25 years after committing an unthinkable crime, a quiet man named Karl (Billy Bob Thornton) is finally returning home.  Once there, he is befriended by a fatherless boy and his mother.  But when his newfound peace is shattered by the mother’s abusive boyfriend (Dwight Yoakam), Karl is suddenly placed on a collision course with his past.

It seems like a lifetime ago now, but before Austin Powers came along, Karl Childers was the one annoying impression that everyone tried to do.  You know the type, barely getting a hint of the voice right and putting Karl in the most banal situations.  Sling Blade, while getting the acknowledgement it deserved, also suffered the slings of all cultural phenomena.  That is, the thing became a parody of itself.  How easy it is to remember only the joke and forget how powerful the film actually is.

Sling Blade is a classic southern gothic, the kind of story that exists in a thousand small towns south of the Mason-Dixon line, and while Karl’s voice may seem like a put-on, anyone who has spent any time in Dixie knows that there are plenty of people who talk like that.  If anything, Thornton has given us a snapshot of the world he comes from.  The film was shot roughly 20 miles from where he grew up, and every character in the film feels as real as any next door neighbor.

Earth tones dominate the film, browns and yellows in particular.  Thornton shot the film in such a way that it looks like a snapshot from any photo album.  Much of the film is comprised of long, static shots, mostly medium close ups and establishing shots.  Anything beyond that is used mostly as punctuation, and those shots really stand out.  Look at the scene towards the beginning, where Karl tells the student journalist why he is in the hospital.  Most of his nearly ten minute monologue is filmed in one shot, with cutaways coming sporadically as she asks questions or he says something important.  The style also helps to set the film’s deliberate pace; the story is going somewhere, and it will get there in its own time.  (When Thornton was asked why there are not many notable southern filmmakers, he said, “Maybe we just talk to damn slow.”  If the pace of this film is any indication, he may be right.)

The acting in the film is remarkable.  Dwight Yoakam was a revelation at the time.  Known mostly as a country singer, the fact that he could act didn’t seem to have occurred to most people.  Even Thornton, who had been around Hollywood for a while at the time, opened a lot of eyes with his performance.  Stuck in the stereotypical southern redneck roles (even the ones he wrote, as in One False Move), he wrote something different for himself.  Thornton and Yoakam have the two biggest roles in the film, and the conflict is really between them, but Swing Blade is populated by a rich cast of characters, all brought to life by intelligent actors, from local talent to known professionals.  John Ritter is memorable as Vaughan, the proprietor of the dollar store where the kid’s mother works.  Even the kid, Frank, played by Lucas Black, is exceptional.  Black proved himself to be one of the greatest young actors working, and he has gone on to do much in Hollywood, teaming up with Thornton again in All the Pretty Horses and Friday Night Lights.  The standout remains the late, great J.T. Walsh, one of the greatest character actors in Hollywood history.  He plays Charlie, one of the inmates in the hospital with Karl.  Charlie is creepy because Walsh plays him so sane.  This twisted, sick dialogue comes out of a guy that looks like an accountant.

Sling Blade holds up remarkably well; the power it had upon its initial release is still evident here.  The direction is deliberate and assured, and we get a portrait of a side of America that is seldom seen on film, even in the years since the film’s release.  The acting is strong throughout.  With this DVD we can forget the parody and rediscover a powerful work of American cinema.

Sling Blade is presented in the original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio.  The transfer here is exceptional, the earth tones that dominate the film are expertly rendered.  The color levels are well rendered, especially the blacks, which are important here.

This DVD is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound.  Sling Blade is a quiet film, so the exceptional sound quality here is more a bonus than anything else.  The soundtrack is sharply presented, free of any noticeable defects.  We can see the quality in how crisp the quiet moments are; the dialogue never gets lost in any aural distortion.

Disc One:

Feature Commentary With Writer/Director/Actor Billy Bob Thornton: Most of this is Thornton’s original commentary track, recorded years ago.  The only new material recorded for this DVD comes in the new, restored footage.  The track remains interesting, though, Thornton talking about everything from Karl’s haircut to the look of the film to how he cast it.

Mr. Thornton Goes To Hollywood: A look at the life of Billy Bob, from his upbringing in Arkansas to his Hollywood triumph.  This is quite the detailed bio, and like all things Billy Bob that were filmed around the time this film was released, it really plays up the “Aw, Shucks,” good ol’ boy made good angle.  (67:00)

Bravo Profiles: Billy Bob Thornton: The episode of the bygone Bravo series that offers a stylized, if somewhat whitewashed view of the writer/director.  (43:00)

A Roundtable Discussion With Billy Bob Thornton, Dwight Yoakam, Mickey Jones, and Producer David Bushell: A long talk that covers everything from how they met, how the film was cast, their influences, favorite lines, and playing in garage bands.  This is interesting if you have the time.  (75:00)

A Conversation with Billy Bob Thornton and Robert Duvall: The two actors talk about how they met, working together, and other aspects of their relationship.  (8:30)

A Conversation with Robert Duvall: 10 years later, Duvall looks back at Sling Blade and his part in it, and he talks about the success Billy Bob has had since.  (7:34)

A Conversation with Billy Bob Thornton and Composer Daniel Lanois: The composer performs a cut from the soundtrack, and the two talk about meeting and working together.  (23:00)

The Return of Karl: This appears to be a deleted scene or alternate cut, and it has an unfinished, improvised feel to it.  Here, Karl is sitting around with the boys, talking as only Karl can.  (3:38)

On the Set: Behind-the-scenes footage and outtakes.  Thornton directs, and we see Dwight Yoakam at his best.

“Doyle’s Dead” with Introduction by Billy Bob Thornton: A scene that was originally intended to follow the film’s closing credits.  It was cut because Thornton did not feel that it fit the tone of the film.

Sling Blade Reviews: Text of reviews from Time, The New Republic, and the Los Angeles Times.

Also included with this disc is a booklet that features tidbits of trivia, a reprint of an Esquire article from the time, and more.  About the only thing missing here is the 1994 short film Some Folks Call It A Sling Blade, which Thornton wrote and upon which this film is based.  That is a minor complaint, as there are hours of material here.