In this film, a mentally handicapped person experiences a different life. This psychiatrist is named Carl Childers as he was released from a mental hospital where he spent most of his life after killing his mother and lover. Carl begins a new life in a small town, where he befriends a boy named Frank and devises a way to save Frank from those miserable years of his life.
An abundance of long, flat medium shots that rob the film of intimacy and give it a sleepy pace.
Groucho Reviews
August 12, 2009
Thornton brings three key ingredients to the table: distinctive, rich, authentic Southern locations, patient and painterly atmosphere, and a precise and fresh character to study. [Blu-ray]
In Sling Blade, Thornton lays claim to the title of hyphenate of the year.
Salon.com
January 01, 2000
By its midpoint, however, Thornton has begun forcing both the film's poetry and the preternatural goodness of its simple-minded protagonist, and Sling Blade's sweet charms begin to curdle.
