A History of Violence Plot

A History of Violence is a 2005 film, directed by David Cronenberg. It is based on a graphic novel (A History of Violence) by John Wagner. It stars Viggo Mortensen as the owner of a diner who is thrust into the spotlight after killing somebody in self-defence. The film was put into limited release on September 23, 2005 in the United States, and later went into wide-release September 30, 2005.

Tom Stall is a restaurant owner, living with his wife Edie, his son Jack, and his little daughter in the small town of Millbrook, Indiana. He becomes a local hero after defending himself and others in an attempted robbery, killing the robbers. When his story receives national attention, several members of the Philadelphia Mafia arrive in town, believing him to be someone named Joey who crossed them 20 years ago. This endangers the whole family.

Jack has always avoided fighting when bullied at school, but now attacks his tormentors. Then he is kidnapped by the mobsters, but freed in exchange for his father. Jack saves Tom's life by killing a mobster who is about to kill Tom. Tom now admits to Edie and Jack that he is Joey, and was a killer. They are upset and angry, but when the sheriff visits and asks if there was anything to what the mobsters said, Edie defends Tom, saying the sheriff should stop imagining things.

Now Joey's brother Richie, who is also a mobster, demands that Tom/Joey visit him in Philadelphia. There Richie orders one of his men to kill Joey, but Joey turns the tables and kills Richie and his men.

The film ends with Tom/Joey returning to his family, where he receives a weak welcome in a tense atmosphere.

Though the story seems to remain intact for the most part, several changes are present. In the film version, the protagonist's name at the beginning is Tom Stall instead of Tom McKenna, Ed Harris's character is named Carl Fogarty, instead of John Torrino, and Tom's son is named Jack instead of Buzz. The film also includes sex scenes not present in the graphic novels. The film depicts Ritchie as being Tom's brother, while in the book they are merely childhood friends. In the book, Ritchie is captured by mobsters and mutilated - his limbs cut off and eye taken out. In an act of mercy, Tom shoots him. The town in the film is "Millbrook, Indiana" while in the comic it is in Michigan. The mobsters are from Philadelphia in the movie while in the comic they are from Brooklyn, New York City.

According to the German press kit, David Cronenberg and screenwriter Josh Olson changed the names because Cronenberg didn't want people to think of the Mafia too early.