American History X

A closer look at the story

American History X shows how hatred can seep into a family through the story of Derek Vinyard. Derek is a skinhead who leads a brutal gang of white supremacists in Los Angeles that carries out racially motivated attacks. He is sent to prison after a racist killing. His past is told through the voice of his younger brother Danny, who was deeply shaped by everything Derek did. When Derek is released on parole, he is a different person. Ashamed of his past and of his crimes, he breaks with the gang completely and now has just one goal: to stop Danny from heading down the same violent road he once took. Tony Kaye directed this 119-minute drama from 1998 from a screenplay by David McKenna. Edward Norton plays Derek and Edward Furlong plays Danny, with Beverly D'Angelo, Jennifer Lien and Ethan Suplee also in the cast. Its depiction of racist violence makes it appropriate only for adults.