CINEXA

A History of Violence

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? Use this page to compare cast context, genre fit (Action, Crime, Drama), release year 2005, and whether this film matches tonight's mood.

A History of Violence poster on CINEXA

Story of A History of Violence

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?

Use this page to compare cast context, genre fit (Action, Crime, Drama), release year 2005, and whether this film matches tonight's mood.

Title facts

  • Type Movie
  • Release year 2005
  • Released 30 Sep 2005
  • Runtime 96 minutes
  • Content rating R
  • IMDb rating IMDb 7.4/10 from 271,336 votes
  • Metascore 82/100
  • Genres Action, Crime, Drama
  • Languages English
  • Countries United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany

Cast

Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris

Direction and writing

Directed by: David Cronenberg

Written by: John Wagner, Vince Locke, Josh Olson

Awards and recognition

Nominated for 2 Oscars. 37 wins & 84 nominations total

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