A History of Violence
| A History of Violence | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | David Cronenberg |
| Produced by |
Chris Bender J. C. Spink |
| Screenplay by | Josh Olson |
| Based on |
A History of Violence by John Wagner Vince Locke |
| Starring |
Viggo Mortensen Maria Bello William Hurt Ashton Holmes Ed Harris |
| Music by | Howard Shore |
| Cinematography | Peter Suschitzky |
| Edited by | Ronald Sanders |
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Production
company |
BenderSpink
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| Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
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Release date
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Running time
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96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $32 million |
| Box office | $60.7 million |
A History of Violence is a 2005 American crime thriller film directed by David Cronenberg and written by Josh Olson. It is an adaptation of the 1997 graphic novel of the same name by John Wagner and Vince Locke. The film stars Viggo Mortensen as the owner of a small-town diner who is thrust into the spotlight after confronting two robbers in self-defense, thus changing his life forever.
The film was in the main competition for the 2005 Palme d'Or. The film was put into limited release in the United States on September 23, 2005, and wide release on September 30, 2005.
William Hurt was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, while Josh Olson was nominated for Academy Award for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay). The Los Angeles Times has called it the last major Hollywood film to be released on VHS. Mortensen himself praised it as "one of the best movies [he's] ever been in, if not the best", also declaring it was a "perfect film noir" or "close to perfect".
Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is a diner owner who lives in the small town of Millbrook, Indiana, with a loving wife Edie (Maria Bello), teenage son Jack (Ashton Holmes), and daughter Sarah. One night, two men attempt to rob the restaurant. When a waitress is threatened, Tom deftly kills both robbers with surprising skill and precision. He is hailed as a hero by his family and the townspeople, and the incident makes him a local celebrity. Tom is visited by scarred gangster Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris), who alleges that he is actually a gangster named Joey Cusack who had dealings with him in the Irish Mob in Philadelphia. Tom vehemently denies this, but Fogarty remains persistent and begins to stalk the Stall family. Under pressure from Fogarty and his newfound fame, Tom's relationships with his family become strained.
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