"The Sweet Hereafter" (1997)

One of the most powerful images in film history but I won't tell you why...

Beyond the surface of things. we dont look there much. we dont get to see a world in which subtly happens in our lives. it has never been dissected. this is beyond filmmaking. it is a life. what happens? we see people and human nature, intuition, motivation and WHY shit happens. intead of lackadaisically saying shit happens it explains it to us. this film does not ask or present questions but answers them. it does not preach a message, but makes us think. these are not film-qualities. these are ways in whic humans think, which makes it so hard to watch. we dont have to ask why. everything is answered. or is it? what is behind our lies? it shows us that. why do we do the things we do? it shows us that as well. this is a one of a kind expirience. kids should see it. forget the nudity and language because that's not what it is about. revenge and vengence; lies and deception. i think each individual person could pick something different up from the film so this is obviously from my standpoint. i'm not sure what more you could get out of the film but then again, i'm not everyone. the film is not ominous or ambiguous. there is no twist or scare. but the way in which it moves is heart-wrenching. i dont know if i have seen a more human film. "American Beauty","In the Bedroom" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" come very close though. i love films about people, and what they do. to me we are the most fascinating things on earth. their could be more fascinating things on other planets but that is another tirade. seeing films about people is an escape. now if you saw "Sex in the City" or "Fool's Gold", you escape but not to a real place. "The Sweet Hereafter" is a place. we can go anywhere within it. it's just a matter of what mind you are in.

The plot is almost unesscesary. its a distraction- a damn good distraction but there's more to everything. we see a small cozy church-goin town where no one is a stranger. yes, like in any town, there is lying. one woman is cheating on her husband with another man whose wife died. yes they are all rather religious except the Ottos who adopted their Indian son Bear. they are looked at as the town freaks but are definatly not mistreated; that would be going against thier religion. there is the young girl having the inscestious relationship with her father. she aspires to be a singer but the forthcoming storm will change her life; and everyone else's. a tradgic school bus accident, and many chidren are killed. those in the front of the bus, were severly injured, but lived to tell the tale. the driver of the bus has had this job for years. everyone knows and trusts her. the girl who wanted to become a singer lost the use of her legs and the driver broke her neck. this is a devestating loss, but an opportunity for laywer Mitchell Stevens (Ian Holm). he is a tourtered, divorced man whose daughter is a drug addict wh has been in and out of rehab many times. she calls often for money which she gets, and spends it on drugs. he sells himself to about everyone in the town except for those who have lied, and dont want to have those lies uncovered. one man might have even caused the accident by not checking the bus correctly. he is also the one having the affair. he DEFINATLY does not want anything to do with the lawyer. this town has been a pretty clean one. well, i should say they seemed clean on the surface and to each other. but nobody was ever brave enough to do anything. well, now is the chance for some of them; to get back at those who they hate. now this plot may seem predictable, which it's not, or elemetry. but looking beyond is key. you dont have to be a psychologist to get it. you have to have blood pumping through your veins.

Now i can see how some would not get it and accuse it of nothing happening. but that person would have to be pretty flat. this is not a blase film; children may not get it, not yet. but that is no excuse to avoid it. it is a cinematic, modern-day masterpeice. i dont think much out of the 90's can get any deeper than this. the fim is about people. we lie. not one human being ever to live the earth has has ever not lied. it is human nature; a defense mechanism. we also lie to avenge or get revenge. this happens multiple times; it's just the backdrop is the plot line. we laern "fear is contagious" and when we get scared or angry, we will do anything to cause pain to those who caused us this anger or fear. again, this happens. for me it took a first viewing to notice this. it is not hard. Humans are the most fascinating organisms and what better organism to play a human than other humans. Ian Holm gives a harrowing performance as the grieving father trying to make some more money. he does NOT get attached to the town or people. he acts like he cares for them but that is really bullshit. it's part of his job. another lie. what we will do for money. that's what makes the film human. i feel close to the film because it's what we see everyday. now if this were made in the 40's or 50's this film would be considered a revelation. greater than "Casablanca" or "Citizen Kane". but now, no. it was a greaatly missed sleeper. underrated not by critics, who loved it, but audience. on RT (critics) it has a 100%. on metacritic (again, critics) a 90/100 (which is very good) but on IMDb, which is controlled by the people, a 7.8/10. i dont know where it went with the people. even the AMPAS didnt get it. it was nominated for two Oscars though. everyone should see it before they die. it will feel surreal to be watching something so human. The lies and deceit hidden beneath the surface of this film is enough to overflow our government; and it doesn't even take place in the US.

Academy Awards, USA
Year	Result	Award	Category/Recipient(s)
1998	Nominated	Oscar	Best Director Atom Egoyan
			Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Atom Egoyan