Sling Blade is a
1996 film which tells the story of a simple-minded man who is released from a psychiatric hospital where he has lived since he was 12. He befriends a young boy, begins a relationship with the boy's mother, and must confront the mother's violent boyfriend. It stars
Billy Bob Thornton,
Dwight Yoakam,
J.T. Walsh[?],
John Ritter[?],
Lucas Black[?],
Natalie Canerday[?],
James Hampton[?] and
Robert Duvall.
The movie was adapted by Thornton from his play and previous screenplay called Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade. It was also directed by Thornton.
It won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, and was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Billy Bob Thornton).