Fresh
A masterpiece of Southern storytelling.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Sling Blade
A simple man. A difficult choice.
1996 · 2h 15m · R
Drama
Directed by
Billy Bob Thornton
Overview
Karl Childers, a mentally disabled man, has been in the custody of the state mental hospital since the age of 12 for killing his mother and her lover. Although thoroughly institutionalized, he is deemed fit to be released into the outside world.
Director and cast
- Billy Bob Thornton Director
- Billy Bob Thornton as Karl Childers
- Robert Duvall as Karl's Father
- Dwight Yoakam as Doyle Hargraves
- J. T. Walsh as Charles Bushman
- Lucas Black as Frank Wheatley
- Natalie Canerday as Linda Wheatley
- John Ritter as Vaughan Cunningham
- James Hampton as Jerry Woolridge
- Rick Dial as Bill Cox
- Brent Briscoe as Scooter
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
96%
Tomatometer
Rotten
An abundance of long, flat medium shots that rob the film of intimacy and give it a sleepy pace.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Fresh
A mesmerizing parable of good and evil and a splendid example of Southern storytelling at its most poetic and imaginative.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Fresh
If there were the slightest justice and curiosity in the Academy Award process, Thornton's work here would get a nomination.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Fresh
In Sling Blade, Thornton lays claim to the title of hyphenate of the year.
Sean Means, Film.com
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