The Sweet Hereafter

THE SWEET HEREAFTER (Atom Egoyan, Canada, 1997) THEMES: BEREAVEMENT; IMPACT OF TRAUMA (LOSS OF CHILDREN IN SCHOOLBUS ACCIDENT) ON FAMILY AND COMMUNITY. Russell Banks wrote poignantly about the far reach of trauma on people. One of his stories led to the film Affliction, about a violent, alcoholic father’s indelible scarring of a son. This film, based on a true story, concerns the citizens of a remote town in northern British Columbia. A school bus crash kills 14 children. A big time lawyer, played amazingly well by Ian Holm, comes to town months later to try to persuade the affected families to file a lawsuit against the authorities and the bus manufacturer. We see the gradual polarization of the town into those who want to press legally for compensation and those who want to turn away and avoid the pain of continuing involvement in the matter. Most importantly, this film yields a vividly realistic, thoughtful look at the varieties of response to loss. Grade: A (12/97)

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