The Sweet Hereafter

This is one of Atom Egoyan's only films actually shot in his adopted country of Canada, with a solid Canadian theme.  It is listed as a drama on IMDb, but really it is a fantasy set up to look like a drama and loosely based on the Pied Piper story.  It is based on a Russell Banks of the same name; it stars Canadian actress Sarah Polley (already seen in Cronenberg's eXistenZ ) and British actor Ian Holm.  Following a horrible and tragic school bus accident that kills most of a small Canadian town's children, a lawyer comes to town sells a lawsuit for money (or compensation) as a path out of grief.  He leads the adults in almost piper like fashion, convincing them that a legal settlement will help.  Of course this, is similar to the real Pied Piper leading away the children of a small village never to return.  Only the twist in the story lies with a wheelchair bound girl that survived the accident; she is the only real path to redemption and the easing of grief

This is truly a hard movie to watch, but as with most of Egoyan's film's, it is masterfully shot and tragically beautiful in way that really gets under the skin.  It speaks to the worst fears that all parents share in such a quiet way; it moves so slowly that you find yourself horrified before you know what hits you.  The film was shot 1/2 in Ontario and 1/2 in British Columbia in the cold grey light of winter.  It's a great movie to put on if it's boiling hot outside, like it is today here in the south.  Still that winter light leaves a thin strain of sorrow kind of oozing around.  This is not a film for the faint of heart!

Runtime:  112 Min.

Rated: R

Release Date:  21 Nov. 1997

Color

Sound:  Dolby Digital

Panavision Panaflex Camera with Panavision lenses

Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1

Tagline:  There's no such thing as the simple truth.

Trivia:

Canadian born actor Donald Sutherland was originally cast in the role ultimately was played by Ian Holm.

Much of the information given in the movie about the school bus accident was lifted from a real school bus crash in 1989.

Actress Caerthan Banks, who plays Zoe Stevens, the daughter of lawyer Mitchell Stevens (Ian Holm), is the daughter of the author of the novel.

Was voted by Premiere as one of "The 25 Most Dangerous Movies."

Egoyan decided to make a film of the novel, after he received the book as a Christmas gift from his wife.

More Canadian weirdness:  


There two roads in Ottawa named for X-Files characters Mulder and Scully (Mulder Ave. & Scully Way) and they intersect. Really you can't make this stuff up!!