The film was adapted by Thornton from his previous one-man show entitled "Swine Before Pearls," from which he developed a screenplay for the 1994 short film "Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade", directed by George Hickenlooper. "Sling Blade" proved to be a sleeper hit, launching Thornton into stardom. It won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay, 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.