A History of Violence is a motion picture directed by David Cronenberg, and written by Josh Olson, based on the graphic novel of the same name by John Wagner and Vince Locke. The film was released in 2005 and features Viggo Mortensen as the owner of a diner who is thrust into the spotlight after killing two robbers in self-defense. Most of the film was shot in Millbrook, Ontario, and the final scene being shot at the historic Eaton Hall Mansion, located in King City, Ontario, Canada. The film was put into limited release in the United States on September 23, 2005 and wide-release on September 30, 2005. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for William Hurt and Best Adapted Screenplay for Josh Olson. It has the distinction of being the final major Hollywood motion picture released on VHS.

This disturbing and controversial experimental film tells the story of 28-year-old Ray Garcia, whose abusive upbringing still affects him deeply. His personal history growing up in a violent family, compounded with the barrage of violence he views on television, pushes him over the edge. In the end, he contemplates committing violent crimes himself. A History of Violence questions the power that familial and media violence has on both individuals and our culture at large. Written by Anonymous

Tom Stall, a humble family man and owner of a popular neighborhood restaurant, lives a quiet but fulfilling existence in the Midwest. One night Tom foils a crime at his place of business and, to his chagrin, is plastered all over the news for his heroics. Following this, mysterious people follow the Stalls' every move, concerning Tom more than anyone else. As this situation is confronted, more lurks out over where all these occurrences have stemmed from compromising his marriage, family relationship and the main characters' former relations in the process. Written by balboa82

In Millowbrook, Indiana, the mild Tom Stall owns a bar and has a calm life with his beloved wife Edie, his teen-aged son Jack, and his little daughter Sarah. His life turns upside-down when her kills two cold-blooded killers in his bar to protect his waitress, becoming a local hero and being shown in the front page of the local news and on TV. The mobster Carl Fogarty comes to the town, calling him Joey Cusack and telling that he was a former hit man. When Carl and his men threaten his family, Tom defends them, and violence is released in a chain reaction. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Tom Stall is a loving family man and well-respected citizen of a small Indiana town. But when two savage criminals show up at his diner, Tom is forced to take action and thwart the robbery attempt. Suddenly heralded as a hero who took the courage to stand up to crime, people look up to Tom as a man of high moral regard. But all that media attention has the likes of mobsters showing up at his doorstep, charging that Tom is someone else for whom they've been looking. Is it a case of mistaken identity, or does Tom have a history that no one knows about? Either way, someone's about to find out if there's a history of violence. Written by mystic80