Sling Blade : DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

Ok, now I maybe exaggerated a tad bit with the title, but I really do want some input from fans of Sling Blade. I created an account just so I could post something here! (Just so you understand how important it is to me to get an answer)

I'll start from the beginning: many years ago Yahoo! released a top 100 list of movies to see before you die that were released post 1980 (phenomenal list for the most part imho). One of these included Sling Blade. I have since made it my mission to see every film on this list and Sling Blade is among the final 20 on this list that I needed to find. Probably because its a very southern drama, I couldn't find it in my home country of Romania and couldn't find any good copies/deals on German Amazon.

Now that I study film in the United States I finally found a copy of Sling Blade for 5 bucks in a record store, you can probably imagine my excitement, I've been looking for this film for well over 5 years now. Now back in Romania I sit down with my dad and brother and watch Sling Blade. The opening 30 minutes was possibly the most gripping introduction I've seen to a film in years, and the monologues were intense and beautifully rendered by both actors. For the introduction alone, Sling Blade is already in "good" territory.

However, after having seen the rest of the film I'm perplexed. Why is this film on a top 100 films to see before you die list? Surely I can think of 100 other more important post 1980 films. What exactly did Sling Blade accomplish or contribute to the cinematic landscape? Was it more relevant in 1996 due to its depiction of homosexual characters in the south? I felt like this brilliant opening slowly but surely devolved into a rather mundane film with an extremely predictable outcome.

I was hoping to see a film about a man struggling to fit back into society, but then the film took these very weird twists and turns as if Billy Bob Thornton wasn't sure what story he'd like to tell. You had the dinner scene where Karl is introduced to the overweight girl (which was interesting because I'm sure Silver Linings Playbook borrowed a trait or two from this scene), then you have the scene where Frank gives flowers to his girl crush (which was completely out of the blue), then the rather irrelevant baptism scene and the entire plot with Doyle, who I found to be a boring character with no character arc and was just plain annoying for the forced sake of being annoying. These half-assed "love interests" and the "abusive father" plot took away from what was initially a gripping and touching story of a man who's mental growth was stunted and consequently becomes friends with a young boy. Also the girl journalists at the start of the film never play a role in the film again which was quite disappointing because their motivations were a lot more interesting than those of Doyle, Linda and Vaughan.

I'm sure a lot of you are reading this and thinking I'm crazy for finding so many of these scenes irrelevant, but I'd like to know where this film qualifies as an OSCAR WINNING screenplay?! (and don't tell me the Oscars shouldn't inform my judgement over a film, they still are still a capable judge of whats at least good) I feel that the script is too unfocused and doesn't tell a fully fleshed out story. Too much is predictable, the one part I enjoyed was the potential idea that Karl is groomed to kill Doyle and the fact that Linda was not scared of Karl after hearing of his "history", however these are never expanded on enough. I really hoped Karl wouldn't kill Doyle in order to throw a curveball at the audience but even that ends exactly as I anticipated. It feels like an amoral ending to a film that preaches good morals.

Ultimately, what I'm trying to say is I liked the film for its touching scenes between Frank and Karl and its gripping opening, but don't see it as anything groundbreaking. I also don't find it structurally sound and it overstays its welcome (maybe cus I saw the Directors cut?) Apart from Billy Bob's and Lucas Black's ensemble performance and the beautiful soundtrack, nothing struck me as particularly exciting. If you would teach this film in a History of Film class, what would your reasoning be? Why is this film considered a modern classic by countless critics worldwide? I'm fluent in English and understand American culture very well so its not the language barrier that made it not work for me.

Thanks guys! Please don't just throw hate! Film students wanna learn :P

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

I agree. Kinda took a turn for the worse with a predictable abusive boyfriend plot

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

Actually DO teach this in a film class. It tinkers with the notion of what makes someone a 'hero'. Was Carl's decision to kill Doyle heroic, in the strictest sense? Was it a great sacrifice for Frank? I think that it was one of the noblest things I've seen on film.

I loved the interplay between Carl and Frank, their bond, their conversations. You pointed out that the first 20 min were gripping; agree. Unclear why you didn't find the rest of the film, albeit slow at times, to be equally as interesting, since you were reeled in and liked the characters immediately.

The character of Doyle was one of the very few that I found in a film that had no (zero) redeeming values. I couldn't think of anything he did that I liked. Yes, he worked hard. Yes, he hated midgets and antique furniture. Perhaps you didn't understand the humor, not sure.

You were right that the music is brilliant and the acting extraordinary. Perhaps it's not for everyone, but I found the scene where Carl gives Frank the bookmark to be one of the most heartfelt scenes I've ever seen. How it didn't move you is a mystery.

Perhaps watch it again, with a different lens and eyes in a year or so. Good luck.



"Assaiii...assaiii!"
--Sensei Terry Silver Karate Kid III

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

OP < Killed HiiIIm, btw caps off in afterlife and wish ya all the best

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

To OP - All these things you mention that seem unrelated or irrelevant arent, they are all a part of the big picture. When Karl gets released life takes over and he walks into these peoples lives. Hes got to deal with this new life and hes had no practice so its all awkward but he perseveres and does the right thing with this random family that enters his life. This is why he gets baptized, goes with Frank to his crush's home, plays football with the boy, visits his father. Hes trying to right the wrong in his life, mainly inspired by the Bibles teachings. All this good makes the ending controversial but if you ask me, Karl did the morally correct thing because Doyle is a monster and that ONE monster is not allowing TWO good people to live in peace. Its unfair and Karl rectifies that. To me he is continuing to do the right thing.

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

I love the movie, but to each his own. Hmmmm....Hmmmmmmm....Hmmmmmmm

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

If only IMDB critiques were this thought-out and respectable more often.

I'm not sure what movies I'd put on a general "movies to see before you die" list. But it is one of my favorite films of all time. The overall tone/atmosphere of it set in a small town feels very nostalgic and whimsical to me. But what most likely gives the film its notoriety is just how phenomenal Billy Bob Thornton was in this movie. You absolutely forget it's him. I think for a character that unique with a plot as great as this one, in spite of its faults, makes it an amazing film that you need to see just for the character of Karl alone.

Post deleted

This message has been deleted.

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

I don't view this so much as 'Oscar material' but more as an surprise 'sleeper' movie, very much like 'Fargo' in dealing with quirky characters and their stories. Carl makes an attempt to be Christian or at least 'religious' through his reading the Bible. Not having been baptized, he feels that's something he missed so he wants to make up for it. This goes with him trying to fit into society and not having any wish or reason to harm anyone.

The tension in the story comes from Karl reconciling this with his wish to protect Frank and his mother and Doyle is the antagonist that is going to keep Karl from accomplishing this. I've been in a similar situation where I KNEW that I was on a collision course with someone much like Doyle and in spite of all efforts to stay away from him, ended up in a nasty confrontation. It's interesting that there is NOTHING likeable about Doyle except that he is somewhat successful.

The presence of Vaughn only serves to make Doyle seem even worse by his abuse of everyone within reach. Of course Vaughn points out that he and Karl have similarities because they are both 'outside' of the small town society.

The overweight girl is obviously somewhat retarded but they feel like she and Karl would make good company and be able to relate to each other. This, getting the job, finding friends is all part of what is going to bring Karl back into society but is going to be ruined by Doyle where Karl ends up back in the hospital.

I guess to put it all in one big lump it shows how somebody who is gentle as a lamb can be forced into violent retaliation under extreme circumstances. American movies are FULL of examples where someone tries to resolve conflict in every peaceful way but in the end is forced into a 'do or die' situation.

There are some movies that are the antithesis of 'great' movies like 'Gone with the Wind' and 'Dr. Zhivago'. Maybe they are 'Neo-modern' with anti-heroes. 'Pulp Fiction' was made to be a trashy movie, but it does such a good job of it it is highly entertaining. Again, not 'Oscar Material' but highly memorable.

If anything is superfluous, I think it's Doyle's relationship with his friends but it goes to show that Doyle can't get along with ANYBODY in a civil way. When he derides and kicks his band members out, though, it pretty much shows that Doyle is actually uncontrollably violent and probably insane. Karl is perceptive in seeing that sooner or later, Doyle is going to go way to far.

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

You may just not have a frame of reference. I'll assume you're not from the American south, probably a upper middle class background, if you're studying abroad. In your early 20s. For that demographic, if it's not within your experience, I can see where it would be hard to wrap ones head around.
No big deal. As you age, things will change meaning. Have you watched "Winters Bone"? Good luck in film school. Always wanted to go myself.

Post deleted

This message has been deleted.

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

Don't feel bad for not liking it. I enjoyed a few things too but overall it was a bit pointless, kitsch, predictable and not really entertaining.

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

Sorry, but I think you may have missed some important points on this film.

It still remains one of the best depictions of mental illness, as Billy Bob wrote the character of Karl KNOWING that people who are raised rough, or in Karl's case, dragged along, are going to grow up with scars. This is the truth and is not only the root of many folks' mental health issues, but they way a person grows up is what forms their beliefs, their morals. In Karl's case, the way he was raised, and what he did at such a young age, are the reasons for why the film goes the way it does.

Regarding the introduction of the girl. I have no idea where you got the idea of SLB from, as they only share a single scene together and it is obviously displaying how hard it is for some people to socialise, often labelled slow because of this.

BTW, I only just watched this film tonight. I dunno about top 20, but it is certainly one of the most emotionally driven, unique dramas ever made. If only more drama was this well written.

"Some may never live, but the crazy never die"
www.epilepticmoondancer.net

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

There are levels to Sling Blade, just like any great film.

If you look at it like a play, it's all about the development of one character, and that's Karl. Karl has been locked up for 20 years for killing his mother, a crime that he now regrets, because he realizes she wanted to have sex with the Dixon character -- something that, as a child who was horribly mistreated, he couldn't understand. He has a lot of catching up to do in a short time. And man does he ever catch up.

After Karl gets out, the rest of the film is about him completing the journey of his life. He gets a job doing what he's good at, and earns the respect of his peers. He befriends Frank, and while he is viewed by other characters as a father figure to Frank, and there are elements of that, he is also like a big brother to Frank. Remember that shortly after Karl plays football with Frank and the other boys, he goes to confront his father, and one of the things he says is "you ought not killed my little brother, we could have had fun sometimes". They are often referred to as "boys" in the film by Doyle and possibly others, as in "hey boys, I'm glad you're back".

Karl is discovering, through Frank and his mom, all of the things that were stolen from him, and he is making sense of his own experience. And I think his biggest revelation to the audience is that he blames his father for his misfortune. He says he has thought a great deal about killing him, but realizes it isn't worth it. He's going to die soon anyway. But Doyle isn't dying anytime soon. And by killing Doyle, Karl can metaphorically right some big wrongs in his own life, most importantly saving his little brother (Frank) from the monster father. He also saves his metaphorical mother -- remember, his real mother made him biscuits and mustard "three or four times a week". When Frank's mother makes him biscuits it connects him to his real mother. At the end, when he leaves, he says to Frank's mom "it's not everyone who will make you biscuits in the middle of the night". The writing is subtle, but deep.

To demonstrate the character development -- Billy Bob wrote us one final scene. Karl shows how his character has changed in this last scene where he tells the rapist "point of fact, don't say another word to me. I'm not listening to you anymore". Like everything in this movie, it's subtle and understated, but gets the point across beautifully. Karl isn't going to be a victim anymore.

Thematically, the film is about prejudice, poverty, violence, and touches on religion too. All are handled thoughtfully and very subtly not by preaching, but by showing these things in action: the weakness and stupidity in prejudice (through Doyle), the effects of poverty on people (Karl's family and Frank's family), what it feels like to be under the threat of violence with no way out.

One of my favourite films. I hope you can grow to appreciate it too.

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

Nicely put, bogree

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

Whatever this means - I did Engineering school - like lots of equations - you heard of the Hubble? I saw it - literally - in the garage in Sunnyvale where i worked. it's taken me years to get ..."stuff" like you are saying. It's difficult to "transcribe"

House: I have been on a date before.
Wilson: Not since disco died.

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

The film is a snap shot of life in the South. Living in the South is at times like living in the Twilight Zone. It doesn't make any sense. I moved to Florida in 1979. I was born and raised in California and thought I had died and gone to hell after first moving to Florida.
The movie was different from the others at the time. One might consider it a "tone poem" of sorts. It is subtle at times and provides a glimpse of life here. You have to live in the South to fully understand the movie. I know that these last comments may not be helpful.
I remember the first time I moved to a rural part of Florida. The first words out of someone's mouth was "you ain't from "round cheeer("here")are you? It sounds better than it reads.
Religion plays a very big part of life in the south. You may think the baptism scene is irrelevant but it isn't. "Go out whoring on Sat. night and Church on Sunday morning is not just a good country/western lyric. It still exists here.
I saw an interview with Mr. Thornton and he allowed as how the movie and it's characters were drawn from characters/people he grew up with in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The man may make his living in Hollywood but at heart he is a "county boy/ redneck.
Most of the people here don't give a damn about fitting in or assimilating back into society. The film maybe slow but watching Japanese films is to me like watching paint dry and Kurosawa's films are normally thought of as great.
I understand some of your comments but what did you want , a three hour movie to flesh out the emotional content. People don't "cotton" to those ideas down here. I think you're asking for more than the movie could ever give.
I thought killing Doyle removed an evil from the world. You are trying to apply real world sensibilities to a section of the country that is still pissed off, even a hundred years later, that they lost the "Civil War" and they have been fighting a guerilla war ever since.
I know this is long winded but what can a poor boy do?

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

I am from the south.
And at first I wanted to protest your general statement that this is a snapshot.
Sure there is so much more, if you live in a city that is trying to keep up with the rest of the world in a way.

But you are right, this IS a snapshot.

For anyone that doesn't get it, just go to any web site that tells the stories of ANY person on death row for homicide. Read any story from a southern state. These web sites tell the background on the victim(s), the accused and sometimes who is left behind. And these stories are just the ones that are considered sane! You would have to search longer for the stories on the ones in the mental hospitals, but, there are a lot of Doyle's, Franks, Carl's and others out here.


Ephemeron.

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

I've lived in Southern cities, if you can call Miami a southern city, and then moved to the country, and have loved it ever since. It is similar to Sling Blade, in my opinion. There are days that it feels like I live "in the back of beyond" if I remember the quote correctly.
I appreciated that the original posterer ( yes I know it's not a word) had wanted to flesh out the characters, but I think I neglected to say that sometimes there isn't anything else to flesh out. What you see is what you get. Country folk may be simple and crude but they seem to be a lot less pretentious than the city folk in say Tallahassee, Fl.
I think that the guy from Romania(?) should read some Faulkner or Tennessee Williams to get a flavor of and feeling for the south.
Now for some trivia- first - in a Criminology class I took there was an interesting statistic. The South had more crime per capita than any other region in the country. And secondly the South was originally populated with the "undesirables" from the original colonies like Australia was originally a penal colony. If that doesn't shape a region or populaces DNA I don't know what would. Anyway, thanks for letting me ramble

Post deleted

This message has been deleted.

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

There are many books and films that capture the abject poverty and attitude about the south and its people, whites, blacks, educated and uneducated. the book Tobacco Road is a 1932 novel by Erskine Caldwell, epitomizes the desperation of those times. The movie the Green Mile, mostly about a group of criminals, including some that are suffering from mental illness, and the officers who worked there, but this movie catches the flavour of injustice and how mental illness is perceived by those who are educated and those who are not, it shows prejudice even amoung the inmates. The people of south are not the only ones that have this outlook, as many do around the world.
The south is depicted mostly this way as many people make their living as farmers, crop pickers, or ranch hands, and don't really need to be highly educated, their attitudes about everything comes from long held beliefs and mores passed on from their families, churches, and communities. Since cotton, tobacco and other like crops are now produced elsewhere, there is much poverty in the south adding to the absolute poverty. There is likely more incidence/percentage of southern people turning to crimina/violent behaviour.

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

I would try and make up something cute to reply to crop Puckers but it doesn't seem worth the effort. And I do realize it's a typo, just thought it was funny and interesting, like my cell phone when I'm texting and it decides what word I really want to use.

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

You are right about not liking it. This is actually one I wanted to go see and went to the theater paid and started watching it and fell asleep at about 20 minutes in, it was that bad and I woke up during it and said to myself that this is boring and walked out in the middle of the movie.

I did eventually watch the whole thing but still can't understand how people like this. Rating is just way to high for this movie. The rating on this site is so backwards its unbelievable.

I am a gore watching freak!!!

If it don't have it, it isn't worth the watch.

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!


Rating is just way to high for this movie. The rating on this site is so backwards its unbelievable.




Hmmm...I don't know about the rating being too high. I would agree with the almost 70,000 raters that on average gave it an 8.0 rather than the few that didn't like the movie. If you did not like the movie that's fine, but you should not assume that the ratings on the IMdB is backwards. There is power in group consensus, especially when you have such large numbers rating the movie high.

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

What made it "boring" to you?

Re: DIDN'T LIKE IT! HELP ME OUT FANS!

First of all everyone knew he wouldn't fit into society. The movie establishes that from the beginning. And we know he's good at 2 things: killing and fixing lawnmowers. But the latter doesn't give him any joy or sense of purpose.
His main motivation is to ensure the kid has a happy live and that he doesn't end up like him. He didn't kill the mom's boyfriend just because. He could've done that the first time the character acted like an *beep* He killed him because he saw that the boy was building up to be the killer, and he didn't want him to go through what he went through.
It's easy to be mislead into the predictable outcome, but you gotta look into it and see that he's trying to avoid that, and he only took action when it came out to be him or the boy who's going to kill the *beep* boyfriend.
Top