Sling Blade
“A simple man. A difficult choice.”
Karl Childers, a mentally disabled man, has been in the custody of the state mental hospital since the age of 12 for killing his mother and her lover. Although thoroughly institutionalized, he is deemed fit to be released into the outside world.
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Cast
32 people
Billy Bob Thornton
Karl Childers
Known for
Armageddon
Bad Santa
Dwight Yoakam
Doyle Hargraves
Known for
Panic Room
Crank: High Voltage
J.T. Walsh
Charles Bushman
Known for
Breakdown
A Few Good Men
John Ritter
Vaughan Cunningham
Known for
It
Problem Child
Lucas Black
Frank Wheatley
Known for
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
Legion
Natalie Canerday
Linda Wheatley
Known for
October Sky
One False Move
James Hampton
Jerry Woolridge
Known for
Teen Wolf
The China Syndrome
Robert Duvall
Karl's Father
Known for
The Godfather Part II
Deep Impact
Rick Dial
Bill Cox
Known for
Bernie
Crazy Heart
Brent Briscoe
Scooter Hodges
Known for
Twin Peaks
Mulholland Drive
Christine Renee Ward
Melinda
Also in
Cabin Fever
Come Early Morning
Sarah Boss
Marsha Dwiggins
Also in
The Ernest Green Story
Billy Bob Thornton Director · Daniel Lanois Composer Barry Markowitz Cinematographer
Worldwide gross $34M · Budget $1.2M · United States release November 27, 1996
Box office
Budget
$1,200,000
Worldwide gross
$34,100,000
Gross vs. budget
28.4×
Production
Miramax
Production · Studio
The Shooting Gallery
Production
United States
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
Greece · August 30, 1996
Theatrical
United States · November 27, 1996
Limited theatrical
United States
August 30, 1996 · Premiere · Telluride Film Festival
Australia
July 31, 1997 · Theatrical
Czechia
January 28, 1999 · Limited theatrical · Projekt 100
Germany
September 18, 1997 · Theatrical
Netherlands
August 21, 1997 · Theatrical
October 5, 1999 · Physical · DVD
August 19, 2005 · TV · Nederland 1
June 8, 2012 · Physical · Blu ray
South Korea
September 30, 2000 · Theatrical
United Kingdom
March 13, 1998 · Theatrical
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Some details come from TheTVDB.