A History of Violence

< Previous Trailer  |   Add to My Scrapbook  |   Next Trailer >
A History of Violence

68% Liked It
liked it

A History of Violence

Ashton Holmes, Ed Harris, Greg Bryk, Heidi Hayes, Kyle Schmid

Tom Stall is living 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 vici...( read more  read more... )ous 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's 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 relationships and the divisive issues which surface as a result.

Id: 10893252

Do you want to see this movie?

My Friends Said...

A History of Violence Recent Reviews

Register or sign-in to see your friends' reviews !

Recent Reviews

A History of Violence Recent Reviews
  • SirPant
    September 23, 2009
    SirPant
    Am I missing something here? This is one of the most overrated films ever! William Hurt is crap in this!!! Why does everyone praise him so much, why was he nominated for an Oscar? Did I see the same film? This is not the Cronenburg I love! This is a very average film made worse b...( read more)y the talent that created it.
  • stopitgoaway
    June 12, 2009
    stopitgoaway
    This is, like all Cronenberg's work, a mythic movie. It occupies the world of "monsters" that Tom Stall's daughter dreams about at the start. It's as if we get to see the little girl's nightmare as the film unfolds. It's because of this poetic, super-real quality that criticisms ...( read more)from the "this isn't real life" brigade have no relevance. The screenplay is exceptionally tight and well-woven - no image is wasted. The subplot of the son's troubles with a school bully parallels the main plot. The very existence of the son is there to show the inheritance - the history - of violence. The sex scenes are there to show the proximity of lust and violence. The end can be nothing other than what it is: as someone else on IMDb has commented, the genie is out of the bottle. This is true for the family in the film, the society we see surrounding the family, and it's true for our families and our society. It's about the inexhaustible rage of humans. It couldn't be more relevant, it couldn't be more timeless. It is well acted and beautifully photographed. I have some minor reservations - did we really need so much of Howard Shore's music? - but on the whole I think this is a a superb film. Not for the kiddies, however.
  • MovieGeek13
    March 19, 2009
    MovieGeek13
    On the surface, it seems like an ordinary thriller. But once you think about it, you realize it's an incredible reflection on violence and the destruction of our humanity.
  • limoradalloway
    March 5, 2009
    limoradalloway
    Whoa! This movie is surprising and yet, there was a tinge of "actoring" that it could never fully shake off. I guess maybe it added to the theatricality of it where the brutality added to the meatiness of it.
  • KhrisP
    February 22, 2009
    KhrisP
    I couldn't believe why I havn't seen this earlier. Its a great piece of film making. I decided to watch this first, and Im still undecided on the Mortensen and Cronenberg pairing, but I think Eastern Promises might lay the doubts to rest, the trailer giving a good preview, that I...( read more) went out and bought this DVD. I mean, Mortensen was nominated for Best Actor for 2007 Oscars, but the movie itself did collect a swag of awards. So best to to watch the movie where this partnership began.



    Im not disappointed, and glad Cronenberg didn't drag this movie out, the beginning was slow. It did pick up pace after the introduction, which did lay the foundation of Mortensen's family man image, though I wasn't expecting the hardcore violence - yeah I know what the title says, but yeah it was graphic enough to keep you interested... plus the mystery of figuring out the truth until the pivotal moment when it is revealed.

    Cronenberg's is very interested in the psychological side of things... plus obviously he has a penchant for blood and gore, and creating a dark aura or environment which plays on the character's emotions and fears. I guess what we need to know is that Cronenberg's movies really bring out the basic human instincts, which are anger, hate, fear and bloodlust... its quite obvious in this flick.


    Other than that, its simple yet genuine in a way that it doesnt try too hard, but the movie walks on its own path, the actors and crew laying the foundations which support it, a great example of teamwork on a movie.


    Loved Ed Harris and William Hurt, hated it when Harris made an early exit, but whaddya gonna do?? ^___^"
  • nickellcolinj
    December 21, 2009
    nickellcolinj
    An extremely deep film that is so masterfully made by David Cronenberg. We enter a universe of violence in the very beginning that is instantly woven into a poetic metaphor about monsters. "They're shadow monsters? When you turn the lights on they go away." says Jack Stall to his...( read more) little sister she was woken up in the middle of the night by a bad dream about monsters. We then journey into the simple life of her father Tom Stall, an honest hardworking owner of a diner. The world is very cliche and typical, it's almost too good to be true, their problems are the same as most families and they seem to be very happy amongst themselves. The commentary on the Stall's normal life is almost a satirical narrative, poking fun on at young familes. But this paradise is lost as soon as trouble is found at Tom Stall's diner and a heroic move costs him everything. The film has crisp brutal action that is inventive and creative. The film as a thriller reminds me of old school Hitchcock with it's constant notion that we can always doubt the sincerity and honesty of human beings. This cute little noir packs a wallop with a killer cast led by Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello and the unforgettable William Hurt.
  • ashervh
    December 19, 2009
    ashervh
    Go but a little slow.
  • FanboyMatt
    December 18, 2009
    FanboyMatt
    A decent violent film from Viggo which is about a man who is brought back into his violent life as an ex hitman
  • tacmovies
    December 17, 2009
    tacmovies
    Aragorn isn't bad with a gun!

    Story: The story is probably the worst part of this movie. Without summarizing the plot and keeping spoilers to a minimum, if the cops in Indiana and the cops in Philadelphia were to compare notebooks, it would be very easy to identify the kille...( read more)r at the end of this movie. Also, Viggo manages to overcome the odds so many times that it wouldn't surprise me if he were to also win the next week's powerball after the end of the movie, and William Hurt's character even points this out when he has the infamous line to his mooks, ?How do you f-ck that up?? Some of the characters are written to be supershallow, such as the two killers at the beginning of the movie and the high school bully. That said, there enough story to keep this movie afloat. I wouldn't have minded a little more, but it gets the job done... but, then again, this movie was nominated for an Oscar for best writing of an adapted screenplay in 2006, so what do I know? C

    Acting: There are a lot of great actors in this movie, but I'm going to skip to the Sheriff who is played by the great Peter MacNeill. What? You don't know who Peter MacNeill is? Well, I'm not surprised. He played Hawk on Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, probably my favorite TV show growing up, even if it only went one season. I want more work for Peter! Anyhow, Maria Bello was amazing(ly hot in that cheerleader outfit) in this movie, Ed Harris isn't on screen very long but leaves a major mark, William Hurt got an Oscar nomination and I support that one, and Ashton Holmes has some of the best facials in this movie I've ever seen. The scene where Maria Bello gets out the shotgun and Viggo runs home and bursts through the door was made by Ashton Holmes reaction as their son, sitting eating his cereal, confused beyond reason about what's going on. I loved that scene, and I think Ashton's reaction could make any scene in any movie funny.

    Enough about the supporting characters: How does Viggo do? Well, that's a difficult question to answer. [SPOILER ALERT IS OFFICALLY SET TO FUSIA] I didn't find his portrayal of Tom Stall to be all that convincing, but I almost think they did that on purpose because he's not really Tom Stall. I believed him as the action hero, even in the most implausible circumstances (except when William Hurt shot at him at point blank range three times and somehow managed to miss... Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy, it's the only explanation!) and I believed him when he became Joey again. So, him playing Tom a little fake isn't necessarily a bad thing, and may have been a deliberate thing. [SPOILERS ALERT IS NOW LIFTEDED]

    All in all, the acting gets an A!

    Direction: The first shot in this movie is almost two minutes long... and it's beautiful. The cinematography in this movie is beautiful. The editing is beautiful. It creates such a brooding mood and it completely sucks you into the movie. The action sequences are over very quickly, but they're good and powerful enough that they'll be the strongest memory that you have of this movie. I also love the way that this movie uses the way the characters have sex to show the differences in their personalities. Cronenberg is one of the best directors working today, and this is one of my favorite performances of his. A

    Visuals: The line between direction and visuals is always a bit ambiguous, (I only break them up because Yahoo! movies makes me assign each one a letter grade and I can't give a grade with no explanation why it's there or it becomes meaningless) and it's even more difficult to define with Cronenberg because his strong visuals are so rooted in his style, so I'm using visuals to describe the special effects in this movie. Specifically, the blood. There's lots of it. It's disgusting and yet stylized in an oddly beautiful sort of way. I know the fight sequence with the coffee carafe was done using chroma keying and the results are spectacular. The bullet entry and exit wounds are some of the most realistic I've ever seen. Also, the contrast between the simple country house that the Stall's live in and the elegant mansion in Philadelphia really does an effective job of characterizing the inhabitants for us, but also make Philadelphia and Indiana seem like completely different worlds. The visuals also get an A.

    Overall: I really liked this movie. It's not for everyone, particularly if excessive amounts of blood or on screen sex of any kind at all offend you. I can't see a broadcast television clean cut of this movie ever being made that doesn't completely neuter the effect of this movie. It needs the violence and the sex to work, so again, if you don't like those things then you shouldn't watch this movie, although if you are into expanding your point of view then I think maybe you should watch this one anyway because this movie makes a great case for why blood and sex should not be taken away from filmmakers on the grounds that it would negatively affect their art. To everyone else out there, see this movie! All around, I have to give this one a B. It would have been an A if the storyline had been stronger, but it's still a damn good movie. It's well worth your money.


    Tacmovies: We're not failed film students who bitterly criticize successful movies... really... sniffle... so, um... yeah, ahem: Follow our reviews on blogspot, myspace, flixter, amazon, imdb, yahoo movies, and youtube.
  • gordws
    December 13, 2009
    gordws
    This is decent thriller with jarring violent scenes and a classic Cronenberg twist. However, I feel the story zigged where it should have zagged. Not bad overall.
View All Reviews

Opening This Week

Top Box Office

Upcoming Movies

New on DVD