History Film / TheSweetHereafter

* AmoralAttorney: Many of the townspeople see Mitchell this way, and with good reason. After all, he is essentially an ambulance-chaser come to profit from a horrific tragedy. Of course, it gets more complicated when we learn more about Mitchell, who actually identifies with the town and genuinely thinks he's helping them. See AdultFear above.

* AdultFear:
** The worst fear of an entire town -- the tragic mass death of dozens of children in a freak accident -- comes true.
** Also true for Mitchell, who is watching his beloved but estranged daughter succumb to drug addiction before his eyes. Made even more poignant when we learn later in the movie about an incident from her childhood in which she nearly died from a spider bite.

* BreakTheCutie: Nicole, who was a budding country music prodigy before the accident, which left her paralyzed. Of course, [[spoiler: she may already have been somewhat broken on account of the ParentalIncest]].

* OutrightLie: Nicole [[spoiler: during the deposition, in order to undermine the case]]. A number of people know that she is lying, but the only one who knows why can't say.

A 1997 Canadian drama film, adapted from the 1991 novel of the same name by Russell Banks and directed by Creator/AtomEgoyan, about a small town in British Columbia dealing with the aftermath of a horrific school bus accident--the bus skids off a road due to a slick patch of ice and sinks into a frozen lake--that killed many of the town's children.

* HiddenDepths: Mitchell, especially once he relates the story of his daughter's near death experience. While his motives certainly aren't 100% pure, he does genuinely believe that he's helping the parents deal with their grief.

The film also uses an ongoing allegory, mostly relayed by 15 year old survivor Nicole (Sarah Polley), of the old story of the Main/ThePiedPiperOfHamlin to examine the effects of removing most of the children from the village.

The film also uses an ongoing allegory, mostly relayed by 15 year old survivor Nicole (Sarah Polley), of the old story of the Main/PiedPiperOfHamlin to examine the effects of removing most of the children from the village.

The film also uses an ongoing allegory, mostly relayed by 15 year old survivor Nicole (Sarah Polley), of the old story of the [[Main/PiedPiperOfHamlin]] to examine the effects of removing most of the children from the village.

The film also uses an ongoing allegory, mostly relayed by 15 year old survivor Nicole (Sarah Polley), of the old story of the [[PiedPiperOfHamlin Pied Piper]] to examine the effects of removing most of the children from the village.

** The worst fear of an entire town - the tragic mass death of dozens of children in a freak accident - come true.

A 1997 Canadian movie from director Creator/AtomEgoyan, about a small town in British Columbia dealing with the aftermath of a horrific school bus accident--the bus skids off a road due to a slick patch of ice and sinks into a frozen lake--that killed many of the town's children. The movie begins with a lawyer named Mitchell (Creator/IanHolm) arriving in the town to try and persuade the grieving parents to join a class action suit against the bus manufacturer, claiming it was defective. His arrival polarizes the town, with some families seeing the suit as a way to gain some closure, some seeing it as a potential financial windfall, and some seeing it as an outsider trying to profit from a tragedy.

* AdultFear: The worst fear of an entire town come true.

* DespairEventHorizon: Already crossed by much of the town, particularly the bus driver. One of the few people who hasn't given in to despair is a father who lost his wife some years back and is able to deal with the grief.

* [[EveryCarIsAPinto Every Bus Is A Pinto]]: Subverted. The bus skid on ice and goes off the road but, instead of exploding, it breaks through ice and sinks into a lake. The shot is simple and incredibly disturbing because we're used to this trope.

* OutrightLie: Nicole [[spoiler: during the deposition, in order to undermine the case]]. A number of people know that she is lying, but the only one who know why can't say. See below.
* [[spoiler: ParentalIncest: A major subplot involves Nicole's incestuous relationship with her father. When he breaks it off after she is crippled in the crash, she sabotages Mitchell's case (of which her father is a major proponent) in retribution.]]

* TheDogBitesBack: [[spoiler: Nicole's lie during the deposition, in order to get back at her sexually abusive father, has elements of this. Of course, it's complicated by the fact that, on the surface at least, she's mad at him for ''stopping'' the sexual abuse.]]

A 1997 Canadian movie from director Creator/AtomEgoyan, about a small town in British Columbia dealing with the aftermath of a horrific school bus accident--the bus skids off a road due to a slick patch of ice and sinks into a frozen lake--that killed many of the town's children. The movie begins with a lawyer named Mitchell (Ian Holm) arriving in the town to try and persuade the grieving parents to join a class action suit against the bus manufacturer, claiming it was defective. His arrival polarizes the town, with some families seeing the suit as a way to gain some closure, some seeing it as a potential financial windfall, and some seeing it as an outsider trying to profit from a tragedy.

A 1997 Canadian movie from director AtomEgoyan, about a small town in British Columbia dealing with the aftermath of a horrific school bus accident--the bus skids off a road due to a slick patch of ice and sinks into a frozen lake--that killed many of the town's children. The movie begins with a lawyer named Mitchell (Ian Holm) arriving in the town to try and persuade the grieving parents to join a class action suit against the bus manufacturer, claiming it was defective. His arrival polarizes the town, with some families seeing the suit as a way to gain some closure, some seeing it as a potential financial windfall, and some seeing it as an outsider trying to profit from a tragedy.

A 1997 Canadian movie from director AtomEgoyan, about a small town in British Columbia dealing with the aftermath of a horrific school bus accident--the bus skids off a road due to a slick patch of ice and sinks into a frozen lake--that killed many of the town's children. The movie begins with a lawyer named Mitchell (Ian Holm)arriving in the town to try and persuade the grieving parents to join a class action suit against the makers of the schools bus, claiming it was defective. His arrival polarizes the town, with some families seeing the suit as a way to gain some closure, some seeing it as a potential financial windfall, and some seeing it as an outsider trying to profit from a tragedy.

* SmallTownBoredom: Nicole, who dreams of a career as a country musician, has shades of this in the scenes set before the accident. Then [[ItGotWorse it got worse]].

A 1997 Canadian movie from director AtomEgoyan, about a small town in British Columbia dealing with the aftermath of a horrific school bus accident--the bus skids off a road due to a slick patch of ice and sinks into a frozen lake--that killed many of the town's children. The movie begins with a lawyer named Mitchell (Ian Holme)arriving in the town to try and persuade the grieving parents to join a class action suit against the makers of the schools bus, claiming it was defective. His arrival polarizes the town, with some families seeing the suit as a way to gain some closure, some seeing it as a potential financial windfall, and some seeing it as an outsider trying to profit from a tragedy.