Sling Blade

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Dwight Yoakam, J.T. Walsh, John Ritter, Lucas Black, Natalie Canerday, Robert Duvall
Directed by: Billy Bob Thornton
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1996
Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Karl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton), a simple man, has been in a mental hospital for several decades, after killing his mother and her lover. Now, he is being released back into society. He befriends a boy (Lucas Black)and his mother (Natalie Canerday), while he tries to adapt to the new world around him.

Review:

Tim: I generally regard myself as a guy who is not a Billy Bob Thornton fan. I think he makes poor choices with his movie roles, and he just seems like an odd guy. However, I have no other option but to kneel down before his borderline masterpiece, Sling Blade. This movie represents the best that can happen when an actor decides to take things into his own hands and create the movie that he envisioned. Thornton is terrific behind the camera. He directs a mesmerizing, emotionally powerful story that is unique and beautiful. And yet, his directorial feature film directorial debut is overshadowed by his remarkable performance in front of it.

Billy Bob Thornton crushes me with this performance. I was so emotionally drained by the end of the movie that I felt like I needed to gulp down air as fast as I could. I couldn't shake his shattering performance. I absolutely loved his portrayal of Karl Childers. While I'm still not a Thornton fan, I do look at him in a better light because of his remarkable perfomance. He certainly deserved his Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, and it is possible that he should have one. I couldn't take my eyes off him- he was terrific.

The rest of the cast was quite good as well. Young Lucas Black does an excellent job. I thoroughly enjoyed him in this role. Dwight Yoakam likewise gives a strong, impressive performance. I really liked John Ritter in this movie- he was the perfect actor for this role, and I loved every single second of his screen time. I also enjoyed the small cameo of Robert Duvall, which was a pleasant surprise. Thornton assembled the ideal cast around him for this movie.

I really loved the story- there is something so heart wrenching about a man with mental limitations struggling to make a life in this world. Even more brilliantly, however, is his violent, unforgivable past. This makes him a truly fascinating character- one we fall in love with, but aren't sure if we should. I was drawn to this character and his struggles. I was emotionally invested, and I cared about him. This is a testament to Thornton in front of and behind the camera. This movie really keeps you on your toes- it is difficult to get comfortable, as you are always waiting for something big to happen. Thornton does a great job of creating a world that appears small and quaint, but where violent danger could exist just below the surface. I really enjoyed watching this movie- it was beautifully shot.

Sling Blade is a great movie. Regardless of the poor decisions Thornton has made throughout his career, I will always think better of him because he was capable of delivering a beautiful, moving, enjoyable movie that really gets at the heart of what it means to be human. I hope Thornton continues to make movies like this- because we desperately need more of them.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: All the Pretty Horses, Forrest Gump, Radio Flyer, The Apostle, Daddy and Them