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Cast

Viggo Mortensen
as Tom Stall

Maria Bello
as Edie Stall

Ed Harris
as Carl Fogarty

William Hurt
as Richie Cusack

Ashton Holmes
as Jack Stall

Peter MacNeill
as Sheriff Sam Carney

Stephen McHattie
as Leland Jones

Greg Bryk
as William Orser

Sumela Kay
as Judy Danvers

Kyle Schmid
as Bobby Jordan

Deborah Drakeford
as Charlotte

Gerry Quigley
as Mick

Heidi Hayes
as Sarah Stall

Aidan Devine
as Charlie Roarke

Bill MacDonald
as Frank Mulligan

Michelle McCree
as Jenny Wyeth

Ian Matthews
as Ruben

R.D. Reid
as Pat

Morgan Kelly
as Bobby's Buddy

Martha Reilly
as Shoe Saleswoman

Jason Barbeck
as Richie's Thug

Bruce Beaton
as Richie's Thug

Neven Pajkic
as Richie's Thug

Brendan Connor
as Local TV Reporter

Nick Antonacci
as Local TV Reporter

John Watson
as Baseball Coach

Don Allison
as TV Broadcaster

Brittany Payer
as Motel Girl

Mitch Boughs
as Kid in Diner

April Mullen
as Kid in Diner

George King
as Hospital Well-Wisher

Shawn Campbell
as Orderly

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News & Interviews for A History of Violence

Critic Reviews for A History of Violence

Audience Reviews for A History of Violence

• Sep 11, 2018

  Probably Cronenberg's most mundane work, but that's not even remotely a knock against A History of Violence. I hear tell that fans of the comic don't much like this big screen re-telling, but I've never read it, so I'm gonna go ahead and really enjoy it anyway.
  

  Gimly M Super Reviewer
• Mar 11, 2016

  A History of Violence stars Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall, a restaurant owner in small town Indiana living with his wife (Maria Bello) and two kids. Tom's life takes a turn when he stops two robbers attempting to murder his customers and steal his money. I had no prior knowledge going into this movie aside from the fact that it's on the list of YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann's "50 movies of the 2000's to see before you die." I was immediately intrigued by the opening sequence involving the two robbers, and Mortensen and family reeled me in the rest of the way. The family dynamic was effectively established, especially between Mortensen and Bello. The teenage son, played by Ashton Holmes, also played a big role, clearly developing his arc based on his father's actions. The school bully the son has to deal with was ridiculously overacted, though. I used the word "intriguing" earlier, and that's how I'd define this movie overall. Without spoiling anything, I will say that Mortensen delivers a heck of a performance with extreme contrasts in his character motives. The movie is equal parts cause and effect, my favorite aspect being the effect. There's a scene before the final act that really stands out, and, unfortunately, the movie dies down from there. William Hurt's character is introduced with under 20 minutes left of film (including credits), and his average performance garnered him an Oscar nomination for supporting actor despite having less screen time than Godzilla in the new Godzilla movie (under 7 minutes - I went back and timed it). He wasn't bad, but there wasn't enough there to justify the nomination. Overall, A History of Violence is a solid movie about family dynamics. Despite a weak ending, I enjoyed Mortensen and Bello a lot. If you enjoy solid acting and don't mind a bit of blood, give this one a watch. Final grade: B-
  Ben B Super Reviewer
• Jul 06, 2013

  A mundane and dire crime drama, A History of Violence is a poorly adapted graphic novel. The story follows a mild-mannered diner owner named Tom Stall who becomes a celebrated hero after thwarting a robbery, but his fame soon attracts a Philadelphia mob boss who suspect that he's actually a hitman named Joey Cusack. The casting is especially impressive, and includes Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, and William Hurt. However, David Cronenberg's directing doesn't work for the material; it's raw and slow-paced, with no clear focus. A History of Violence has some interesting concepts, but the execution's weak.
  Dann M Super Reviewer
• Dec 19, 2012

  Superficially it looks and plays like a common thriller but when you start digging deep onto the characters and motivates their violent acts, things start to get rather scary and unpredictable and that's the true success of one of the most straightforward Cronenberg's flick. Boosted by brilliant performances with a great balance between tender, sappy moments and truly striking violent imagery, A History of Violence is a nice change in narrative format from Cronenberg with great results that appeal to a more mainstream audiences.
  Francisco G Super Reviewer

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