The Sweet Hereafter

Atom Egoyan's first adaptation is a brilliant synthesis of Russell Banks' novel and Egoyan's own longstanding thematic obsessions. Flitting effortlessly among numerous timelines--this may be the most masterful use of screen chronology ever--it uses the aftermath of a schoolbus accident in a small town as a springboard to examine issues of accountability, displacement, and denial; Egoyan's genius is evident in his treatment of the traumatic incident itself, which would likely have either begun (see Alive) or concluded (see The Accused) anybody else's movie, but which he wisely a) buries in the middle of the picture, and b) shoots from a specific distance that renders the tragedy all the more horrifying. The entire ensemble is top-notch, but Ian Holm, Bruce Greenwood, and Sarah Polley form something of a psychological triangle, and all three give towering performances (that Holm, whose work as an attorney with questionable motives was easily 1997's best, didn't even receive an Oscar nomination is a travesty). Granted, Egoyan's recurring Pied Piper metaphor (not in Banks' book) isn't exactly whisper-subtle, but that's the only quibble that occurs to me. Highly recommended. (M D'Angelo)