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The Sweet Hereafter

  • 19971997
  • RR
  • 1h 52m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
35K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
Trailer
Play trailer0:32
1 Video
96 Photos
  • Drama
A bus crash in a small town brings a lawyer to the town to defend the families, but he discovers that everything is not what it seems.A bus crash in a small town brings a lawyer to the town to defend the families, but he discovers that everything is not what it seems.A bus crash in a small town brings a lawyer to the town to defend the families, but he discovers that everything is not what it seems.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
35K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Atom Egoyan
  • Writers
    • Russell Banks(novel)
    • Atom Egoyan(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Ian Holm
    • Sarah Polley
    • Caerthan Banks
Top credits
  • Director
    • Atom Egoyan
  • Writers
    • Russell Banks(novel)
    • Atom Egoyan(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Ian Holm
    • Sarah Polley
    • Caerthan Banks
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 228User reviews
    • 95Critic reviews
    • 91Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 34 wins & 57 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Sweet Hereafter
    Trailer 0:32
    The Sweet Hereafter

    Photos96

    The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
    Bruce Greenwood in The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
    Ian Holm and Sarah Polley in The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
    Bruce Greenwood and Alberta Watson in The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
    Magdalena Sokoloski in The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
    Sarah Polley in The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
    The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
    Sarah Polley in The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
    Ian Holm in The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
    The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
    Ian Holm and Sarah Polley in The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
    The Sweet Hereafter (1997)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ian Holm
    Ian Holm
    • Mitchellas Mitchell
    Sarah Polley
    Sarah Polley
    • Nicoleas Nicole
    Caerthan Banks
    • Zoeas Zoe
    Tom McCamus
    Tom McCamus
    • Samas Sam
    Gabrielle Rose
    Gabrielle Rose
    • Doloresas Dolores
    Alberta Watson
    Alberta Watson
    • Risaas Risa
    Maury Chaykin
    Maury Chaykin
    • Wendellas Wendell
    Stephanie Morgenstern
    Stephanie Morgenstern
    • Allisonas Allison
    Kirsten Kieferle
    Kirsten Kieferle
    • Stewardessas Stewardess
    Arsinée Khanjian
    Arsinée Khanjian
    • Wandaas Wanda
    Earl Pastko
    • Hartleyas Hartley
    Simon Baker
    Simon Baker
    • Bearas Bear
    David Hemblen
    David Hemblen
    • Abbottas Abbott
    Bruce Greenwood
    Bruce Greenwood
    • Billyas Billy
    Sarah Rosen Fruitman
    • Jessicaas Jessica
    Marc Donato
    Marc Donato
    • Masonas Mason
    Devon Finn
    • Seanas Sean
    Fides Krucker
    • Klaraas Klara
    • Director
      • Atom Egoyan
    • Writers
      • Russell Banks(novel)
      • Atom Egoyan(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      As indicated on writer and director Atom Egoyan's commentary track on the DVD, many people ask about the odd mask worn by the notetaker during the deposition scene. This is a stenographer's mask, an item which is used in real life by a stenographer to record his or her own voice during the deposition.
    • Goofs
      In at least one scene, speeds were mentioned in "miles per hour". For a film set in British Columbia, km/h would have been much more likely.
    • Quotes

      Mitchell Stephens: I woke to the sound of Zoe's breathing. It was laboured. I looked over and noticed she was sweating and all swollen. I grabbed her, rushed to the kitchen, and splashed water on her face.

      Alison: What happened?

      Mitchell Stephens: I didn't know. I was in a panic. I guessed she'd been bitten by an insect, but there was no doctor. The nearest hospital was forty miles away, and Zoe was continuing to swell. Klara took her in her arms and tried to breast-feed her, while I dialed the hospital. I finally got a doctor on the line. He sounded young, but cool. He was confident, but there was a nervousness. He had been an intern. This was the first time he ever had to deal with anything like this. He wanted to seem like he knew what he was doing, but he was just as scared as I was.He surmised that there was a nest of baby black widow spiders in the mattress. He told me they had to be babies, or else with Zoe's weight she'd be dead. He told me I had to rush her to the hospital. He was alone. There was no ambulance available. 'Now you listen', he said, 'There's a good chance you can get her to me before her throat closes, but the important thing is to keep her calm.' He asked if there was one of us she was more relaxed with than the other. I said, 'Yes, with me.' Which was true enough, especially at that moment. Klara was wild-eyed with fear, and her fear was contagious. I was a better actor than she was, that's all. Zoe loved us equally then. Just like she hates us both equally now. The doctor told me that I should hold her in my lap, and let Klara drive to the hospital. He asked me to bring a small, sharp knife. It had to be clean. There was no time to sterilize properly. He explained how to perform an emergency tracheotomy. How to cut into my daughter's throat and windpipe without causing her to bleed to death. He told me there'd be a lot of blood. I said I didn't think I could do it. 'If her throat closes up and stops her breathing, you'll have to, Mr. Stephens. You'll have a minute and a half, two minutes maybe, and she'll probably be you can keep her calm and relaxed, if you don't let her little heart beat too fast and spread the poison around, then you might just make it over here first. You get going now', and he hung up. It was an unforgettable drive. I was divided into two people. One part of me was Daddy, singing a lullaby to his little girl. The other part was a surgeon, ready to cut into her throat. I waited for the second that Zoe's breath stopped to make that incision.

      Alison: What happened?

      Mitchell Stephens: Oh, nothing. We made it to the hospital. I didn't have to go as far as I was prepared to. But I was prepared to go all the way.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil/The Sweet Hereafter/John Grisham's the Rainmaker/Deep Crimson (1997)
    • Soundtracks
      One More Colour
      Words and Music by Jane Siberry

      Courtesy of Wing in Music/Red Sky Music

      Arranged by Mychael Danna

      Vocal by Sarah Polley

      Performed by The Sam Dent Band

    User reviews228

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    meandering sad movie
    Mitchell Stephens (Ian Holm) is a lawyer struggling with his drug addicted daughter. He's trying to convince various parents to sue the town. They lost their children when the school bus driven by Dolores Driscoll (Gabrielle Rose) gets into an accident on a snow covered road. The town is the only one with deep pockets and Mitchell will say anything to get them to sue. Nicole Burnell (Sarah Polley) is a survivor who was sexually corrupted by her father.

    This movie meanders a lot. There are long flashbacks of not only the bus ride and crash but also some of the life before that day. It has an ethereal dreamlike quality about it. It has the sad moody devastation. It doesn't make it a compelling watch unless seeing the saddest people in the world is fun for you.
    helpful•12
    3
    • SnoopyStyle
    • Aug 18, 2015

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 21, 1997 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Canada
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El dulce porvenir
    • Filming locations
      • Stouffville, Ontario, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Alliance Communications Corporation
      • Ego Film Arts
      • Téléfilm Canada
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • CA$5,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $3,263,585
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $31,149
      • Oct 12, 1997
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,263,585
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 52 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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