The Sweet Hereafter (1997)

Directed by

Atom Egoyan

Genre

drama film

Country

Canada

Runtime

1h 52m

Rated

R

Rating

6.9 of 10 from 432 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

After a deadly school bus crash in a small town, grieving families file a class-action lawsuit. The legal proceedings force the community to confront their personal losses and hidden tensions.

slow-burnmelancholicbroodingsomberquietly intensereflectivegrief-strickenbittersweet

What happens

The Sweet Hereafter is a 1997 Canadian drama film written and directed by Atom Egoyan, adapted from the 1991 novel by Russell Banks. It tells the story of a school bus accident in a small town that kills 14 children. Survivors and grieving parents file a class-action lawsuit. This proves divisive in the community and becomes tied with personal and family issues. The ensemble cast includes Ian Holm, Sarah Polley, Maury Chaykin, Bruce Greenwood, Tom McCamus, Gabrielle Rose, Arsinée Khanjian and Alberta Watson. The book was set in a small town in upstate New York. The film was set in a Canadian town, and was filmed in British Columbia and Ontario. The film score had medieval music influences and references to the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Although The Sweet Hereafter was not a box office success, it was critically acclaimed and won three awards, including the Grand Prix, at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, along with seven Genie Awards, including Best Motion Picture. It also received two Academy Award nominations, for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Toronto International Film Festival critics ranked The Sweet Hereafter as one of the top 10 Canadian films. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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