Sling Blade (1996)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Billy Bob Thornton

Writers (WGA):

Billy Bob Thornton (play)
Billy Bob Thornton (screenplay)

Release Date:

27 November 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Sometimes a hero comes from the most unlikely place.

Plot:

Karl Childers, a simple man hospitalized since his childhood murder of his mother and her lover, is released to start a new life in a small town.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Murder | Mental Institution | Small Town | Homosexual

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 11 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Billy Bob Thornton	...	Karl Childers
Dwight Yoakam	...	Doyle Hargraves
J.T. Walsh	...	Charles Bushman
John Ritter	...	Vaughan Cunningham
Lucas Black	...	Frank Wheatley
Natalie Canerday	...	Linda Wheatley
James Hampton	...	Jerry Woolridge
Robert Duvall	...	Karl's Father
Rick Dial	...	Bill Cox
Brent Briscoe	...	Scooter Hodges
Christine Renee Ward	...	Melinda (as Christy Ward)
Sarah Boss	...	Marsha Dwiggins
Kathy Sue Brown	...	Theresa Evans
Wendell Rafferty	...	Melvin
Bruce Hampton	...	Morris (as Col. Bruce Hampton Ret.)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language, including descriptions of violent and sexual behavior.

Runtime:

135 min | 148 min (Director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A (original rating) | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:16 (original rating) | Netherlands:6 (re-rating) | USA:Not Rated (director's cut) | South Korea:15 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA (re-rating) | Australia:M (original rating) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Benton, Arkansas, USA

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

Vaughan (John Ritter) is holding a copy of the book "A Confederacy of Dunces" in his final scene. The book revolves around a Southern character that is unable to fit into society.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Karl is talking to the Frostee Cream Boy, there are no cars on the road behind him. But whenever the camera is aimed at the Frostee Cream, there is a lot of traffic on the road reflected in the window. Thornton points out in the DVD commentary that this is because the local police had another pressing issue the day they filmed Jim Jarmusch, and they couldn't be there to stop traffic.

Quotes:

Karl: I don't reckon you have to go with women to be a good daddy to a boy. You been real square-dealin' with me. The Bible says two men ought not lay together. But I don't reckon the Good Lord would send anybody like you to Hades. That Frank, he lives inside of his own heart. That's an awful big place to live in. You take good care of that boy.
[walks off]
Vaughan Cunningham: I will. Karl?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Bad Santa: Not Your Typical Christmas Movie (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Plunger

A complicated hero.

Here we have the story of a good hearted,mentally challenged man who does not like to see the people he loves suffer.The source of their suffering happens to come in the human form.Karl Childers,this mentally challenged man,chooses to eliminate the suffering in the only way he knows how,wrong though it may be.He is willing to give up his own happiness,so that they may be happy.This is a very complex story which can be viewed from many different angles.In my opinion,it is a very sad story because here we have a man,suddenly free after years of treatment in a mental institution,willing to give it all away for the people he calls his friends.A hardly recognizable Billy Bob Thornton gives an exceptionally good performance as Karl,not to mention giving excellent direction from behind the camera as well.A surprising turn by Dwight Yoakam as the closed minded Doyle Hargraves,though I feel his ignorance was not his own fault,as we are all a product of our upbringing.A good movie,with good performances all around in a very complex story.