A man who’s committed a crime, and someone you might find yourself rooting for, mmm-hmm. After three decades in a mental hospital, a quiet, deliberate individual (Billy Bob Thornton) is freed and finds work repairing lawnmowers in rural Arkansas. He connects with a young boy and his mother (Natalie Canerday), who allow him to live in their garage, though the mother’s boyfriend creates complications (Dwight Yoakam). John Ritter appears as the mother's openly gay friend. "Sling Blade" (1996) is a small-town story featuring an unforgettable central figure—I wouldn’t have known it was Thornton if I hadn’t already been told. The characters and their circumstances feel authentic, and the unhurried narrative holds your attention. There are some genuinely moving scenes of reflection and discovery as well as moments that touch the heart. The film does go on a bit too long, though, and the seemingly obligatory positive portrayal of Vaughan (Ritter) is hard to take seriously. Karl (Thornton) says, “The Bible says two men ought not lay together. But I don't reckon the Good Lord would send anybody like you to Hades.” However, his comment doesn’t carry much weight because he openly admits that he doesn’t really grasp a lot of the Bible, especially considering his habit of resorting to murder to deal with everyday issues. He’d be better off sticking to lawnmower repair and eating French fried potatoes, mmm-hmm. The movie has a runtime of 2 hours, 15 minutes, and was filmed in Benton & nearby Haskell, Arkansas, approximately 20-30 minutes west of Little Rock. GRADE: B-

Source on TMDB