Rating: R
Genre:
Thriller
Theatrical Release: 09/23/2005(USA
Release Date: 02/10/2009
Run Time: 96 Minutes
Flags: Graphic Violence, Nudity, Adult Situations, Strong Sexual Content, Not For Children, Profanity, Drug Content
Distributor/Studio: New Line Home Video
David Cronenberg directed this screen adaptation of a graphic novel by
John Wagner and
Vince Locke which explores how an act of heroism unexpectedly changes a man's life.
Tom Stall (
Viggo Mortensen) lives a quiet life in a small Indiana town, running the local diner with his wife,
Edie (
Maria Bello), and raising their two children. But the quiet is shattered one day when a pair of criminals on the run from the police walk into his diner just before closing time. After they attack one of the customers and seem ready to kill several of the people inside,
Tom jumps to the fore, grabbing a gun from one of the criminals and killing the invaders.
Tom is immediately hailed as a hero by his employees and the community at large, but
Tom seems less than comfortable with his new notoriety. One day, a man with severe facial scars,
Carl Fogarty (
Ed Harris), sits down at the counter and begins addressing
Tom as
Joey, and begins asking him questions about the old days in Philadelphia. While
Tom seems puzzled,
Carl's actions suggest that the quiet man pouring coffee at the diner may have a dark and violent past he isn't eager to share with others -- as well as some old scores that haven't been settled.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
