Synopsis

Unforgettable for its tragedy, this unique dramatic outing marks the auspicious directorial debut of screenwriter/actor Billy Bob Thornton, who also plays the lead. Set in the Deep South and filmed with a languid pace that some may find interminable, the film begins in a dingy mental hospital where the fully-grown but childlike Karl Childers stares into space as another inmate recounts the grisly details of his past crimes. Later a college journalism student and her camera operator show up to hear Karl's chilling story of how he came to commit a shocking homicide at the age of twelve. As a result, the slightly mentally retarded man has spent his life in the institution. Now due to budget cuts, he is being released with no place to go and little money. No one is worried that the violence will recur, for Karl, though slow-witted, realizes he did wrong and does not want to harm anyone. An administrator takes pity and gets Karl a simple job at a mechanic shop in Karl's hometown. He has a rare gift for fixing things, but finds the outside world bewildering at best. Outside a local laundromat, Karl meets and befriends Frank Wheatly (Lucas Black), a troubled boy who lives with his widowed working mom. When Frank takes Karl home, Frank's kindly mother Linda (Natalie Canerday) decides to let him stay with them. Soon Karl meets Linda's gay workmate and close friend Vaughan (John Ritter). He also meets the brutish Doyle (Dwight Yoakam), Linda's hard-drinking, opinionated, increasingly abusive redneck boyfriend. With the introduction of these characters, the stage is set for a tragic final confrontation.

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