27th July 2008 ; Screening of Sling Blade

SLING BLADE
A film by Billy Bob Thornton,
Year 1996
Country : USA
Run time : 135 minutes
English with English sub titles
27th July 2008 ; 5.45 pm
Ashwin Hospital Auditorium

``Sling Blade'' begins with a remarkable monologue delivered straight to the camera. A man with a raspy voice, an overshot jaw and a lot of pain in his eyes says he reckons we might like to hear about his story, and so he tells it. His name is Karl Childers, he is retarded, and he has been in a state facility since childhood, when he found his mother with her lover and killed them both. But now, he says, ``I reckon I got no reason to kill no one. Uh, huh.'' Karl is talking to a reporter about his release from the institution. They reckon he has been cured. They are probably right. He is not a killer, would not kill without good and proper reason, and now understands how, as a child, he misinterpreted the situation. As he talks, we are struck by his forceful presence; he is retarded, yes, but he is complex and observant, and has spent a lot of time thinking about what he should and shouldn't do.
``Sling Blade.'' The movie is a work of great originality and fascination by Billy Bob Thornton, who wrote it, directed it and plays Karl Childers. He says that the character ``came to him'' one morning while he was shaving, and he started talking to himself in the mirror, in Karl's voice.

Thornton is a former country musician turned screenwriter (he wrote the remarkable ``One False Move'' and ``A Family Thing''). He plays Karl as a man of limited intelligence but great seriousness, who reasons as well as he can, and feels deeply. There is pain, humor, irony and sweetness in the character, and a voice and manner so distinctive, he is the most memorable movie character seen in a long time.

The movie's ultimate destination is not hard to guess, but we feel a certain satisfaction when it arrives there. And by then we have come to know Karl with a real understanding and fondness. He is a character unlike any other in the movies, an original, and in creating him, Thornton has made a place for himself among the best new filmmakers. As an actor, he creates a difficult character and finds exactly the right way to play him.
(Source : http://rogerebert.suntimes.com )

Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton (born August 4, 1955) is an American, Academy Award-winning screenwriter, actor and occasional director, playwright, and singer. Thornton was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas.he attended Henderson State University, in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. In the late 1980s, Thornton settled in Los Angeles, to pursue his career as an actor, with future writing partner Tom Epperson Thornton initially had a difficult time succeeding as an actor, and worked in telemarketing, offshore wind farming, and fast-food management between auditioning for acting jobs. He also played drums and sang with South African rock band Jack Hammer. While Thornton worked as a waiter for an industry event, he served film director Billy Wilder and struck up a conversation with Wilder, who advised Thornton to consider a career as a screenwriter.

Thornton first came to semi-prominence as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire with John Ritter and Markie Post. His role as the villain in 1992's One False Move, which he also co wrote, brought him to the attention of critics. He also had small roles in the early 1990s films Indecent Proposal, On Deadly Ground, Bound By Honor, Grey Knight, and Tombstone.

Thornton went on to write, direct and star in the independent film Sling Blade, which was released in 1996. The film, an expansion of a short film titled Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade, introduced the story of Karl Childers, a mentally handicapped man imprisoned for a gruesome and seemingly inexplicable murder. Sling Blade garnered international acclaim. Thornton's screenplay earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, a Writers Guild of America Award, and an Edgar Award, while his performance received Oscar and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Best Actor.

Billy Bob Thornton has directed 4 movies and acted in about 60 films.