Since Frank is now the only thing Karl cares about, and given Karl's past, it isn't difficult to guess what comes next. Karl sees this and realizes that if he doesn't do something, Frank's life will become a nightmare. Unfortunately Frank's mother refuses to leave the man. He isn't physically abusive, but his verbal insults and degradations to Frank, his mother, and Karl really make you hate the guy. You quickly come to understand two things: how kind and sweet the boy, his mother, and her friend are, and how much of an ass Doyle is. Frank takes him home to meet his mother Linda (Natalie Camerday), her best friend Vaughan (John Ritter), and her jerk of a boyfriend Doyle (Dwight Yoakam). He goes to town where he meets a young boy named Frank (Lucas Black) whom he eventually befriends. Now that he has freedom, he has no idea what to do with it. After all, he has spent virtually all of his life locked up. However, instead of being happy, the only thing he feels is confusion. Karl was sentenced to twenty-five years in a mental institution, or "nervous hospital" as he calls it. When he learned that his mother was with the man by choice, he also attacked her. Not far away he saw a scythe, or as he calls it, a "sling blade," which he used to attack the man. Karl's immediate reaction was anger, thinking he was hurting her. When he arrived he saw the previously mentioned man, the one who was bad to him, "with" his mother. One day when Karl's mother didn't bring him his daily meal he decided to venture up to the house himself. One man in particular was very nasty to him. Not only did he have to go without parents who loved him, but with the teasing and tormenting of the local townspeople. He lived there for many years, all alone. When his parents learned that there was something wrong with him they decided to keep him in a shed. No more than five-minutes into the film we come to learn Karl's story. His eyes dart about sporadically, he has trouble communicating in what we would call a "normal" fashion, and his pattern of speech is distinctly Southern, each sentence ending with a gruff "Erm-hmm." In other words, he is a very charming, sweet, and simple man. The title character of the film, Karl Childers (played by Billy Bob Thornton), speaks in a deep, rough grumble. If you are unfamiliar with the plot, perhaps this is a good way to sum it up: What if Forrest Gump had killed people? Notice something important there, it's not "What if Forrest Gump was a killer?" This isn't a story about a murderer who happens to be mentally challenged, rather, it's a story about a mentally challenged man who happens to commit a murder. As Thornton himself says, this is a simple movie about complex characters. Thornton, but with a hearty helping of inspiration. If that is your opinion of him, as mine once was, then I challenge you to watch this film I guarantee that you will walk away not only with a new-found appreciation for Mr. At first glance Billy Bob appears to be an unintelligent, scruffy, red-neck.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |