A History of Violence Movie Cast, Plot and Everything to Know

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

Amy Renner

Last modified: Dec. 20, 2008

A History of Violence

Release Date: Friday, September 30, 2005

Director: David Cronenberg

Starring: Viggo Mortensen • Ed Harris • Maria Bello • William Hurt • Ashton Holmes

R Crime 1 hr, 35 m

3.4 / 5.0

22% WILL SEE 78% WON'T SEE

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Plot – What's the story about?

Plot: Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is living a happy and quiet life with his lawyer wife (Maria Bello) 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 (Ed Harris) 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.

Crime Drama Gangster

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Who stars in A History of Violence – Cast List

Viggo Mortensen
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers Extended Edition
Ed Harris
How To Make A Killing, Top Gun: Maverick
Maria Bello
Better Start Swimming, Prisoners
W
William Hurt
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her, Captain America: Civil War
A
Ashton Holmes
The Peaceful Warrior, Cold Turkey
S
Sumela Kay

Who is making A History of Violence – Crew List

A look at A History of Violence behind-the-scenes crew and production team. The film's director David Cronenberg last helmed The Shrouds and Crimes of the Future. The film's writer Josh Olson last penned Trigger Warning and Jack Reacher.

Director: David Cronenberg
Screenwriter: Josh Olson
Producers: Chris Bender
Josh Braun
Roger Kass
JC Spink

Studios: New Line Cinema
Production Company: Benderspink

Production – What we know about the A History of Violence

Movie Filming Timeline: Production Status Updates

Dec 2004

Completed

Changed A History of Violence movie production status. The movie is ready for release.

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Additional Information

Parent Rating: R Restricted for strong brutal violence, graphic sexuality, nudity, language, and some drug use
Runtime: 1 hr, 35 m
Tagline: Tom had the perfect life, until he became a hero.
Also known as: Not available
Language: English

A History of Violence Trailers and Clips

No trailers are currently available.

A History of Violence Release Date: When was the film released?

A History of Violence was released in on Friday, September 30 , 2005. There were eight other movies released on the same date, including Into the Blue, Little Manhattan and MirrorMask.