A History of Violence

A History of Violence (2005) is an action thriller directed by David Cronenberg, adapted from the 1997 DC graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke . Viggo Mortensen stars as Tom Stall, a small-town diner owner who kills two robbers in self-defense, becoming a local hero. This brings scarred gangster Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris), who identifies Tom as former Philadelphia hitman Joey Cusack. William Hurt received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor as Tom's mob-boss brother .