Not only was Billy Bob Thornton the leading role in Sling Blade (1996), he also wrote and directed the film. While the story line is rather predictable, nothing is taken away from the depth of this film. It is quickly discovered that the childhood of Karl Childers was unfortunate. The movie continues on to show that people, no matter the circumstances, all can relate to one another. The theme, and purpose, of this film is redemption. Individually differing while all sharing qualities creates a bond between the characters that makes this film memorable. Not to mention Billy Bob Thornton’s authentic performance.
From the beginning of the movie, people seem to have a fascination over a man with a mental disability. After telling his story another
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time, he is released from the “nut house” and goes into society with no preparation or any sense of how things work in the real world. He had been put away since he was a young boy of only 12 years old for murdering who he thought to be his mother’s rapist. When discovering that his mother was more than willing to be with this man, he became so enraged he killed his own mother without thinking twice about it. Both were put to their deaths with what Karl liked to call a sling blade. Typically, those who can end the life of a person they love are the most hated in movies. However, it is almost impossible to feel anything but sorry for Thornton in the role he plays. From the back story of his childhood to the gimp in his walk, Karl Childers could win over sympathy from anyone. He soon goes wandering around his home town, only to find a boy, Frank, who is much younger than himself that he has an instant connection with. In any other situation, this relationship would raise a few eyebrows leading to suspicion of Karl’s intentions. However, it is apparent that the two are soul mates with a bond comparable to brothers. It is their broken past that links them together. With Frank being so young and Karl having such rough experiences, the two basically get a chance to fix some of the damage done in their lives. Janet Maslin, a writer from The New York Times had a lot to say about Sling Blade. She focused mostly on Thornton’s ability to juggle all his tasks as director and actor. Maslin also applauds him for his amazing performance which is hardly debatable. Thornton was able to take on a whole new persona for this role. Maslin writes “explores these tidy symmetries in a watchful style that relies heavily on the power of the characterizations”. Characterization plays such a major role in this movie. Without it, the movie would be a rather boring to watch and there would be no depth to the story. While everyone pretty much knows what the end result of the movie is going to be, the audience keeps watching because of the characters. The characters are what hooks those watching, a relationship is developed and it leads to the audience really caring about how each of their lives turn out. Maslin refers to Karl in a way is arguable. While describing him, she says “withdrawn character with unspoiled innocence despite a terrible past”. Characterizing a man who has killed before as innocent is foolish. Considering the circumstances, he had a right to want to hurt the man he believed was sexually harming his mother. But once the reality of the situation became apparent, Childers knew better than to kill the woman who gave birth to him. Yes, he most likely had a lot of hatred towards her, and for good reasons. However, that does not justify murder. Sling Blade (1996) is about more than appears to the eye.
The reason this movie can make such an impact is because anyone can relate to it. There is something in it for everyone. The whole movie revolves around redemption. Second chances are never actually discusses but they seem to take place quite often throughout the film. For example, Linda, Frank’s mom, gives her abusive boyfriend, Doyle, several chances. Even though he is repeatedly mistreating her, and everyone involved in her life. She is doing so in the hopes that she will be as happy as she once was with her deceased husband. On some level, Linda knows that Doyle will never even compare to her late husband but she keeps him around for selfish reasons. Karl’s chance at redemption is a little different than Linda’s. Karl knows that he has done wrong in his life and he sees his friendship with Frank to make some things right. If not in his own life, than someone else’s. There are several occasions where Frank seeks advice from his new friend, usually involving his mother and Doyle. Instead of Karl telling him to do what he did, which he obviously still thinks is acceptable after killing Doyle, he steers him in the right direction. He tells Frank to take the high road and to control himself, unlike he did. He truly cares for Frank and wants what is best for him. This is his rationality for getting rid of Doyle. While his childhood was far from perfect, Karl is doing everything in his power to make sure Frank’s is the best it can
be. Billy Bob Thornton truly shows off many of his talents through this film. While the story of Sling Blade (1996) was simple, there was depth to it. It revealed a lot about people and how everyone can relate. So many aspects contributed to its success. Such as, the development of characters, the relatability, and most of all, the simplicity. Sling Blade (1996) is a must watch film because of all the basic elements transformed into something original.
Released in 1996, Sling Blade is a movie that focuses on mental illness. The movies follows the main character, Karl as he is released from a mental hospital. Karl was first admitted to the mental hospital because she killed his mother and her significant other when he was very young. He spent his whole life at the mental hospital. Years later, the mental hospital decided that he was cured and he was free to leave. After Karl is released he is given a job and a place to stay. He also befriends a young boy named Frank. Frank and Karl share a special relationship. Frank’s mother, Linda allows Karl to stay in her garage. At Frank’s home, his mother’s abusive boyfriend, Doyle also lives with them. Doyle is abusive to everyone in the household
...cific scene in the film may have people to view schizophrenics as crazy and they cannot control themselves. Without reading the book the film will probably be difficult to understand. The film does not include or go into detail in the major incidents that happened in the book.
For someone like me that has never had an encounter with someone who has a mental illness, it is easy to see the reality. Reading the last part of the book when Earley started talking about how he cannot protect Mike from the viciousness of his illness, but he will stand next to him and help him. This make me realize that the mentally illness does not only affect the individual, but it affects their family greatly
Sling Blade’s main theme is the redemption of Karl’s lost childhood. Karl Childer’s overly religious parents believed he was a punishment from God. They severely abused him, treated him like an animal, and forced him to live in a shed in solitude. Everyone in town picked on him and called him names. He was seen as a “retard” or slower than others. He had little to call his own. His only possessions were a Bible and several books on Christmas and carpentry. Karl was taught the Bible as a child, but it wasn’t really the Bible. The stories they told him were not in the Bible. His parents had made up their own stories and had led him astray on the rights and wrongs of life.
This film by virtue of its independence has shied away from the usual hype associated with American movies. The result is an original screenplay by Billy Bob Thornton that is transformed into a mesmerising tale of the south. Thornton cast actors with ability rather than their image or ‘Hollywood status’. Sling Blade challenges us to re-evaluate our principles and our definitions of right, wrong and of justice.
Through this movie and novel both Mark Herman and Elie Wiesel are trying to give a message that is, never lose hope until the end and you can have hope from anyone, no matter what age, gender, race or religion that person is. There is a saying that the ones that help you in your hard times are the ones that will stay with you forever. Both the movie and the novel laid this out really well. Both of them depict how the loved one will stay with you until the end. In the movie Bruno really valued his friendship with Shmuel but, he had to lie to the officer because he was scared of them which made him feel guilty and also made the relationship stronger.
“He sits down on the floor of a school for the retarded” uses a normal grown man to experience love and human nature, teaching him that love is love regardless of a person mental state and that everyone is equal. Nolan says the setting of the class is full of kids, but the kids are grown. In the beginning, a grown man begins to feel uncomfortable around mentally challenged adults because he sees them as being different from others. Grown man actions are common because people in the world don’t consider mentally challenged people to be normal, but being normal or abnormal is a part of human nature. Human nature is emotions that are wildly apart of being a human being.
By that I am not saying that in this story the campers were perfect, because no they were not, but the campers did not stand out to be different to one another because they were all people with disabilities that were bound together. In this facility, these campers were able to be okay with who they really were and were not be ashamed by that. As shown (pgs. 112 & 113), these campers fought against stigma. Truthfully, these campers were able to see how stigma “marks you as different…” and were able to avoid that belief. In a true representation, Sara brought up the story “Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity” because it was a true depiction of what a person with a disability deals with. But in this story, the campers were able to be okay with their true self depiction. They did not have to be afraid to accept who they were. Most importantly, they did not have to deal with feelings of hopelessness, distress, shame and depression. The campers in this story are no lesser of a person than any human being in this world because of a disability and in this story, at this camp, they were able to truly have that feeling. These campers accepted themselves and the people around them and together they were able to express themselves as not people with disabilities but one as a whole. I truly believe that self-acceptance and avoidance of the so
In reviewing the movie "Slingblade" many moral issues arose. "Slingblade" revolves totally around Karl, a retarded man who has spent almost all of his life in a psychiatric hospital. Upon the day of his release, Karl told his horrific story to a student newspaper reporter. While discussing his story, the viewers find that Karl was treated almost like an animal by his parents, picked on by almost everyone in town, including his father's boss's son. At the age of 11, Karl saw his father's boss's son having his way with his mother and assumes the worst. He then proceeds to attack the man with a Slingblade and kills him. When Karl learned his mother was enjoying the event, he kills her to.
...ng the underlying theme that drives the story and the movie, propels the reader and viewer to rekindle the desire to hope above all else because hope is all one has in devastating as well as dire needs. Hope overcomes despair, permits others to see your “inner light” to develop integrity which connects with honesty and trust. Hope is the inspiration to continue to live regardless of the circumstances. Red may have narrated; “Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.” But, Andy Dufresne states it best: “Get busy living, or get busy dying.”
Forrest Gump is a movie that will be around for ages. It takes the complexes of multiple disabilities and puts them into one movie. The disabilities, or disorders, cover all three of the spectrums: emotional, mental and physical. The main character in the movie starts off with a physical and mental disability, but he ends up only living with his mental disability for the rest of his life. One of the most memorable quotes from this movie is “Stupid is as stupid does”. This quote is the premise of the movie in one short sentence.
“A Beautiful Mind” is a remarkable movie that sheds light on a complicated and debilitating disorder, in which the person seems to have no control over. It is enlightening and heart warming, I would highly recommend this movie. I must admit, the first time I watch the movie, I went into it not knowing anything about schizophrenia and when it was over, I still felt like I didn’t fully understand the disorder; however, the second time I watched with the knowledge of what schizophrenia is and all of the various symptoms and I find it astonishing that Nash was able to overcome the disorder by sheer willpower over his own mind, as he chose to ignore the voices in his head.
It tells the story of a person, family and community in which individuals suffer from mental disorders much the same way as people do in the real world. Not only did I find this movie quite accurate concerning mental illness but I also established some important messages concerning mental illness in today’s society. The film takes into account that mental illness is a part of society and overall has a positive outlook on it. Their illnesses don 't define their identities nor are they even the main point of the story. In coming together, the characters find the mutual support that enables them to approach their struggles and redirect their lives in a more positive direction. To some degree, this film addresses stigma and the fact that persons with mental illness should be allowed to participate in society over being kept in a hospital, in other words, it gives
In 1987, when Lethal Weapon was first released, the western genre was on a decline, yet their influence on the film industry remained. The screenwriter for Lethal Weapon, Shane Black, claimed, “What I was looking to do at that time was write an urban western.” That in mind, Lethal Weapon shows many characteristics common to Westerns. It has an emphasis on scenery, upholding the law, and powerful, can-do-anything protagonists. Lethal Weapon most importantly displays attributes in Riggs similar to classic Western heroes. The epitome of a Western hero is Shane. Martin Riggs is the embodiment of Shane’s character in a semi-modern setting. He is able to complete seemingly impossible physical tasks with ease, he embodies the mysterious newcomer trope, he must utilize his dark past for good, and by the end of the first movie, he evolves his principles of honor and integrity to have the same values on life as Shane.
... both sides if an issue, because there are usually two sides to every story. But by looking at Frankl and examining what he has to say about the meaning of life, suffering, love, frustration, boredom, tension, etc, I have rally gained a lot of knowledge that almost is common sense. If you sit and take the time to read the material through thoroughly you can see exactly where he is coming from. He’ll take a difficult situation, such as suffering, and turn it completely around. As far as suffering goes I try to do the same thing, in a way. When Mark Felice died last October it crushed me. But I tried to look at the positive side and say well, his suffering is over and he was here to teach us how to live to be stronger and better people. Through our suffering, over the loss of his life, we ended his suffering. This is kind of what Frankl does, he turns things around and makes you view things from a different perspective. I like his way of thinking because it’s not always something that I would think of off the top of my head. Overall, I enjoyed the book although it was difficult at times to read, but I think I gained knowledge from it and see different ways to look at things now.