Sling Blae is a 1996 drama film set in rural Arkansas. It tells the fictional story of a simple man named Karl Childers who is released from a psychiatric hospital where he has lived since murdering his mother and her lover at age 12. He befriends a young boy, begins a friendship with the boy's mother and must confront the mother's abusive boyfriend, as well as his own dark past. It stars and was written and directed by actor/writer Billy Bob Thornton, and also stars singer Dwight Yoakam, J.T. Walsh, John Ritter, Lucas Black, Natalie Canerday, Bruce Hampton, James Hampton, Vic Chesnutt, Stacia Thomason, Mickey Jones, and Robert Duvall. The movie was adapted by Thornton from his short film and previous screenplay titled Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade. The film proved itself to be a sleeper hit, launching Thornton into mega-stardom. It won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, and Thornton was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role. The music for the soundtrack was provided by French Canadian artist/producer Daniel Lanois.