This is an incredibly gripping picture from Canadian
film virtuoso Atom Egoyan.
"The Sweet Hereafter" deals with the aftermath of a terrible school bus accident that wipes out all the children from an entire community. In the midst of the mourning, a big city lawyer arrives and tries to rally the grieving parents to support a class action lawsuit. Some of the villagers are eager to cooperate, but others, including two of the survivors, feel that his efforts are causing more harm than good.
There are no good guys or bad guys in this story. Everyone means well and everyone is vulnerable in the wake of a horrendously cruel act of fate. The little-known cast is excellent; you might recognize Ian Holm (eXistenZ, Brazil) and Bruce Greenwood (Exotica, Double Jeopardy).
It's thought provoking and moving and more than worthy of "Best Film of the Year" status. It's a shame it didn't win any Oscars, because I can't recall ever seeing a better movie in 1997. (Oh, well... at least the Grand Jury at Cannes got it right.)