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Sling Blade
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Sling Blade (1996) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 35 | slideshow) Videos (see all 4)
Sling Blade (1996) -- 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.
Sling Blade (1996) -- Clip: Good to me, pre
Sling Blade (1996) -- Clip: Lunch with Vaughn, pre
Sling Blade (1996) -- Clip: Good thoughts, pre

Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   38,499 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 25% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Billy Bob Thornton
Writers (WGA):
Billy Bob Thornton (play)
Billy Bob Thornton (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Sling Blade on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
27 November 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
Sometimes a hero comes from the most unlikely place. more
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. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 11 wins & 9 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(36 articles)
Blu-ray Dates
 (From SmellsLikeScreenSpirit. 6 July 2009, 10:00 AM, PDT)

Spacey to play 'Casino Jack'
 (From Monsters and Critics. 13 May 2009, 3:47 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Probably one of Thornton's finest movies more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

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 more
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 more
Company:
Miramax Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Billy Wilder advised Billy Bob Thornton to write a screenplay where he could exploit his less than perfect features. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Vaughan and Karl are having the discussion in the diner about their similarities, Vaughan's wrist-watch appears and disappears between shots. more
Quotes:
Karl: I don't think anything bad ought to happen to children. I think the bad stuff should be saved up for the people whose grown up. That's the way I see it. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Crap Shoot: The Documentary (2007) more
Soundtrack:
Darlin' more

FAQ

Is this movie awesome?
more
17 out of 21 people found the following comment useful:-
Probably one of Thornton's finest movies, 25 August 2005
8/10
Author: Philip Van der Veken from Tessenderlo, Belgium

I guess the main reason why I wanted to see this movie was because it was written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton, who also played a role in it. Even though the man hasn't really been able to prove a lot with his work as a director, I must say that I almost always appreciate him as an actor. He's perhaps not the most popular actor in Hollywood, but in my opinion he sure is one of the better ones.

In this movie he plays the role of Karl Childers, a grown, but simple man who is released from the psychiatric hospital where he has been hospitalized since the age of twelve. He had to stay in that hospital for so long because he murdered his own mother and her lover, believing that they were doing something wrong. He returns to the town where he lived the first twelve years of his life and it doesn't take long for him to get a job as a mechanic, fixing all kinds of small motors at a local repair shop. In the same town he also meets Frank, a young and friendly boy who immediately seems to like this strange man. Soon Karl is invited by Frank's mother to stay in their garage, much against the will of her alcoholic and abusive boyfriend Doyle. While Karl's friendship with Frank gets stronger, the tension between him and Doyle keeps building up, until reaching its final climax...

Now that I've finally seen this movie, I can only say that it's too bad that I didn't give it a try earlier. Especially thanks to the magnificent performance by Billy Bob Thornton, this is a movie that is more than just worth a watch. But also the other actors like Dwight Yoakam, Natalie Canerday,... did a very good job. The entire movie feels very realistic, is quite sober and never tries to be too dramatic. This is the kind of movie that could have become very preachy, but it hasn't and that's something that I really appreciate. Add to this some good directing and you know that Thornton has done a very nice job with this movie.

This isn't exactly a typical Hollywood movie, not in its story and certainly not in its approach towards the subject. This could easily have become some kind of cheesy TV-movie, but Billy Bob Thornton has made a very good movie out of it instead. I really appreciated his work as a director, actor and writer in this movie, liked the story and was intrigued by the acting of all the actors. That's why I give it a 7.5/10, maybe even an 8/10.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Sling Blade (1996)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Film score matthijs_smits
southern stereotypes.... vwhombre
I didn't understand the joke Karl's boss told at work while eating DRose23
Doyle's Best Lines birdncookie
Pop (cola) mikem-61
Karl killed Doyle for Frank..... goldenchildever
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