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Mar 14, 1997 · Sling Blade: Directed by Billy Bob Thornton. With Billy Bob Thornton, Dwight Yoakam, J.T. Walsh, John Ritter. 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.
- Billy Bob Thornton
- 345
- 2 min
- Karl Was Born from Billy Bob Thornton's Frustration with A Made-For-Cable Movie.
- Thornton Wrote The Script in Longhand, Mostly on The Set of A sitcom.
- Vaughan Was Based on A Choir Leader in An Arkansas Church.
- Ritter Gave Vaughan The Last Name "Cunningham" as A Reference to Happy days.
- Charles Bushman’s Chair Drag Was Thought Up That Day by Thornton.
- Director Jim Jarmusch Made A Cameo.
- Each Scene Was Shot in Two takes.
Daniel Mann, Thornton’s director on 1987’s The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains, insisted he “overact” for all five of his lines. Back in his trailer during lunch, Thornton looked in the mirror, which is where he imagined Karl’s visage for the first time. He also came up with the character’s distinctive manner of speaking right then and there. Thornton d...
The show was titled Hearts Afire, which Thornton starred in alongside Sling Blade co-star John Ritter. Thornton finished the scripton a Christmas Day on his mother’s dining room table.
Thornton also wrote the character with his friend Ritter in mind, knowing he could handle the rhythm of Vaughan’s words.
The former Three’s Company star revealed as much on Late Night with Conan O’Brien in 1997. As an in-joke to some of his friends who were on the cast of Happy Days, Ritter made his character a Cunningham to open up the possibility that Vaughan was actually Chuck, Richie and Joanie’s older brother from season one of Happy Days, who was written out of...
Thornton explained: “I was trying to think of a beginning. You always want that first image to hook you, and if J.T. (Walsh) had just walked over and fucked with the other patients on the way, and then sat down, that would have been too normal.”
Jarmusch played Gene, the Frostee Cream employee. The director agreed to take the rare acting role because he knew Thornton, and thought it might be fun.
A rare third take was used if there was a lighting or a technical issue. Robert Duvall (Karl’s father), when referring to Thornton as the “Hillbilly Orson Welles,” explained that Thornton believes that two takes and no rehearsals are best, because you can “catch the freshness.”
97% 58 Reviews Tomatometer 92% 50,000+ Ratings Audience Score Mentally disabled Karl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton) is released from the mental hospital where he has spent most of his life after...
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Nov 29, 1996 · 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.
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. A partially handicapped man named Karl is released from a mental hospital, about 20 years after murdering his mother and another person.
Karl (Billy Bob Thornton) in Sling Blade Character Analysis | Shmoop. Back. More. Character Analysis. Mental Patience. Karl Childers is a mentally challenged, limping murderer with terrible hair. You know, your typical Hollywood protagonist. Okay, he's far from typical, but he does have one character trait that movies love: a heart of gold.
Showing all 82 items. Jump to: Photos (42) Quotes (40) Photos. 19 more photos. Quotes. Karl : I like them French fried potaters. Vaughan Cunningham : You always seem to be deep in thought. Tell me, what are you thinking right now? Karl : I was thinkin', I'm gonna take me some of these taters home with me. Vaughan Cunningham : How about before that?
