The Sweet Hereafter
“There is no such thing as the simple truth.”
A small mountain community in Canada is devastated when a school bus accident leaves more than a dozen of its children dead. A big-city lawyer arrives to help the survivors' and victims' families prepare a class-action suit, but his efforts only seem to push the townspeople further apart. At the same time, one teenage survivor of the accident has to reckon with the loss of innocence brought about by a different kind of damage.
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Cast
25 people
Ian Holm
Mitchell Stephens
Known for
Ratatouille
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Sarah Polley
Nicole Burnell
Known for
Dawn of the Dead
Mr. Nobody
Tom McCamus
Sam Burnell
Known for
Room
Orphan Black
Gabrielle Rose
Dolores Driscoll
Known for
Away
The Stand
Alberta Watson
Risa Walker
Known for
La Femme Nikita
The Keep
Caerthan Banks
Zoe Stephens
Maury Chaykin
Wendell Walker
Known for
Entrapment
Dances with Wolves
Stephanie Morgenstern
Allison
Known for
Yin Yang Yo!
Maelström
Bruce Greenwood
Billy Ansel
Known for
The Resident
Star Trek Into Darkness
Arsinée Khanjian
Wanda Otto
Known for
The Captive
Fat Girl
Earl Pastko
Hartley Otto
Known for
The Colony
Land of the Dead
Simon Baker
Bear
Known for
Shanghai Noon
The Missing
Atom Egoyan Director · Russell Banks Author Mychael Danna Composer
Worldwide gross $8M · Budget $5M · United States release November 21, 1997
Box office
Budget
$5,000,000
Worldwide gross
$7,951,247
Gross vs. budget
1.6×
Production
Ego Film Arts
Production
Alliance Films
Production
Alliance Communications
Production
Fine Line Features
Production
Canada
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English · Spanish
Release dates
France · May 15, 1997
Premiere · Cannes Film Festival
United States · November 21, 1997
Limited theatrical
United States
October 4, 1997 · Premiere · New York Film Festival
Argentina
February 25, 1998 · Theatrical
Armenia
July 18, 2025 · Premiere · Golden Apricot International Film Festival
Australia
July 16, 1998 · Theatrical
Brazil
December 26, 1997 · Theatrical
Canada
September 4, 1997 · Premiere · Toronto International Film Festival
September 17, 1997 · Premiere · Cinefest Sudbury International Film Festival
September 5, 2024 · Premiere · Toronto International Film Festival
Finland
June 7, 2002 · Theatrical
Germany
March 5, 1998 · Theatrical
Greece
November 7, 1997 · Theatrical
Hong Kong SAR China
March 12, 2006 · Premiere · Canadian Film Festival
Hungary
December 23, 1999 · Theatrical
Japan
October 23, 2004 · Theatrical
Malaysia
July 7, 2001 · Premiere · Canadian Film Festival
Mexico
December 1, 1997 · Theatrical
Netherlands
February 19, 1998 · Theatrical
May 31, 2001 · Physical · DVD
Norway
January 23, 1998 · Theatrical
Sweden
January 23, 1998 · Theatrical
Switzerland
August 12, 1997 · Premiere · Locarno Film Festival
Taiwan
August 23, 1997 · Premiere · Fanciful Film Festival
United Kingdom
September 25, 1997 · Theatrical
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