A History of Violence (2005)

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 in this action thriller.

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writers:

John Wagner (graphic novel), Vince Locke (graphic novel)

Stars:

Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 37 wins & 80 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Viggo Mortensen	...	Tom Stall
Maria Bello	...	Edie Stall
Ed Harris	...	Carl Fogarty
William Hurt	...	Richie Cusack
Ashton Holmes	...	Jack Stall
Peter MacNeill	...	Sheriff Sam Carney
Stephen McHattie	...	Leland
Greg Bryk	...	Billy
Kyle Schmid	...	Bobby Singer
Sumela Kay	...	Judy Danvers
Gerry Quigley	...	Mick
Deborah Drakeford	...	Charlotte
Heidi Hayes	...	Sarah Stall
Aidan Devine	...	Charlie Roarke
Bill MacDonald	...	Frank Mulligan

Storyline

This thrill-packed actioner follows a mild-mannered man, named Tom Stall, who becomes a local hero through an act of violence, he lives a happy and quiet life with his lawyer wife and their two children in the small town of Millbrook, Indiana. But one night their idyllic existence is shattered when Tom foils a vicious attempted robbery in his diner. Sensing danger, he takes action and saves his customers and friends in the self-defense killings of two-sought-after criminals. Heralded as a hero, Tom's life is changed overnight, attracting a national media circus, which forces him into the spotlight. Uncomfortable with his newfound celebrity, Tom tries to return to the normalcy of his ordinary life only to be confronted by a mysterious and threatening man who arrives in town believing Tom is the man who wronged him in the past. As Tom and his family fight back against this case of mistaken identity and struggle to cope with their changed reality, they are forced to confront their ...

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Plot Keywords:

robbery | small town cafe | mobster | attempted robbery | small town | 

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Taglines:

Tom Stall had the perfect life... until he became a hero.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong brutal violence, graphic sexuality, nudity, language and some drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA Germany Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

A History of Violence

Filming Locations:

Stoopy's Tavern, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$32,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$364,000, 25 September 2005

Gross USA:

$31,504,633

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$60,740,827

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, BenderSpink, Media I! Filmproduktion München & Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

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.

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Goofs

(at around 13 mins) When Carl Fogarty first shows up at Stall's Diner, he tells Tom/Joey that his name is 'Joey Dewsack' (mispronouncing 'Cusack' twice). It is most pronounced the second time he says it.

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Quotes

[first lines]
William Orser: [Leland and Billy walk out of the motel room] So we keep headin' east?
Leland Jones: Yeah, that's the idea.
William Orser: Stay out of the big cities?
Leland Jones: Uh-huh.
William Orser: I think I'm tired.
Leland Jones: [Leland smiles] Yeah. Me, too.

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Alternate Versions

Before its theatrical release in India in 2006, the film was certified A (adults only), but with cuts. Some of these including deletion of visuals showing a man's face blown off and taking off undergarment during sex were cut on the demand of the censor board, while other cuts like a lady lifting her skirt and showing her undergarment, an explicit sex scene and the sex scene on stairs, were made voluntarily by the applicant after the film's examination by the board.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movies You Didn't Know Were Based On Comic Books (2018)

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Soundtracks

Club Hoppin'
Written by Michael Foster and Darrell 'Digga' Branch
Performed by Blinky Blink
Courtesy of Spirit Music Group

User Reviews

A top notch thriller

I saw the film at the Cannes Film Festival. All I have to say is: Wow. One of the best thrillers ever. It's refreshing to watch a film in genre that's so often full of clichés. Besides being a thriller, it also a smart film about the culture of violence. How it dominates our world. One of the questions the film asks whether one can live free of violence, even the slightest. In the film violence lurks in every corner and the characters are forced to defend themselves. Definitely my favorite Cronenberg film, also his most mainstream I might add. It's a modern Western and reminds one of those great Western films. As the title indicates it's a very violent film but guess it will be toned down as usual, specially the sex scene. All the stars are in peek form and perfectly cast. William Hurt makes a comeback to better roles. He was also great in "The King". It will and should get some awards at the end of the year from critics and etc.