A History of Violence - movie reviews and information

'A History of Violence': Intimate insights into violence
by Steve Murray

When little Sarah Stall (Heidi Hayes) wakes up screaming from a nightmare, her mother, father and big brother all crowd around her bed, showing her there aren't any monsters in her room. Of course there aren't: They're still on the road, driving toward tiny Millbrook, Ind., about to change this family's lives forever. Directed by Canadian creep-master David Cronenberg ("The Fly," "Dead Ringers"), "A History of Violence" sets up idealized, Norman Rockwell-ish images of family, then knocks them down. It makes us question our bedrock ideas about home, hearth and the true identity of people we believe we know better than anyone else. Read the full review

TO SUM UP
An Indiana family's lives are forever changed when a father (Viggo Mortensen) thwarts an attempted robbery at the diner he owns. A national media circus makes him a reluctant hero — and attracts the attention of a mysterious and threatening man (Ed Harris) who believes he is someone else.

FILM FACTS ...

New Line Cinema

'A History of Violence'

Director: David Cronenberg
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Ashton Holmes
Run time: 96 minutes
Release date: September 23, 2005
Rating: R for strong brutal violence, graphic sexuality, nudity, language and some drug use.
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On the web
Official movie site
View the trailer
Trailers require Quicktime

READ THE REVIEW

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: A-
"... a model of clean, lean storytelling."

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Austin American-Statesman: 3 of 5 stars
"... goes beyond a meditation on violence begetting violence, but explores deception, the inescapability of the past, animals' native violence and the essential duality of humans."

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Middletown Journal: A
"Cronenberg remains unblinking, not only at the brutal violence, but at its after-effects. A number of painful scenes play out in long takes, as the director refuses to direct our eyes away from the consequences."