The Sweet Hereafter
There is no such thing as the simple truth.
Following a tragic schoolbus accident, high-profile lawyer Mitchell Stephens descends upon a small town. With promises of retribution and a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of the grieving community, Stephens begins his investigation into the details of the crash. But beneath the town's calm, he uncovers a tangled web of lies, deceit and forbidden desires that mirrors his own troubled personal life. Gradually, we learn that Stephens has his own agenda, and that everyone has secrets to keep.
Member Reviews
Don't waste your time! - anwallette
This movie was slow, terrible and required way too much thought to stay interested. The story moved ahead at the rate of a glacier...
This movie followed the aftermath, with flashbacks into the past, of a tragic school bus accident.
The lawyer hired has an ulterior motive and it actually helps to hinder the movie along with the lack of chemistry between characters.For Me This is Canada's Greatest Film - Gregg
An incredibly compelling and emotionally powerful film about a school bus accident in a small town in British Columbia which claims the lives of 14 children, and the ensuing aftermath of the tragedy for the parents, the survivors and the town.
The story is told largely from the perspective of the lawyer (Ian Holm) an outsider who has come to launch a lawsuit on their behalf because as he says ‘someone should pay for their grief’. The lawyer is not driven simply by greed, but by his own personal demons and this makes his character all the more ambiguous. The other leading characters are a girl who survives the crash but is paralyzed (Sarah Polley) and a widowed father who has lost both his young children (Bruce Greenwood), both give very good performances. The rest of the supporting cast is also strong and features a number of regulars from Egoyan’s previous films.
The film’s solid production values along with the writing, direction and the aforementioned performances makes this one of the best and certainly my favourite Canadian film.
The music is used very effectively and strongly impacts the atmosphere of the film, a number of the songs are played by a band fronted by Sarah Polley’s character in the film, and in addition to her acting talents Polley seems to possess a very nice singing voice.
The film brings considerable insight to the process of grief and how the characters each cope. The attention to detail contributes greatly to the feel of authenticity. The emotions of the characters though obviously strong are for the most part kept somewhat in check and thus the emotional impact of the film is somewhat subdued but no less powerful.
The film is based on the novel by Russel Banks which was set in Upstate New York and was itself based on an actual School bus crash in Texas. Banks approved of the adaption by Egoyan and has a cameo on the film while also participating in the DVD commentary with Egoyan.Canadian Epic - FilmJunkie
A gorgeous Canadian film adapted from the Russell Banks novel of the same name. This tells the story of a town torn apart by the tragedy of losing all their children, save one.
Sarah Polley is heart-breaking and brilliant as the one survivor. Her life before the bus crash is reassessed and she comes to terms with the terrible injustices visited on her by her father. For those of us who grew up with her on 'Road to Avonlea', this role tears away the layers of petticoats and proves Polley to be the great Canadian hope.
The ensemble is brilliant, they all struggle to cope with a world without a child's laughter and the storyline with Ian Holm and his drug addict daughter works to highlight that children are not always the saviors we see them as.
Atom Egoyan does a masterful job in weaving the story of the Pied Piper in with the tragedy of the town. An outstanding directing job that ranks him as Canada's best director.
Member Reviews
Read All...
Don't waste your time! - anwallette
This movie was slow, terrible and required way too much thought to stay interested. The story moved ahead at the rate of a glacier...
This movie followed the aftermath, with flashbacks into the past, of a tragic school bus accident.
The lawyer ...For Me This is Canada's Greatest Film - Gregg
An incredibly compelling and emotionally powerful film about a school bus accident in a small town in British Columbia which claims the lives of 14 children, and the ensuing aftermath of the tragedy for the parents, the survivors and the town.
The story ...Canadian Epic - FilmJunkie
A gorgeous Canadian film adapted from the Russell Banks novel of the same name. This tells the story of a town torn apart by the tragedy of losing all their children, save one.
Sarah Polley is heart-breaking and brilliant as the one survivor. Her life ...