Editing Sling Blade (section)

{{short description|1996 US drama film by Billy Bob Thornton}}
{{About|the 1996 film|the tool|Sling blade}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| image          = Slingbladeposter.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Billy Bob Thornton]]
| producer       = [[Larry Meistrich]] <br />David L. Bushell <br />Brandon Rosser
| screenplay     = Billy Bob Thornton
| based_on       = ''[[Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade]]'' <br />by Billy Bob Thornton
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* Billy Bob Thornton
* [[Dwight Yoakam]]
* [[J. T. Walsh]]
* [[John Ritter]]
* [[Lucas Black]]
* [[Natalie Canerday]]
* [[Robert Duvall]]
}}
| music          = [[Daniel Lanois]]
| cinematography = Barry Markowitz
| editing        = [[Hughes Winborne]]
| studio         = [[TSG Pictures|The Shooting Gallery]]
| distributor    = [[Miramax Films]]
| released       = {{Film date|1996|11|27}}
| runtime        = 135 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $1.2 million<ref name="Collins" />
| gross          = $34.1 million<ref name="numbers">{{cite web |title=Sling Blade (1996) - Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sling-Blade#tab=summary |website=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]] }}</ref>
}}
'''''Sling Blade''''' is a 1996 American [[Psychological drama (film genre)|psychological drama film]] written, directed by and starring [[Billy Bob Thornton]]. Set in [[Arkansas]], it is the story of intellectually challenged Karl Childers and the friendship he develops with a boy and his mother. Karl was released from a [[psychiatric hospital]] where he had grown up due to having killed his mother and her lover when he was 12 years old. It also stars [[Dwight Yoakam]], [[J. T. Walsh]], [[John Ritter]], [[Lucas Black]], [[Natalie Canerday]], [[James Hampton (actor)|James Hampton]], and [[Robert Duvall]].

The film was adapted by Thornton from his previous one-man show ''Swine Before Pearls'',<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-11-26 |author=ROGER CORMIER |url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/71731/14-fascinating-facts-about-sling-blade |title=14 Fascinating Facts About Sling Blade |website=www.mentalfloss.com |access-date=2019-12-16 }}</ref> from which he also developed a screenplay for the 1994 short film ''[[Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade]]'', directed by [[George Hickenlooper]]. ''Sling Blade'' became a [[sleeper hit]], launching Thornton into stardom. Thornton won the [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay]],<ref name="nashcountrydaily">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nashcountrydaily.com/2016/11/25/dwight-yoakam-reflects-on-20-years-of-sling-blade-one-of-the-seminal-moments-of-my-life-as-an-artist/|title=Dwight Yoakam Reflects on 20 Years of "Sling Blade"—"One of the Seminal Moments of My Life as an Artist"|date=2016-11-25|website=Nash Country Daily |access-date=2019-12-16}}</ref> and he was also nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]. The music for the soundtrack was provided by [[French-Canadian]] musician/producer [[Daniel Lanois]].

''Sling Blade'' was filmed in 24 days,<ref>{{Cite web|date=Jan 1, 1997|title=Billy Bob Thornton by John Bowe for Bomb Magazine|url=https://bombmagazine.org/articles/billy-bob-thornton/|website=Bomb Magazine}}</ref> on location in [[Benton, Arkansas]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/sling-blade-movie-2181/ |title=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |access-date=2019-12-16 }}</ref> produced by David L. Bushell and Brandon Rosser.<ref name="miramax">{{Cite web |url=https://www.miramax.com/movie/sling-blade |title=Sling Blade - Official Site |publisher=Miramax |access-date=2021-01-01 }}</ref>