Sling Blade 1996
I remember really enjoying this movie when it came out and it was one one of my early DVD purchases, though I don’t know if I ever actually watched it again. After making digital copies of my DVD’s I was able to watch this on the train on the way to work. Knowing about the movie, I think it loses a little. I didn’t know who Billy Bob Thornton even was the first time I saw it, but he still does a pretty good job of disappearing into the role. Some of the actors are just not very good (the manager of the lawn mower repair place), but I had forgotten that John Ritter was in it, and he is good. I definitely remembered Dwight Yoakum who plays a jerk so incredibly well and I wonder if Billy Bob put a lot of himself into that role. While the character is a little over the top, he also captures something that rings very true about an ignorant bully. In the end I am disappointed with how things turn out, but it is still a good story and I love the long pauses in the movie and little scenes that don’t advance the plot much. I don’t know that it is a great movie, but it is an interesting one to watch, and a little challenging at times. You can kind of see some of the gears of the movie turning. While not everything works, it is an earnest attempt at making a movie.
Written: 05 Oct 2017
Owned on: DVD