A History of Violence
Synopsis
Leading a happy and quiet life with his lawyer wife and their two children in the small town of Millbrook, Indiana, mild-mannered Tom Stall cherishes his simple, uneventful existence. However, their idyllic lifestyle is shattered when, one night, Tom saves his customers and friends in self-defence, foiling a vicious attempted robbery in his diner by two violent wanted criminals. Now, heralded as a local hero, Tom's life is changed overnight, attracting unwanted attention, and a national media feeding frenzy. Uncomfortable with his newfound celebrity, Tom tries to return to normalcy, only to find himself confronted by a mysterious man who arrives in town believing Tom is the man who wronged him in the past. More and more, as Tom and his family struggle to cope with their new reality and this case of mistaken identity, they have no other choice but to fight back and protect all that they hold dear. But, is there more to Tom than meets the eye? Does he have, indeed, a history of violence?
Production Budget Analysis
What was the production budget for A History of Violence?
Directed by David Cronenberg, with Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris leading the cast, A History of Violence was produced by New Line Cinema with a confirmed budget of $32,000,000, placing it in the low-budget category for drama films.
With a $32,000,000 budget, A History of Violence sits in the mid-range of studio releases. Marketing costs for a wide release at this level typically add $30–60 million, putting the break-even point near $80,000,000.
Budget Comparison — Similar Productions
• Alive (1993): Budget $32,000,000 | Gross $36,700,000 → ROI: 15% • Apocalypse Now (1979): Budget $31,500,000 | Gross $150,000,000 → ROI: 376% • 21 Bridges (2019): Budget $33,000,000 | Gross $49,900,000 → ROI: 51% • Arachnophobia (1990): Budget $31,000,000 | Gross $53,200,000 → ROI: 72% • A Hologram for the King (2016): Budget $30,000,000 | Gross $9,169,507 → ROI: -69%
Key Budget Allocation Categories
▸ Above-the-Line Talent Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances. Securing award-caliber actors and experienced directors represents the single largest budget line item, often consuming 30–40% of the total production budget.
▸ Location Filming & Period Production Design Authentic locations — whether contemporary or historical — require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period. Period dramas add the cost of era-accurate props, vehicles, and set decoration.
▸ Post-Production, Color Grading & Score The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone. Color grading, a nuanced musical score, and detailed sound mixing are critical to achieving the emotional resonance that defines the genre.
Key Production Personnel
CAST: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Ashton Holmes Key roles: Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall / Joey Cusack; Maria Bello as Edie Stall; Ed Harris as Carl Fogarty; William Hurt as Richie Cusack
DIRECTOR: David Cronenberg CINEMATOGRAPHY: Peter Suschitzky MUSIC: Howard Shore EDITING: Ronald Sanders PRODUCTION: New Line Cinema, BenderSpink, Media I! Filmproduktion München & Company FILMED IN: Germany, United States of America
Box Office Performance
A History of Violence earned $31,504,633 domestically and $29,973,164 internationally, for a worldwide total of $61,477,797. Revenue was split 51% domestic / 49% international.
Break-Even Analysis
Using the industry-standard 2.5x multiplier (P&A + exhibitor shares of 40–50% + distribution fees), A History of Violence needed approximately $80,000,000 to break even. The film fell $18,522,203 short in theatrical revenue. Ancillary streams (home media, streaming, TV) may have bridged the gap.
Return on Investment (ROI)
Revenue: $61,477,797 Budget: $32,000,000 Net: $29,477,797 ROI: 92.1%
Profitability Assessment
VERDICT: Modestly Profitable
A History of Violence earned $61,477,797 against a $32,000,000 budget (92% ROI). Full profitability was likely achieved through ancillary revenue streams.
INDUSTRY IMPACT
PRODUCTION NOTES
▸ Production
The film is loosely based on the original graphic novel. Screenwriter Josh Olson intended from the beginning to use the original story as a springboard to explore the themes that interested him.
Mortensen read Olson's original version of the script and "was quite disappointed. It was 120-odd pages of just mayhem; kind of senseless, really." He only agreed to do the movie after meeting with Cronenberg, who (according to Mortensen) reworked the script.
Most of the film was shot in Millbrook, Ontario. The shopping centre scene was shot in Tottenham, Ontario, and the climactic scene was shot at the historic Eaton Hall Mansion, located in King City, Ontario. Harrison Ford turned down the role of Tom Stall. Cronenberg stated that "I think it took three weeks to edit".
▸ Music & Score
The soundtrack to A History of Violence was released on October 11, 2005. The score was composed by Howard Shore.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Summary: Nominated for 2 Oscars. 37 wins & 84 nominations total
Awards Won: ★ National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Nominations: ○ Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (78th Academy Awards) ○ Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (78th Academy Awards)
Additional Recognition: !scope="col"| Award !scope="col"| Category !scope="col"| Nominee(s) !scope="col"| Result
CRITICAL RECEPTION
Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.
Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers gave the film four stars, highlighting its "explosive power and subversive wit", and lauded David Cronenberg as a "world-class director, at the top of his startlingly creative form". Entertainment Weekly reviewer Lisa Schwarzbaum gave the film an A, concluding that "David Cronenberg's brilliant movie" was "without a doubt one of the very best of the year".
Manohla Dargis of The New York Times called the film a "mindblower", and noted Cronenberg's "refusal to let us indulge in movie violence without paying a price". Roger Ebert also gave the film a positive review, observing, "A History of Violence seems deceptively straightforward, coming from a director with Cronenberg's quirky complexity, but think again. This is not a movie about plot, but about character." He gave it three and a half out of four stars.
It was ranked the best film of 2005 in the Village Voice Film Poll.
In December 2005, it was named to the Toronto International Film Festival's annual Canada's top-ten list of the year's best Canadian films.
BBC film critic Mark Kermode named the film the best of 2005.
Budget Templates
Build your own production budget
Create professional budgets with industry-standard feature film templates. Real-time collaboration, no spreadsheets.
Start Budgeting Free
