David Cronenberg, the man behind all kinds of horror and psychological thrillers, released “A History of Violence” in 2005, starring Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello. Based on a book of the same name by John Wagner, this Cronenberg film ended up being one of the best films of the 2000s.
A History of Violence centers on Tom Stall, a humble family man who operates a small but cozy diner in the middle of the town. Living in Indiana with his lawyer wife, Edie, and two kids, Jack and Sarah, Tom had everything he could ask for and more.
Things take a different turn for the Stall family after Tom’s diner is attacked by two killers, and he ends up shooting them in defense.
Now a local hero, Tom does anything to remain away from the cameras and journalists. While this makes him look like a shy hero, Tom has a darker reason for staying away from fame.
Besides Viggo Mortensen in the role of Tom Stall, the cast of A History of Violence consists of Maria Bello as Edie, Ed Harries Play Carl Fogarty, William Hurt plays Richie, Ashston Holmes plays Jack, and Peter MacNeill plays the role of Sheriff Sam Carney.
A History Of Violence: What Happens In The Film?
Tom Stall, a complete family man, goes to his diner as usual without knowing what kind of tragedy would take place there in just a few hours.
Edie and Tom had the perfect marriage, where they gave each other time despite working most of the day. Their kids, Jack and Sarah, had a good relationship to look up to growing up.
Tom’s diner is visited by two strange men, who start hitting a waitress and pull out a gun. In a matter of a few seconds, Tom takes the gun from the bad guy’s hand and shoots both of them. Saving the lives of many locals, Tom becomes a legend overnight.
Journalists and fans crowd around him, even going to his house for an interview. A few days after the brutal attack, Tom’s visited by a man named Fogarty, who claims that Tom is Joey and has been hiding his true identity.
Tom is confused and tries to convince him that he isn’t the one Fogarty’s looking for. Fogarty knows he’s got the right man, and keeps following Tom and his family wherever he goes. Eventually, Fogarty kidnaps Jack, and forces Tom to come with him.
Stall’s alter ego, or the past he had left behind, comes back onto the surface, and he ends up killing all of Fogarty’s men in an instant.
Edie watches from the window, now convinced that Tom might be Joey Cusack. Edie and Tom’s relationship becomes strained, with her avoiding him and not trusting whatever he says anymore.
The Sheriff tries to find out if Tom’s hiding the fact that he is Richie Cusack’s brother, but Edie and Tom just tell him to leave as they’re already very stressed. Richie was a big mobster and head of a crime syndicate. A mysterious man later asks Tom to come with him to meet his brother.
Ending Explained
After all of the mess, Tom knew that hiding his identity was going to get harder, so he just accepted the man’s request and left for his brother Richie’s home.
There, he sees that Richie has made himself a wealthy man and is glad to see Tom be a great killer just like he was when he lived in Philadelphia with him.
Richie claims that Tom/Joey ruined his life by leaving Philadelphia, so he asks his men to kill Tom to end the chaos. Tom kills all of the men in brutal ways and eventually kills Richie too.
Later, Tom returns to his house, where Edie, Jack, and Sarah are silently having dinner. Tom just sits down and Sarah gives him a plate, while Jack passes the food to him. Edie just stares at him with tearful eyes and the couple share a melancholy eye contact.
Tom had been Joey, a bloodthirsty killer back in Philadelphia, but once he met Edie, he no longer wanted to continue the risky lifestyle. Edie and Tom move to Indiana and start a new life, where Tom works at a diner. His profession and calm demeanor were the perfect disguise for a killer who had let go of his past.
His past eventually catches up to Tom, and he has no choice but to put an end to all of it so that he can go back to his normal and peaceful life with Edie and the others.
A story of Violence can be broken down into three meanings, survival of the fittest, the way man always uses violence to solve things, and Tom’s history of being a killer.
The last scene where Tom quietly joins for dinner doesn’t have any words but conveys a lot of emotion. Edie wants to go back too but feels heartbroken over the fact that Tom lied about his whole life. Jack and Sarah love their father, but to see him turn into a killer for a few minutes scared them.
Despite the hurdles, the Stall family was willing to move on and go back to their everyday humble life. A History of Violence is now available to stream on Prime Video.
