Sling Blade
1996
***½
Director: Billy Bob Thornton
Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Dwight Yoakam, J. T. Walsh, John Ritter, Lucas Black, Natalie Canerday, James Hampton, Rick Dial, Brent Briscoe, Ted Manson
Karl Childers, a mentally challenged man who killed his mother and her lover at the age of 12, is released from a psychiatric hospital after decades of confinement. He befriends a young boy and his mother, who is involved with an unpleasant man. This compelling drama explores redemption and the nature of kindness in a harsh world. Billy Bob Thornton gives a terrific, beautifully controlled performance as Karl. However, the abusive boyfriend, played by Dwight Yoakam, is so one-note that the outcome feels like a foregone conclusion. Thornton's Academy Award winning screenplay is based on a 1994 short Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade.
