American History X (1998)

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Director:

Tony Kaye

Writer (WGA):

David McKenna (written by)

Release Date:

30 October 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

His father taught him to hate. His friends taught him rage. His enemies gave him hope.

Plot:

A former neo-nazi skinhead tries to prevent his younger brother from going down the same wrong path that he did.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Neo Nazi | Hatred | Skinhead | Murder

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Edward Norton	...	Derek Vinyard
Edward Furlong	...	Danny Vinyard
Beverly D'Angelo	...	Doris Vinyard
Avery Brooks	...	Dr. Bob Sweeney
Jennifer Lien	...	Davina Vinyard
Ethan Suplee	...	Seth Ryan
Stacy Keach	...	Cameron Alexander
Fairuza Balk	...	Stacey
Elliott Gould	...	Murray
Guy Torry	...	Lamont
William Russ	...	Dennis Vinyard
Joseph Cortese	...	Rasmussen (as Joe Cortese)
Jason Bose Smith	...	Little Henry (as Jason Bose-Smith)
Antonio David Lyons	...	Lawrence
Alex Sol	...	Mitch McCormick

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic brutal violence including rape, pervasive language, strong sexuality and nudity.

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Spain:13 | Australia:MA | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:14 | Denmark:15 | Argentina:16 | Belgium:KNT | Chile:18 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Israel:18 | Italy:VM18 | Japan:PG-12 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:R21 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R | Greece:K-17

Filming Locations:

Johnie's Coffee Shop - 6101 Wilshire Boulevard, Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

According to the book Cinematic Century, Tony Kaye's lawsuit against the studio over the use of his name in the credits was for $275 million.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the beginning of the film, when Derek runs out of the house and finishes shooting at the black thief stealing his father's truck, in slow motion he turns around facing the camera, with the gun still in the same hand he was using to fire it. Later on in the movie, when this scene is replayed from a different shot, he turns around and puts the gun in his other hand.

Quotes:

Danny Vinyard: I believe in death, destruction, chaos, filth, and greed.

Movie Connections:

References An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

Soundtrack:

Battle Hymn of the Republic

This is a fantastic movie....

This is a fantastic movie because no matter what side you're on in life, this movie shows them all, good and bad, right or wrong. I also agree with the point in the movie that proves that people can change for the better and straighten things out in their head to do the right things in life. Yes, things in our world have changed, some for the good, some for the bad, but just because you might not agree with some of it, doesn't mean you can play God and try to make things "your way" and this shows exactly what happens when you try. This movie talks about all walks of life and the struggles we all have in what beliefs are right and wrong. Yes this movie is brutal and violent, but also truthful to the past and unfortunately still sometimes the present. This movie is about race, but not only 1 race is singled out and fed to the dogs, they all are. So, go into this movie with an open mind and your mind will come out full.