Ok, so I'm 10 years behind the curve, but I finally got around to seeing Sling Blade. Amazing. No wonder Billy Bob was the darling of Hollywood after this was released. He managed to craft a story about a mentally retarded man that was interesting, touching, depressing, hopeful, tense, and light-hearted -- all inside 2 1/2 hours. The running time looked long on the cover, but every single shot is deliberate. I have no idea how much was cut for the final picture, but the final package was perfect. Even the scenes that linger on something don't feel like they're lingering.
The comic relief moments are early and often, but not distracting. John Ritter is laugh-out-loud funny for all the wrong reasons. Not funny ha-ha, funny queer. Doyle's porch band... priceless.
I'd highly recommend this DVD.