Editing Sling Blade (section)

==Reception==
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]] ''Sling Blade'' has a rating of 97% based on reviews from 58 critics with an average rating of 8.40/10. The site's consensus states "You will see what's coming, but the masterful performances, especially Thornton's, will leave you riveted."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sling_blade/ |title=Sling Blade |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=2022-09-06 }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]] it has a score of 84% based on reviews from 26 critics.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sling Blade |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/sling-blade |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=2021-01-01 }}</ref>

''[[The Washington Post]]'' called it a "masterpiece of Southern storytelling".<ref>{{cite news |date=February 7, 1997 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/review97/slingbladekemp.htm |title='Sling Blade': Incisive |last=Kempley |first=Rita |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318102730/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/review97/slingbladekemp.htm |archive-date=March 18, 2016 |url-status=live |access-date=March 1, 2021 }}</ref> Kevin Thomas wrote in the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' that the film is "a mesmerizing parable of good and evil and a splendid example of Southern storytelling at its most poetic and imaginative".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-27-ca-3243-story.html |title=Gripping 'Blade' Crosses Folksy, Frightening |last=Thomas |first=Kevin |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=November 27, 1996 |access-date=November 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140509210752/http://articles.latimes.com/1996-11-27/entertainment/ca-3243_1_sling-blade |archive-date=May 9, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' critic Janet Maslin praised the performances but said that "it drifts gradually toward climactic events that seem convenient and contrived".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/30/movies/rejoining-a-world-left-behind.html |title=Rejoining A World Left Behind |first=Janet |last=Maslin |author-link=Janet Maslin |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 30, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170120034630/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9403E0DA103CF933A0575AC0A960958260 |archive-date=January 20, 2017 |url-status=live |url-access=registration |access-date=March 1, 2021 }}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[69th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| rowspan="5"| [[Billy Bob Thornton]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1997 |title=The 69th Academy Awards (1997) Nominees and Winners |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=October 23, 2011}}</ref> <br> <ref name="miramax" />
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Based on Material Previously Produced or Published]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 1996|Boston Society of Film Critics Awards]]
| Best New Filmmaker
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://bostonfilmcritics.org/past-winners-1990s/ |title=BSFC Winners: 1990s |publisher=[[Boston Society of Film Critics]] |date=July 27, 2018 |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 1996|Chicago Film Critics Association Awards]]
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://chicagofilmcritics.org/awards-blog/archives |title=1988-2013 Award Winner Archives |date=January 2013 |publisher=[[Chicago Film Critics Association]] |access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Chicago International Film Festival]]
| Special Jury Award
| {{won}}
| align="center"|
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film|Chlotrudis Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Best Picture
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://chlotrudis.org/awards/past-awards/1997-3rd-annual-awards/ |title=3rd Annual Chlotrudis Awards |publisher=[[Chlotrudis Society for Independent Films]] |access-date=April 23, 2022}}</ref>
|-
| Best Director
| rowspan="2"| Billy Bob Thornton
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Actor
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| Best Supporting Actor
| [[Lucas Black]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[John Ritter]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Edgar Awards|Edgar Allan Poe Awards]]
| [[List of Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay winners|Best Motion Picture]]
| Billy Bob Thornton
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://edgarawards.com/category-list-best-motion-picture/ |title=Category List – Best Motion Picture |publisher=[[Edgar Awards]] |access-date=August 15, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[12th Independent Spirit Awards|Independent Spirit Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature|Best First Feature]]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/SA_SubForm_etc/2023_SA_ALLNomineesWinners_051623.pdf |title=38 Years of Nominees and Winners |publisher=[[Independent Spirit Awards]] |access-date=August 6, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
| Best Actor
| Billy Bob Thornton
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://kcfcc.org/kcfcc-award-winners-1990-99/ |title=KCFCC Award Winners – 1990-99 |publisher=Kansas City Film Critics Circle |date=14 December 2013 |access-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[National Board of Review Awards 1996|National Board of Review Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[National Board of Review: Top Ten Films|Top Ten Films]]
| {{draw|7th Place}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1996/ |title=1996 Award Winners |publisher=[[National Board of Review]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| Special Achievement in Filmmaking
| rowspan="3"| Billy Bob Thornton
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[1st Golden Satellite Awards|Satellite Awards]]
| [[Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressacademy.com/award_cat/1997/ |title=1997 Satellite Awards |publisher=[[Satellite Awards]] |access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Adapted]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]]
| [[Daniel Lanois]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[23rd Saturn Awards|Saturn Awards]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor|Best Performance by a Younger Actor]]
| Lucas Black
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[3rd Screen Actors Guild Awards|Screen Actors Guild Awards]]
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture|Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture]]
| Lucas Black, [[Natalie Canerday]], [[Robert Duvall]], [[James Hampton (actor)|James Hampton]], <br> John Ritter, Billy Bob Thornton, [[J. T. Walsh]], and [[Dwight Yoakam]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/3rd-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards|title=The 3rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards |publisher=[[Screen Actors Guild Awards]] |access-date=May 21, 2016}}</ref>
|-
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role|Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role]]
| rowspan="2"| Billy Bob Thornton
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[49th Writers Guild of America Awards|Writers Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Based on Material Previously Produced or Published]]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551 |title=Awards Winners |date= |work=wga.org |publisher=[[Writers Guild of America Awards]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205095022/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551 |archive-date=2012-12-05 |access-date=2010-06-06}}</ref>
|-
| [[18th Youth in Film Awards|Young Artist Awards]]
| [[Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film|Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film]]
| rowspan="2"| Lucas Black
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms18.htm |title=18th Youth in Film Awards |access-date=2011-03-31 |publisher=[[Young Artist Awards]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110402060451/http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms18.htm |archive-date=2011-04-02}}</ref>
|-
| [[YoungStar Award#Second Annual YoungStar Awards|YoungStar Awards]]
| Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Drama Film
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |last=Ellis |first=Rick |title=1997's 2nd Annual Young Star Awards |url=http://www.allyourtv.com/awards/awardsyoungstar2nd.html |work=AllYourEntertainment, Inc. |publisher=www.allyourtv.com |access-date=February 2, 2013 |date=May 4, 1997 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090801031733/http://www.allyourtv.com/awards/awardsyoungstar2nd.html |archive-date=August 1, 2009}}</ref>
|}