Review of Sling Blade (1996) by Dan Y — 11 May 2010

What happens when crazy Billy Bob Thornton portrays a mentally retarded man who committed a double murder when he was a boy using a sling blade (some folks call it a sling blade but he calls it a keyser blade), gets released after the institution can't hold him any more, goes to his old hometown, tinkers and fixes lawn mowers for a living, plays football with kids, gets baptized and later PWNS Dwight Yoakim? This classic, that's what. I've long enjoyed this film from the late 90s, written and directed by the Bad Santa himself. It's a fine outing of randomness and dark comedy. Do yourself a favor and watch the director's cut which contains nearly 15 minutes of additional scenes added into the movie.

Karl Childersl (Thornton) befriends Frank, a kind, well behaved young man who lives in the old town Karl's from but hasn't walked in since getting locked up in the mental hospital for killing his mother and a neighborhood troublemaker. Frank's got problems, as his mother's boyfriend Doyle is a drunken asshat who mentally abuses both of them and threatens to get physical should Frank's mom ever leave him. Karl and Doyle are put on a path that will lead to the two of them clashing inevitably, while Karl tries to protect Frank, his mother, and their friend who manages the store she works at (played by the late John Ritter). In-between the serious nature and the looming threat of Doyle, Karl and Frank become best of friends, share laughs and have some serious talks. Then there's the laugh out loud moments, such as when Karl is introduced to a woman who suffers from the same problem he does (minus the homicidal past), and she tells him about how she doesn't like to help customers at the store. When her feet hurt. There's a disturbing yet delightful cameo from J.T. Walsh as well.

This came out in 1996 and its staying power is nothing short of fantastic. All these years later, and I still laugh when Thornton is asked to take a look at a lawnmower that isn't working right. He says, "It ain't got no gas in it!" in that funny voice he uses for Karl throughout the film. Love it.