The Sweet Hereafter (1997)

Cast

Ian Holm
as Mitchell Stevens
Sarah Polley
as Nicole Burnell
Bruce Greenwood
as Billy
Alberta Watson
as Risa

Get more information about The Sweet Hereafter (1997) on IMDb

Genres & Description

Action Drama

7.6 / 10

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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Comments on this trailer
Comments may include spoiler!

David Ellis

Best film ever. A simple fact. See it now! Music is cool to. Thank me later. - @Friday, August 17, 2018 11:02 PM

nickelelr

n o t t h a t g r e a t - @Monday, December 18, 2017 12:21 PM

Alexandros Deligiorgis

A very good movie, but if you are an Egoyan fan, you should watch Exotica. For me, his magnum opus. - @Thursday, January 7, 2016 2:22 AM

Cinema Insiders

One of the best films of the 1990's. An absolutely earth shattering film. - @Sunday, September 6, 2015 3:32 AM

watro1

Atom Egoyan is such strong director. Love his films. - @Saturday, July 13, 2013 1:43 AM

texshelters

Are all you arrogant movie goers insecure that you have to insult others.? If you don't like this film, it doesn't mean you are stupid or can't appreciate artistic movies. I liked it alright. PTxS - @Tuesday, July 2, 2013 6:10 PM

texshelters

That's a bit arrogant. If you don't like the movie, you're not an intellectual being? Really? It's taut and interesting, sure enough. PTxS - @Tuesday, July 2, 2013 6:08 PM

leeroyleeroy

because you're obviously too stupid to understand it - @Wednesday, June 26, 2013 11:41 PM

Kolidge Radio

Also, I just read all the other comments and I see now that that wasn't a wholly original sentiment. - @Friday, June 14, 2013 12:23 AM

Kolidge Radio

This is devastatingly beautiful film. But this trailer is both bafflingly bad and completely misleading. Did Michael Bay direct this? Is this a Michael Bay? - @Friday, June 14, 2013 12:21 AM

Anne Sofie Slouborg

No, if it wasn´t for the voice over, it vouldn´t be bad at all, in my opinion. But the voice over really do spoil most of it. It might also gives a bit to much away though. But fantastic movie. One of my favourites. - @Sunday, June 9, 2013 12:24 AM

Lora Bidner

Does anyone know where I can find the Canadian broadcasted trailer? This is the American Broadcasted trailer - @Wednesday, January 23, 2013 11:41 PM

Siegfried Dolores

Is the trailer really that bad? I was hooked onto the movie because of it and the movie obviously excelled the trailer in a completely different way, but Polley's narration kind of saves the trailer I think. That and the concluding track. - @Tuesday, October 9, 2012 12:05 PM

773SleepyHollow

I know! The movie is so much better than this damned trailer suggests... this trailer is "The Sweet Hereafter: The Lifetime Re-make." - @Saturday, September 29, 2012 9:39 PM

Libby Springston

This was such a moving novel. I had to read it for my online English class, and I was honestly dreading it at first because it looked so boring, but by the time I finished the book I just didn't know where to go with my life...it was like "Well, now what do I do?" I can't wait to find a copy of this movie for my own. - @Thursday, September 13, 2012 2:53 AM

Robin Parmar

This trailer tries to make this film look like a standard Hollywood tear-jerker but no... it is something special. - @Wednesday, September 12, 2012 10:01 PM

Robert Hancock

I just watched this movie for the 12th time. It is of incredible power. I finally got the message on the 12th viewing not just part of it. It is the Sweet Hereafter. Forgive and forget then one will have peace. What Abbott Delores' husband says is of prime importance. - @Tuesday, September 4, 2012 10:42 PM

srubi74

I loved the book. Worried the movie may be a disappointment after the book, but I haven't seen it yet. - @Monday, July 23, 2012 1:35 AM

goback3spaces

She can't forget that she's bereft, huh? Nice voice over narration. I bet Ash can't forget that he's bereft that he protected the alien all along. - @Wednesday, February 15, 2012 9:07 AM

Shaung1231

I like the James Hetfield Look alike. - @Wednesday, November 30, 2011 4:24 AM

HarryCaul89

@purspice It sucked because you're not a parent? Good one. - @Wednesday, September 14, 2011 4:59 AM

Allie Jo Blue

and this goes for those people who say this was terriable and a waste of their time it was based on a true story in mission 21 people lost thier lives,they lost their daughters and sons thier family so im ashamed of you we people of mission and alton are still grieving over thier loss - @Tuesday, August 2, 2011 9:54 PM

Allie Jo Blue

@shereecoleman1 you shouldnt say that this movie was based on a real bus accident in mission,texas on september 21,1989 . so if any one should should say this about my hometown im disapointed on you and your mom for not teaching you your manners - @Tuesday, August 2, 2011 9:47 PM

talk45

@corncornrocks Agree with you 100%. And I hate when people call this film "depressing." I mean of course it's sad especially with the subject matter. Were they expecting a comedy? - @Tuesday, June 21, 2011 2:54 AM

Dewey Boymann

Can't believe the negative comments. Just because it doesn't have the generic, predictable, feel-good hollywood ending, it's crap? Sometimes movies have something to say, a comment or criticism to make on society, which this movie does spectacularly. Not all movies are made just to give you fuzzy feelings. Artless blasphemers! - @Saturday, June 18, 2011 11:55 PM

RaidersRock

The ending left me speechless, such a powerful and emotional movie - @Friday, January 21, 2011 10:23 PM

radu troi

AMAIZING ! - @Thursday, January 6, 2011 10:59 PM

uqbar18

@purspice I'm making a list right now!! :D - @Friday, November 19, 2010 7:02 AM

purspice

@TeutonicRage Hmmm...I'll add it to the list. But the list is quite long at the moment. - @Thursday, November 4, 2010 12:28 PM

atsporty

@moviedude22 i concur - @Tuesday, November 2, 2010 4:33 AM

BRITTANYNOTBRITT

is the movie like the book? i want to see it but if it differs from the book alot i might not want to. - @Wednesday, September 1, 2010 9:04 PM

jurainakuhisu

i just finished reading the book and now i want to watch this. - @Thursday, August 12, 2010 7:28 PM

Duncan Chalmers

@aaldere1 disturbing? - @Saturday, June 26, 2010 11:10 PM

equifilibricum

Probably the most prescient movie about the lives Americans lead these days. No one comes closer to unearthing what is wrong in the United States than Russell Bank's book or Atom Egoyan's movie. The most disturbingly beautiful ever made. - @Friday, May 28, 2010 8:58 PM

moviedude22

looks rather dull and boring though - @Sunday, March 28, 2010 2:30 AM

Dylan Pereira

the story is about sam dent and its in ontario and it was only 14 kids its a book im reading it for school - @Thursday, November 19, 2009 12:11 AM

oho Ohoho

that really made me laugh! - @Monday, November 9, 2009 11:16 PM

Samy Lee

can you tell me whats the name plz... and is this the story of what happend in texas of the bus accident?? 20 years ago - @Tuesday, September 22, 2009 4:20 AM

Kris

Amores Perros is worse. - @Tuesday, July 21, 2009 10:31 PM

blahblahbleebleeblah

They shoulda got Don LaFontaine to do the voiceover. "In a world where everyone feels like family...one MAN will change their lives FOREVER! Sweetness first...bitterness forever after. IAN HOLM, The SWEET HEREAFTER!" - @Tuesday, May 19, 2009 1:08 AM

MOCKERY

Out of the darkest blue... comes the lightest green. It's a pure juwel. And the music of Mychael Danna is a masterpiece of sadness and grieving. It changed my life, coze i've discovered first the music, abandonned album at my workplace... and the sound and the story...then the movie, gave me the will, the desire to go to Canada! It was back in 99'. (but please, what's that stupid off voice!) - @Wednesday, May 13, 2009 3:20 PM

Sparkle Films

Awe man such a great movie! - @Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:11 AM

Jesse Blume

This could be one of the extremely rare circumstances where the film is even better than the book. - @Wednesday, April 29, 2009 5:51 AM

Paul Burger

Just finished the book a few moments ago. Cannot wait to see the film. - @Tuesday, April 7, 2009 1:04 AM

MfAaCce

I'm reading this book right now, I love it! - @Friday, April 3, 2009 1:33 PM

Oliver Scott

Quite a good film, nice music. But quite pretentious and over complicated. - @Saturday, July 26, 2008 4:19 PM

Pashdear

This is an incredible film, one of the most beautiful and underrated of the past few decades. But yeah, corny trailer. - @Tuesday, June 10, 2008 12:19 AM

Erkeengel

One of the most underrated movies I have ever come across, a gem. - @Monday, March 3, 2008 3:14 AM

Bill Kilpatrick

This is one of the best movies ever made. Scene by scene, Atom Egoyan blows the viewer away. He takes a cliche-ridden genre - the lawyer as finder of truth - and turns it inside out. The plot is less important (This is not A Time to Kill) than the relationships. Egoyan is the ultimate observer and his dramas play like satire without the cheap jokes. - @Saturday, February 2, 2008 5:11 AM

Paul Tetracycline

I liked this film so far. We are finishing it tomorrow in my film class. - @Wednesday, September 5, 2007 9:11 PM