– Director: Billy Bob Thornton

– Stacker score: 89.6

– Metascore: 84

– IMDb user rating: 8.0

– Runtime: 135 minutes

Billy Bob Thornton received serious praise for his role in “Sling Blade,” playing a man with developmental disabilities just released from prison for a murder he committed as a child. He earned even more accolades for the film’s script, which won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay. Country music star Dwight Yoakam made his first major acting appearance in the film as an abusive boyfriend.