Sling Blade (1996)

Director:

Billy Bob Thornton

Writers (WGA):

Billy Bob Thornton (play)
Billy Bob Thornton (screenplay)

Release Date:

27 November 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Sometimes a hero comes from the most unlikely place.

Plot:

Karl Childers, a simple man hospitalized since his childhood murder of his mother and her lover, is released to start a new life in a small town.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Murder | Repair Shop | Mental Institution | Small Town

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 13 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Billy Bob Thornton	...	Karl Childers
Dwight Yoakam	...	Doyle Hargraves
J.T. Walsh	...	Charles Bushman
John Ritter	...	Vaughan Cunningham
Lucas Black	...	Frank Wheatley
Natalie Canerday	...	Linda Wheatley
James Hampton	...	Jerry Woolridge
Robert Duvall	...	Karl's Father
Rick Dial	...	Bill Cox
Brent Briscoe	...	Scooter Hodges
Christine Renee Ward	...	Melinda (as Christy Ward)
Sarah Boss	...	Marsha Dwiggins
Kathy Sue Brown	...	Theresa Evans
Wendell Rafferty	...	Melvin
Bruce Hampton	...	Morris (as Col. Bruce Hampton Ret.)
Vic Chesnutt	...	Terence
Mickey Jones	...	Monty Johnson
Ian Moore	...	Randy Horsefeathers
Judy Pryor Trice	...	Mrs. Woolridge
Scott Stewart	...	Bubba Woolridge
Betty Lynn Hall	...	Woolridge Daughter
Jim Jarmusch	...	Frostee Cream Boy
Gary Don Fletcher	...	Preacher
Tim Holder	...	Albert
Tom Kagy	...	Freddy
Stacy Barrow	...	Woodridge Secretary
Jackie Stewart	...	Walter
Jamie Stewart	...	Teenage Boy
D.J. Royston	...	Housekeeper
Lacy Bailey	...	Karen
Raymond Lewallen	...	Ticket Agent
Bill Glasscock	...	Old Man (voice)

Directed by
Billy Bob Thornton

Writing credits (WGA)
Billy Bob Thornton		(play)
Billy Bob Thornton		(screenplay)

Produced by
David L. Bushell	....	producer
Larry Meistrich	....	executive producer
Brandon Rosser	....	producer

Original Music by
Daniel Lanois

Cinematography by
Barry Markowitz		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Hughes Winborne

Casting by
Sarah Tackett

Production Design by
Clark Hunter

Set Decoration by
Traci Kirshbaum

Costume Design by
Doug Hall		(as Douglas Hall)

Makeup Department
Kate Biscoe	....	key hair stylist (as Kate Morgan Biscoe)
Tracy Warbin	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Robert Salerno	....	production manager
Laura Seymann	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
W.M. Halle	....	first assistant director
Todd Jameson	....	second assistant director
Daron McAfee	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Jacob Alsbrook	....	lead man
Joe Arnold	....	on-set dresser
Max Biscoe	....	assistant set decorator
Joe Cuzan	....	swing art
Dwayne Grady	....	propmaster
Carlton Rude	....	assistant props

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer
Weldon Brown	....	adr recordist
Eric A. Christoffersen	....	foley assistant (as Eric Christoffersen)
Pete Conlin	....	first assistant sound editor (as Peter Conlin)
Russell Creak	....	assistant foley artist
Theodore K. Dietz	....	sound production assistant
David Ellinwood	....	foley recordist (as Dave Ellienwood)
Wi Ding Ho	....	apprentice sound editor
Mark Howard	....	dialogue loop editor
Mark Howard	....	sound recordist
Ivan Hurzeler	....	assistant sound editor
Lucinda Komisar	....	assistant sound editor
Jeff Kushner	....	sound designer
Jeff Kushner	....	supervising sound editor
Paul Ledford	....	production sound mixer
Ronald Matthew Lee	....	additional sound effects recordist (as Matthew Lee)
Wayne Lorenz	....	additional sound engineer
Alison Sanford	....	sound recordist
Sila A. Soyer	....	apprentice sound editor (as Sila Soyer)
James Wright	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Keenan Wyatt	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Ehab Assal	....	assistant camera
Ehab Assal	....	camera production assistant
Michael Audino	....	grip (as Michael D. Audino)
Jonathan Brown	....	Steadicam operator
Dalton	....	second assistant camera
Marc Eckhardt	....	grip
Edwin M. Figueroa	....	key grip
Douglas W. Hill	....	electrician
R. Derek Keener	....	best boy electric
Robert Ortiz	....	video playback operator
Stewart Wright Pallister	....	grip
Tom Potoskie	....	dolly grip (as Thomas W. Potoskie)
Nate Ranger	....	first assistant camera
J.A. Riggs	....	generator operator
John Wagner	....	gaffer
Michael Yarish	....	still photographer
Rob Koch	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Margaret Critz	....	wardrobe production assistant
Rani Cunningham	....	wardrobe supervisor
Theba Lolley	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Peter T. DaPuzzo	....	post-production intern
Lawrence Mischel	....	negative cutter (as Larry Mischel)
Dan Muscarella	....	color timer
Patti Nunez	....	assistant post-production supervisor
Johnny Wilson	....	assistant editor
Stefan Bruck	....	post-production consultant (uncredited)
Sue Mischel	....	negative cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Peter Afterman	....	music consultant
Brian Blade	....	additional musician: drums
Malcolm Burn	....	additional musician: keyboards
Barry Cole	....	music supervisor
Tim Gibbons	....	musician: bass, drums and vocals
Emmylou Harris	....	special guest vocalist
Mark Howard	....	music programmer: drums
Ali Jennings	....	additional musician: slide guitar
Darrell D. Johnson	....	musician: bass, conga drum, organ and hand drum (as Darryl Johnson)
Pascal Nabit Meyer	....	musician: organ
Bambi Lee Savage	....	musician: vocals and guitar
Elizabeth Wendel	....	music consultant
Russ Wilson	....	musician: falsetto harmony, percussion piano, bass and bass pedal

Other crew
Umber Ayoob	....	intern
Josh Baxter	....	intern
Leonard John Bruno	....	product placement (as Leonard Bruno)
Aaron Bryson	....	projectionist
Brig Caldwell	....	assistant caterer
Steve Carlis	....	post-production auditor
Steve Carlis	....	production executive
Joe Glass	....	production assistant
Sheryl Glubok	....	assistant location manager
Jonathan Jasay	....	intern
Jason Jersey	....	production assistant
Sharon Kahn	....	unit publicist
Jeremy Levy	....	intern
Danna Liebert	....	script supervisor
Ginny Lou Litsey	....	assistant production auditor
Joe McCrackin	....	assistant to director
Larry Meistrich	....	production executive
Kathy Morris	....	craft service
Heather Mosher	....	product placement assistant
Tim Olivett	....	caterer
J. Robert Saettele	....	key set production assistant
David Scolli	....	location intern
Dena Silberstein	....	product placement
Mary Sunshine	....	production auditor
David Tuttle	....	production executive
George Vowteras	....	location manager
Daniel J. Victor	....	production financing (uncredited)

Thanks
Leslie Abell	....	special thanks
Erskine Caldwell	....	special thanks
Tom Epperson	....	special thanks
John Faulkner	....	special thanks
William Faulkner	....	special thanks
Suzy Lilly	....	thanks
Bob Myman	....	special thanks
Jerry Myman	....	special thanks
George Newcomb	....	special thanks
John Fergus Ryan	....	special thanks
Emily Gerson Saines	....	special thanks
Emily Schweber	....	thanks
Harry James Thornton	....	special thanks
Jimmy Don Thornton	....	dedicatee
Pietra Thornton	....	special thanks
Virginia Faulkner Thornton	....	special thanks
Brad Wilson	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Miramax Films (presents)
• Shooting Gallery (as The Shooting Gallery)

Distributors

• Miramax Films (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
• Palace Films (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• New Films International (1996) (non-USA) (all media)
• RCV Film Distribution (1997) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1997) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1997) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Laurenfilm (1997) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films AB (1997) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Egmont Film (1997) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (1997) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Líder Films (1997) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Egmont Film (1998) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Gativideo (1998) (Argentina) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Walt Disney Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Walt Disney Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (1999) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (2000) (USA) (TV)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Nordisk Film (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Walt Disney Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Cannes (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• StudioCanal (2013) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Allied Film and Video  video dailies
• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  color timing
• D.I.S.C. Insurance  insurance
• Island Records  soundtrack released by (as Island/Shooting Gallery Records)
• Kahn & Jacobs  unit publicist
• Kingshill Group Inc.  associate producer
• Panavision  camera and lenses
• Post Packages  negative cutting
• Shooting Gallery Placement  product placement
• Shooting Gallery Post  post-production facility
• Soundtrack  foley studio
• The Chase Manhattan Bank  banking services
• The Union Bank  banking services
• Title House  titles and opticals
• Todd-AO Studios  post-production sound
• Victor Duncan  camera and grip equipment provided by
• Walden at Capricorn, The  special thanks
• Warren, Alpert, Beigelman & Nardelli  attorney

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language, including descriptions of violent and sexual behavior

Runtime:

135 min | USA:148 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:MA (re-rating) | Australia:M (original rating) | Finland:K-12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:14A (original rating) | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:16 (original rating) | Netherlands:6 (re-rating) | USA:Not Rated (director's cut) | South Korea:15 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Peru:18 | Chile:14

Filming Locations:

Benton, Arkansas, USA

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

Although Karl's father's (Robert Duvall) name is never mentioned, in the original short, "Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade", it is mentioned that his father's name is Franklin.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: Shadow visible in front of a tree when Jerry and Karl are walking.

Quotes:

Doyle:What'cha doin' with that lawn mower blade Karl?
Karl:I aim to kill you with it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Men Behaving Badly: The Sting (#2.3)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

Plunger

Best movie of 1996 I reckon, um hum!

Surprisingly, this movie is not based on a true story, but it sure was Thornton's breakthrough in the movie business. I feel he sold out to the mainstream when he made the awful Armageddon. Thornton's Karl Childers is released from a mental insitution after 20 years from killing his mother as a child and returns to his backwoods Arkansas town with no family or friends to speak of, but befriends a fatherless boy and his mother. The entire cast is superb; Dwight Yoakum as a bigoted redneck, John Ritter as a gay store manager, Robert Duvall in a cameo as Thornton's almost catatonic father, Rick Dial (a boyhood friend of Thornton's) as Karl's genial boss, etc. The movie has just the right touch for life in the small-town south without the traditional Hollywood glamorization.