Sling BladeSometimes it takes a simple perspective to see simple truths. Sling Blade is about a developmentally challenged man named Karl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton), recently released from a mental hospital where he has resided since he was a boy, following the killing of his mother and her lover many years ago. Now a grown man, Karl struggles to understand the world, but befriends a young boy named Frank Wheatley (Lucas Black), who invites him to come live with him and his mother, Linda (Natalie Canerday). As Karl bonds with Frank, tensions rise within this new family due to Linda's abusive boyfriend, Doyle (Dwight Yoakam).
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Karl is an enigmatic protagonist and a man of few words; and while he may be a little slow, he is not stupid. Karl's awkwardness is sometimes mistaken for a transcendent clarity and patience. Linda's friend and employer, Vaughan (John Ritter), projects his insecurities about being "different" onto Karl, trying to sympathize because Vaughan is a homosexual in a small Arkansas town. He considers Karl to be a deep thinker because he is pensive, recalling the character of Chance from Being There. Karl's response to Vaughan's "coming out" is to comment that he was thinking about the french fries he loves so much. There is a joke which Karl jumbles as he tries to tell it to Linda one night following a drunken bender by Doyle--it has something to do with a dispute about a river being "deep". Karl may not be "deep" in the abstract sense of the word, but possesses a strong moral compass and is very deliberate in his actions. Karl leaves the institution carrying all of his worldly possessions with him--which consists of a set of books bound by a leather thong. These books include the Holy Bible, a book on carpentry, and another about Christmas. Karl comments that he spent a good deal of time reading the Bible, teaching himself what he could from it. There is no evidence that Karl was exposed to religion by his parents, who were abusive and kept him locked in a shed, where he was made to sleep in the dirt and other abominable things were demanded from him. Karl's interests in these three books--as well as his passive and kind-hearted nature--suggest that he is trying to live his life in a Christ-like way. While most of the people in town may be unconsciously inconsiderate of Karl's handicap at worst, Doyle is hostile and offensive to Karl and everyone else. Karl turns the other cheek and does not provoke Doyle, knowing that it will only make things worse for the good people who have vouched for him. Karl comes to recognize the danger that someone like Doyle poses to Frank, and his faith becomes both strengthened and questioned. Consider the scene where Karl bursts in on Doyle and Linda at four in the morning, hammer in hand. Startled, they ask him why he woke them up; following a brief pause, he claims that he "wants to be baptized", and tries to explain away the hammer just "being there" when he woke up. Karl learns that "sin" isn't something defined in black and white terms, and later what it means to sacrifice something for those you love.
The heart of Sling Blade is found in the talks Karl has with Frank, often at his "secret place" in the woods near his house. Frank tells Karl about how he misses his father, who committed suicide due to losing his job. This has left a void in Frank's life for a father figure, and Doyle is far from adequate. Their friendship starts on simple but genuine terms--Karl helps the beleaguered Frank carry his clothing home from the laundromat. Frank talks about the things that concern him: a snobby girl he has a crush on, and how he likes to play football to take his mind off of his worries. Karl listens to Frank in a way that no one else does, and opens up and trusts Frank with his own tragic past in kind. They both treat each other with more respect than many of the adults. The artifice of small talk is stripped away, which benefits Karl since he is struggles with social subtleties, where people avoid saying what they really mean. Karl is old enough to be Frank's father; he has no training in bringing up a boy, but is adept at the most important part of raising a child: acknowledging their feelings and listening to them. Karl strives to show his appreciation to the Wheatleys for all they have done to be more of a real family to him than his own. Both Karl and Frank also learn about morality and their feelings from one another. Karl discloses a story about his premature younger brother, and how his father gave him the child and told him to "throw it away", even though the baby was still alive. Karl comes to understand how wrong this was by talking it through years later with Frank, and later confronts his pitiful father (Robert Duvall), condemning him for making him kill his brother. Karl is like Arthur "Boo" Radley from "To Kill a Mockingbird"; coincidentally, Robert Duvall played Boo Radley in the film adaptation. Both are misunderstood and "quiet" men who rise up in a crisis to do what must be done, even when it is perilous. It would be easy to see Karl Childers as a comical caricature, with his singular outfit composed of a gray collared shirt buttoned up all the way and his pants pulled up just a little too high; even the bowl cut hair on his sloping forehead and his protruding jaw makes him look like a caveman. Karl's accent is a full Southern drawl, and his colloquialisms that are punctuated with grunting makes him sound like a parody of an uneducated hillbilly. These are the same superficial observations that are often born of ignorance--the excuses people use so that they don't have to "bother" with someone. This clever portrayal of Karl by Billy Bob Thornton--who also wrote and directed Sling Blade--challenges audiences to look beyond the surface and get to know the real human being beneath--someone gentle, kind, and virtuous. (Would that we all lived life that way.)
Recommended for: Fans of a heart-warming story about a kind and simple man who learns about the wide world while connecting with a boy looking for a role model. Sling Blade explores large themes--like moral relativity and how prejudice influences our behavior toward others--without detracting from the focus on the importance of family--blood or otherwise.
The heart of Sling Blade is found in the talks Karl has with Frank, often at his "secret place" in the woods near his house. Frank tells Karl about how he misses his father, who committed suicide due to losing his job. This has left a void in Frank's life for a father figure, and Doyle is far from adequate. Their friendship starts on simple but genuine terms--Karl helps the beleaguered Frank carry his clothing home from the laundromat. Frank talks about the things that concern him: a snobby girl he has a crush on, and how he likes to play football to take his mind off of his worries. Karl listens to Frank in a way that no one else does, and opens up and trusts Frank with his own tragic past in kind. They both treat each other with more respect than many of the adults. The artifice of small talk is stripped away, which benefits Karl since he is struggles with social subtleties, where people avoid saying what they really mean. Karl is old enough to be Frank's father; he has no training in bringing up a boy, but is adept at the most important part of raising a child: acknowledging their feelings and listening to them. Karl strives to show his appreciation to the Wheatleys for all they have done to be more of a real family to him than his own. Both Karl and Frank also learn about morality and their feelings from one another. Karl discloses a story about his premature younger brother, and how his father gave him the child and told him to "throw it away", even though the baby was still alive. Karl comes to understand how wrong this was by talking it through years later with Frank, and later confronts his pitiful father (Robert Duvall), condemning him for making him kill his brother. Karl is like Arthur "Boo" Radley from "To Kill a Mockingbird"; coincidentally, Robert Duvall played Boo Radley in the film adaptation. Both are misunderstood and "quiet" men who rise up in a crisis to do what must be done, even when it is perilous. It would be easy to see Karl Childers as a comical caricature, with his singular outfit composed of a gray collared shirt buttoned up all the way and his pants pulled up just a little too high; even the bowl cut hair on his sloping forehead and his protruding jaw makes him look like a caveman. Karl's accent is a full Southern drawl, and his colloquialisms that are punctuated with grunting makes him sound like a parody of an uneducated hillbilly. These are the same superficial observations that are often born of ignorance--the excuses people use so that they don't have to "bother" with someone. This clever portrayal of Karl by Billy Bob Thornton--who also wrote and directed Sling Blade--challenges audiences to look beyond the surface and get to know the real human being beneath--someone gentle, kind, and virtuous. (Would that we all lived life that way.)
Recommended for: Fans of a heart-warming story about a kind and simple man who learns about the wide world while connecting with a boy looking for a role model. Sling Blade explores large themes--like moral relativity and how prejudice influences our behavior toward others--without detracting from the focus on the importance of family--blood or otherwise.