Where to watch American History X (1998)
It can also be rented or bought from Amazon.
After serving time for a brutal hate crime, a former white supremacist returns home determined to break away from his violent past. He discovers that his younger brother has embraced the same ideology, forcing him to confront his influence and fight to prevent another generation from being consumed by hatred.
Cast: Edward Furlong, Edward Norton, Beverly D'Angelo, Jennifer Lien, Ethan Suplee, Fairuza Balk, Avery Brooks, Elliott Gould, Stacy Keach, William Russ, Guy Torry, Joe Cortese
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Trivia & production notes
- Screenwriter David McKenna sold the screenplay to New Line Cinema at age 26, drawing inspiration from the punk-rock scene of his childhood where he witnessed violent behavior.
- To write authentic characters, McKenna interviewed and observed actual skinheads during the writing process.
- Director Tony Kaye made his feature film directorial debut on American History X after Dennis Hopper and Larry Clark both turned down the project.
- Kaye signed his directing contract in front of a rabbi at a synagogue, believing it would bring good fortune to the project.
- Joaquin Phoenix turned down the lead role of Derek Vinyard before Edward Norton was suggested by casting director Valerie McCaffrey.
- Director Tony Kaye initially objected to casting Edward Norton, feeling he lacked the necessary weight and presence for the role.
- Edward Norton took a pay cut of over $500,000 from his usual $1 million fee to star in the film, and only committed after Francis Ford Coppola persuaded him.
- Norton gained 25 pounds of muscle by increasing his calorie intake and spending hours in the gym to prepare for his role.
- Director Tony Kaye served as both cinematographer and camera operator during filming, arriving on set in a Lincoln Town Car with a license plate reading 'JEWISH' and carrying four cell phones and a fax machine.
- The film's flashback scenes were shot and edited in black-and-white while present-day scenes were in color to distinguish the different time periods.
Adapted from the Wikipedia article American History X, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Rewritten for StreamShack; errors are ours — tell us about them.
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