Haunting, evocative, melancholy, this film oozes emotion and atmosphere. Set in the American South, the script tells the story of Karl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton), a middle age man of limited intelligence who gets released from a mental institution and has to fend for himself in a small town, without support from relatives or friends.
As the plot evolves, Karl encounters a young boy, and the two become friends. Which leads to friendship with the boy's mom and her best friend, a gay man named Vaughan (John Ritter). But Karl must also interact with the mom's live-in boyfriend, a cruel redneck named Doyle (Dwight Yoakam). This eclectic character mix provides the fuel for the story's slowly developing climax. And throughout there's a sense of fatalistic doom.
The central figure, Karl, is richly conceived, and very well played by Thornton. His humped-over posture, jutting jaw, jarring voice, physical gestures, and unchanging facial expression combine to present a highly cohesive, realistic, and memorable character. Supporting characters are almost as strong. And the actors playing these roles are well cast, and give excellent performances. There's not a weak casting or acting link in the bunch.
Cinematography adds enormously to the emotion and atmosphere. Camera shots tend to be static; colors are generally muted with a trend toward brownish-yellow hues. Shadows add melancholy to interior scenes. And production design is outstanding in its detail and replication of a Southern, rural setting. The visuals remind me a lot of the film "Silkwood", with a similarly depressing, down-home, mournful backdrop.
Technically, the film has very few weaknesses, though I do think a few scenes could be cut shorter or deleted entirely. And though I empathize with Karl, that downtrodden feel of his character and of the plot begins to grow thin after a couple of hours.
This is a film that really pulls at your heartstrings. It just drips with sentiment and down-home, downtrodden atmosphere. It's sad, slow, and highly mournful, though punctuated with occasional humor. It's a film that the big Hollywood studios, with their corporate greed mentality and obnoxious hype, refuse to promote. Thank goodness for the originality and high quality of indie productions like "Sling Blade".
As the plot evolves, Karl encounters a young boy, and the two become friends. Which leads to friendship with the boy's mom and her best friend, a gay man named Vaughan (John Ritter). But Karl must also interact with the mom's live-in boyfriend, a cruel redneck named Doyle (Dwight Yoakam). This eclectic character mix provides the fuel for the story's slowly developing climax. And throughout there's a sense of fatalistic doom.
The central figure, Karl, is richly conceived, and very well played by Thornton. His humped-over posture, jutting jaw, jarring voice, physical gestures, and unchanging facial expression combine to present a highly cohesive, realistic, and memorable character. Supporting characters are almost as strong. And the actors playing these roles are well cast, and give excellent performances. There's not a weak casting or acting link in the bunch.
Cinematography adds enormously to the emotion and atmosphere. Camera shots tend to be static; colors are generally muted with a trend toward brownish-yellow hues. Shadows add melancholy to interior scenes. And production design is outstanding in its detail and replication of a Southern, rural setting. The visuals remind me a lot of the film "Silkwood", with a similarly depressing, down-home, mournful backdrop.
Technically, the film has very few weaknesses, though I do think a few scenes could be cut shorter or deleted entirely. And though I empathize with Karl, that downtrodden feel of his character and of the plot begins to grow thin after a couple of hours.
This is a film that really pulls at your heartstrings. It just drips with sentiment and down-home, downtrodden atmosphere. It's sad, slow, and highly mournful, though punctuated with occasional humor. It's a film that the big Hollywood studios, with their corporate greed mentality and obnoxious hype, refuse to promote. Thank goodness for the originality and high quality of indie productions like "Sling Blade".