Comments on: Sling Blade (1996)

By: Charles

Charles — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 15:00:29 +0000

My wife and I found it on the IFC cable channel. We had seen it and were very impressed with it when it was released. It has a haunting quality to it, but that’s the mark of many great films. Billy
Bob Thornton did an excellent job of directing,
a slow but emotion and compassion packed film.
12 year old Lucas Black desereved a nomination, doing a wonderful, sensitive job of acting.

By: nick

nick — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:08:20 +0000

The critic that thought this movie had a lot of awkward parts most likely also thought that “The English Patient” did not.

Important difference between the two…”Slingblade ” didn’t suck, and I did not really notice awkward moments, and have studied film.

Any first time attempt will have technical issues. The difference here is that this movie can really draw you in, if you let it, so that it’s power overcomes its few technicalities.

It is a classic for everyone.

By: AR

AR — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:44:05 +0000

Haven’t seen it since it was out in the theatres. For whatever reason I’ve not had the desire to rewatch it since. But at the time, I thought it was a good film, fits well into the spectrum of Southern Gothic (though at the time I wasn’t really aware of or into the genre, despite having read Faulkner and Williams).

By: Joe Valdez

Joe Valdez — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:12:26 +0000

Christian: If you’re from Texas you can attest that there is a Karl in just about every town or suburban neighborhood even. Instead of sending people like him to the “nervous hospital,” down south they just live with family in the garage and do odd jobs for a living. It’s part of what I found very believable about the film.

By: christian

christian — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:29:43 +0000

I totally agree. I so recall seeing this in the theater in Texas that I don’t need to see it again. A lovely film.

By: Mrs. Thuro's Mom

Mrs. Thuro's Mom — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:15:41 +0000

It wasn’t the ending that I found so sad. Doyle deserved what he got and Karl felt more at home being institutionalized. I found the interaction between him and his father to be very tragic. I think anyone who grows up in such a dysfunctional family would naturally feel more at home in an institution.

By: Joe Valdez

Joe Valdez — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:25:43 +0000

Mrs. Thuro's Mom: Maybe because I can't think of any other possible ending for the movie, I didn't find it sad. It was truthful. Billy Bob never directing again, that's sad. At the very least we need to see a director's cut of All the Pretty Horses on DVD. Daniel: Geoffrey Rush won Best Actor for Shine that year. Terrific actor, terrible movie. Thornton's performance was a lot more monumental, at any rate, so we agree here. Thanks for commenting.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:48:12 +0000

I think I only saw it the one time, but I remember thinking, “This deserved to win whatever it was nominated for.”

By: Mrs. Thuro's Mom

Mrs. Thuro's Mom — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:52:44 +0000

This is one of the few movies that I know I can never watch again. It’s not that I didn’t like it–I loved it–but it was just so very, very sad. The performances were incredible and the story fascinating. I do hope that Billy Bob will once again find it in him to write something else of this caliber.