A History of Violence (2005) Germany
A History of Violence Image Cover
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Director:David Cronenberg
Studio:New Line Home Video
Producer:Chris Bender, Roger Kass, Josh Braun, J.C. Spink, Toby Emmerich, Justis Greene, Cale Boyter, Kent Alterman
Writer:John Wagner, Vince Locke
Rating:3.5
Rated:R
Date Added:2006-04-29
ASIN:B000E1126G
UPC:0065935221357
Awards:Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 26 wins & 28 nominations
Genre:Canada
Release:2006-03-13
IMDb:0399146
Duration:96
Picture Format:Anamorphic Widescreen
Aspect Ratio:1.85:1
Sound:Dolby Digital 5.1
Languages:English, Dolby Digital 5.1, English, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Commentary by director David Cronenberg, Unknown
Subtitles:English, Spanish
Features:Deleted scene with optional commentary by director David Cronenberg
"Violence's History: U.S. vs. International Versions" featurette
"The Unmaking of Scene 44" featurette
David Cronenberg  ...  (Director)
John Wagner, Vince Locke  ...  (Writer)
 
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
Sumela Kay  ...  Judy Danvers
Gerry Quigley  ...  Mick
Deborah Drakeford  ...  Charlotte
Heidi Hayes  ...  Sarah Stall
Aidan Devine  ...  Charlie Roarke
Bill MacDonald  ...  Frank Mulligan
Comments: Everyone has something to hide.

Summary: On the surface, David Cronenberg may seem an unlikely candidate to direct A History of Violence, but dig deeper and you'll see that he's the right man for the job. As an intellectual seeker of meaning and an avowed believer in Darwinian survival of the fittest, Cronenberg knows that the story of mild-mannered small-town diner proprietor Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is in fact a multilayered examination of inbred human behavior, beginning when Tom's skillful killing of two would-be robbers draws unwanted attention to his idyllic family life in rural Indiana. He's got a loving wife (Maria Bello) and young daughter (Heidi Hayes) who are about to learn things about Tom they hadn't suspected, and a teenage son (Ashton Holmes) who has inherited his father's most prominent survival trait, manifesting itself in ways he never expected. By the time Tom has come into contact with a scarred villain (Ed Harris) and connections that lead him to a half-crazy kingpin (William Hurt, in a spectacular cameo), Cronenberg has plumbed the dark depths of human nature so skillfully that A History of Violence stands well above the graphic novel that inspired it (indeed, Cronenberg was unaware of the source material behind Josh Olson's chilling adaptation). With hard-hitting violence that's as sudden as it is graphically authentic, this is A History of Violence that's worthy of serious study and widespread acclaim. --Jeff Shannon