempted robbery in his diner by two violent wanted criminals. Now, heralded as a local hero, Tom's life is changed overnight, attracting unwanted attention, and a national media feeding frenzy. Uncomfortable with his newfound celebrity, Tom tries to return to normalcy, only to find himself confronted by a mysterious man who arrives in town believing Tom is the man who wronged him in the past. More and more, as Tom and his family struggle to cope with their new reality and this case of mistaken identity, they have no other choice but to fight back and protect all that they hold dear. But, is there more to Tom than meets the eye? Does he have, indeed, a history of violence? —Nick Riganas

robbery small town cafe mobster attempted robbery small town 270 more

Taglines
- Everyone has something to hide.
Genres
Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated R for strong brutal violence, graphic sexuality, nudity, language and some drug use
Parents guide

Trivia
During an interview, Viggo Mortensen stated that during the shooting of the first bar scene with Ed Harris he could not stop laughing, and as a result, the scene had to be re-shot several times. Due to Viggo Mortensen's behavior, Ed Harris completed the scene without pants; he only wore his underwear, yet this cannot be seen as the bar table impedes our view. Thus, Viggo Mortensen had to act seriously while Ed Harris was not wearing any pants, and this is the scene that is used in the movie.

Goofs
In the high school softball game, the bully comes up to the plate carrying a wooden bat, but the sound heard when he hits the ball is the sound of an aluminum bat.

Quotes
[last lines]
Richie Cusack: [Joey holds a gun to Richie's head] Jesus, Joey.
Tom Stall: [as Joey shoots Richie in the head, then stands over his dead body] Jesus, Richie.

Alternate versions
There are some minute differences between the US and the International version when it comes to some of the violent scenes:
Fogarty's thug, who gets his nose smashed into his skull has more blood spurt out in the International version in the shot where he is dying on the ground.
When Joey stomps on Richie's thug's throat, he spits blood (instead of it 'welling up') and the sound effect of the neck breaking is louder. Both shots last the same length of time and use the same take, the amount of blood was simply toned down digitally for the MPAA. Most video versions outside the U.S. use the 'international version' but the shots appear in the supplements on the U.S. DVD (In the featurette titled 'Violence's History', Cronenberg shows the U.S. and international cut scenes side by side and explains the reason why there wasn't a standard 'unrated' version in the U.S. was because the changes were so small).

Connections
Featured in HBO First Look: A History of Violence (2005)

Soundtracks
Life of a Fool
Written by Paul Burch
Performed by Paul Burch
Courtesy of Bloodshot Records

Top review

10/10

Cronenberg hits a deep nerve brilliantly

I expected bloody senselessness and instead saw a film laden with the deepest human emotions. It was real. From youthful loving to hard violence, from simple innocent joys to the full depth of adult violence and sex, and ultimate redemption, this film has it all. Every piece of clothing and set, every camera angle and lighting propelled the story relentlessly. I was never bored, and never overwhelmed with overdone violence. Nothing was gratuitous. Viggo Mortensen proved he's one of the finest actors to come along in a long while. Maria Bello carries so much on her talented shoulders. With Mortensen she shines with alternately warming and heartbreaking truthfulness. Ed Harris was delightfully menacing, and William Hurt gave the liveliest and best performance I've seen from him.

This movie is about truth and redemption. It's the best film I've seen in a very long time. Kudos to Cronenberg, Mortensen, Bello, and all the cast and crew for what was for me a nearly perfect movie.

See it, then see it again. It's brilliant.

helpful•436

221

BJ Galler-Smith
Sep 29, 2005

Release date
- September 30, 2005 (United States)
Countries of origin
- United States
- Canada
Official site
- Official Facebook
Language
- English
Also known as
- Quá Khứ Tội Ác
Filming locations
- Millbrook, Ontario, Canada
Production companies
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Budget
- $32,000,000 (estimated)
Gross US & Canada
- $31,504,633
Opening weekend US & Canada
- $364,000
- Sep 25, 2005
Gross worldwide
- $61,385,065

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
1 hour 36 minutes
Color
- Color
Sound mix
Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1

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Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello in A History of Violence (2005)

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