[DVD] Sling Blade

Original Title: Sling Blade (1996)

Director: Billy Bob Thornton
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black

Awards

• 49th Writers Guild of America Awards (1997) – Best Adapted Screenplay — Winner (Billy Bob Thornton)
• 69th Academy Awards (1997) – Best Adapted Screenplay — Winner (Billy Bob Thornton)
• 22nd Saturn Awards (1996) – Best Performance by a Younger Actor — Winner (Lucas Black)
• 31st Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards (1996) – Best Actor — Winner (Billy Bob Thornton)

"The last message I want to leave my friend: I’ll make you happy."

A deeply moving story that leaves a lasting emotional impact.

A heartfelt film that helps us see the world through innocent eyes once again.

Billy Bob Thornton’s acclaimed directorial debut and starring performance.

A poignant drama about sacrifice, friendship, and redemption.

A man who believes his own life has little meaning chooses to make one final sacrifice for the happiness of his friend.

Billy Bob Thornton wrote, directed, and starred in this powerful drama centered on a man with an intellectual disability. His performance earned an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The film also features Robert Duvall as Karl’s abusive father and J.T. Walsh in a supporting role.

Widely praised by critics, Sling Blade is celebrated for Billy Bob Thornton’s unforgettable performance, its authentic portrayal of life in a small Southern town, and its beautifully captured rural landscapes. The story follows Karl Childers, a man released from a psychiatric institution after serving time for murder. Through Karl’s journey, the film explores compassion, morality, friendship, and the difficult choices faced by those living with intellectual disabilities, offering meaningful insight and emotional depth.

Product Information

• Disc: 1 Disc
• Running Time: 133 minutes
• Audio Language: English
• Subtitles: Korean, English
• Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 1.85:1
• Audio: Dolby Digital
• Region Code: All Regions (Region Free)

  
  

  Synopsis

  Karl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton) was born with an intellectual disability. As a child, he witnessed his mother’s affair and, in a tragic act of violence, killed both his mother and her lover with a sling blade (a long-handled cutting tool). After spending many years in a psychiatric hospital, Karl is finally released and returns to society for the first time in 25 years.

  Although he struggles to adjust to the outside world, Karl gradually finds work and a place to live with the kindness of people in a small Southern town. Along the way, he befriends a young boy named Frank (Lucas Black), who has grown up without a father and suffers from the abuse of his mother’s violent boyfriend, Doyle (Dwight Yoakam).

  Having endured a lonely childhood himself, Karl develops a deep bond with Frank, seeing much of his younger self in the boy. Despite his gentle nature, Karl realizes that Doyle's violent behavior threatens Frank’s future and the peace of those around him. Faced with an impossible moral dilemma, Karl ultimately makes a heartbreaking decision—one final act of sacrifice to protect the people he cares about.

  ---

  Artist Profile

  Director & Starring: Billy Bob Thornton

  Billy Bob Thornton is an acclaimed American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, and musician. Born in 1955 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, he spent years working toward an acting career before gaining recognition later in life. Encouraged by longtime friend and filmmaker Tom Epperson, Thornton made his television acting debut in 1987. Although he appeared in films such as The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains, The Dark Backward, Blood In Blood Out, and Dead Man, he remained relatively unknown.

  His breakthrough came with One False Move (1992), for which he co-wrote the screenplay and earned widespread critical acclaim. Thornton achieved international recognition with Sling Blade (1996), a project he wrote, directed, and starred in. The film won him the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, firmly establishing him as one of Hollywood’s most respected talents.

  He later starred in numerous successful films, including Armageddon, A Simple Plan (which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor), Monster’s Ball, Bandits, Love Actually, Bad Santa, and Friday Night Lights. Thornton has built a reputation for portraying complex, unconventional characters with remarkable authenticity.

  Beyond acting, Thornton has enjoyed a successful career as a director, screenwriter, producer, and musician. His performances are known for their emotional depth, subtle intensity, and ability to bring humanity to deeply flawed yet memorable characters. Throughout his career, he has consistently challenged himself with diverse and demanding roles, earning the admiration of audiences and critics alike.

  Cast: Dwight Yoakam

  Dwight Yoakam is an acclaimed American country music singer-songwriter and actor. Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern country music, he has released more than 18 studio albums throughout his career. In 1994, he won the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Collaboration for his album This Time.