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Sling Blade
(1996),
Director: Billy Bob Thornton, rated R for language, violence
A Simple
Man... A Difficult Choice.
  Starring:
Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black, Dwight Yoakam, John Ritter, Natalie Canerday,
James Hampton, Robert Duvall, Brent Briscoe
DML Rating:
★★★★★★★★★★
- perfect
DML Top 50
#30 -
Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review
and Deep Dive of Sling Blade
"Some folks call it a
sling blade, I call it a Kaiser blade." - Karl Childers
Why watch this?
Thornton's first film is tender, simple, and brilliant on
every level.
Plot Summary:
Karl Childers is a man with an intellectual disability who is
released from a psychiatric hospital after spending decades
institutionalized for a childhood murder. He returns to his
childhood town in Arkansas and befriends a young boy named
Frank, forming an unexpected bond as Karl works as a mechanic.
However, Frank's home life is troubled by his mother's abusive
boyfriend, Doyle.
Dad's Preview:
This film rings so true that the audience has
no choice but
to believe it's based on real people. Sling Blade was
Billy Bob Thornton's personal creation: he wrote the story,
directed the film and stars as Karl. Thornton's immersion into the simpleton
character is
legendary (and oft impersonated by me and way too many TikTokers). There are some intense
moments, but at its heart, this movie has a sweetness to it. It's
an achievement within its own simplicity. John Ritter and
Dwight Yoakam deliver incredible supporting performances, as
well.
The Shooting
Gallery, Miramax Films
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