June 28, 2005

North American Premiere of David Cronenberg's A History Of Violence A Gala Presentation

Toronto – A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE receives its North American premiere as a Gala Presentation at the 30th Toronto International Film Festival®. A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, the latest feature from Canadian director David Cronenberg (SPIDER), is a ruthlessly gripping and provocative thriller that delves into the lives of an ordinary family and captures the extraordinary circumstances and events that transform them. Based on the John Wagner/Vince Locke graphic novel of the same name, the film stars Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, William Hurt, Ed Harris, and Ashton Holmes.

Boldly executed yet restrained in its presentation of the devious and sinister side of crime, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE is the story of the Stalls – Tom (Viggo Mortensen) and Edie (Maria Bello), their teenage son Josh (Ashton Holmes), and little girl Sarah – a seemingly idyllic small town American family. Tom Stall, the proprietor of the town’s diner, foils a vicious attempted robbery. He becomes a reluctant media celebrity and the town sees him as a great hero. The Stalls struggle to regain a sense of normalcy in the face of their shaken reality, but all hope of returning to their old lives is shattered when a mysterious man (Ed Harris) comes to town looking for Tom.

Directed by David Cronenberg, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE is from a screenplay by Josh Olson. A Benderspink production, the film is produced by Chris Bender and JC Spink. A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE is distributed in Canada by Alliance Atlantis* Motion Picture Distribution and New Line Cinema in the USA.

Gala Presentations at Roy Thomson Hall are made possible through the sponsorship of Paramount Pictures Canada Distribution Inc., Showtime Networks Inc. and VIACOM.