The Sweet Hereafter (1997)

This film documents the effects of a tragic bus accident on the population of a small town.

Director:

Atom Egoyan

Writers:

Russell Banks (novel), Atom Egoyan (screenplay)

Stars:

Ian Holm, Caerthan Banks, Sarah Polley

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 43 wins & 25 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ian Holm	...	Mitchell Stevens
Caerthan Banks	...	Zoe Stevens
Sarah Polley	...	Nicole Burnell
Tom McCamus	...	Sam Burnell
Gabrielle Rose	...	Dolores Driscoll
Alberta Watson	...	Risa
Maury Chaykin	...	Wendell
Stephanie Morgenstern	...	Allison
Kirsten Kieferle	...	Stewardess
Arsinée Khanjian	...	Wanda
Earl Pastko	...	Hartley
Simon Baker	...	Bear
David Hemblen	...	Abbott
Bruce Greenwood	...	Billy
Sarah Rosen Fruitman	...	Jessica

Storyline

A small community is torn apart by a tragic accident which kills most of the town's children. A lawyer visits the victims' parents in order to profit from the tragedy by stirring up the their anger and launching a class action suit against anyone they can blame. The community is paralyzed by its anger and cannot let go. All but one young girl, left in a wheelchair after the accident, who finds the courage to lead the way toward healing.

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Plot Keywords:

bus | children | community | anger | lawyer | 

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Taglines:

There is no such thing as the simple truth.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Fine Line

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 November 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

De beaux lendemains

Filming Locations:

Merritt, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

DEM 96,303 (Germany) (6 March 1998)

Gross:

$4,306,697 (USA) (3 April 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alliance Communications Corporation, Ego Film Arts, Téléfilm Canada

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Russell Banks:  the author of the novel the movie is based on makes a cameo as the doctor ("The mind is kind") in the hospital scene with Sarah Polley.

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Goofs

When Stephens visits the Ottos, and Mr. Otto offers him some tea, we hear a teakettle whistling but the one we see on the cooker is not the whistling type.

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Quotes

Mitchell Stephens: Something's happening that's taking our children away.

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Connections

Spoofed in The Simpsons: 500 Keys (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Courage"
Words and Music by The Tragically Hip
Sam Dent version arranged by Mychael Danna
Vocal by Sarah Polley

User Reviews

One of the great ones, but not for all tastes

"The Sweet Hereafter" was arguably the best film of the 1990s and is one of my twenty favorite movies of all time. Everything comes together perfectly: fine characterization and acting (especially by Ian Holm), beautiful photography, and a hypnotic musical score featuring Armenian folk instruments. The mood is deeply elegiac but never maudlin or weepy. There's not a false note in the movie.

But don't worry; I'm not going to start screaming, "If you don't like this movie, you just don't understand it! Go back to your Hollywood pablum, you cretinous moron!" That's a stupid argument in any case, and especially so here. There are going to be some people -- including a few art-house fans -- who will find this movie slow and tedious. For me and many others, however, the film is a masterpiece.

10/10