towards the middle of " the sweet hereafter , " a crowded school bus skids on an icy road surface as it rounds a bend , careens through the steel guard rail , and disappears out of sight .
then , in long shot , we see the vehicle slowly sliding across what looks like a snow - covered field .
it pauses for a moment before the " field " cracks under the bus ' weight and the bright yellow vehicle vanishes in an effortless moment , a single smooth second of time .
compare that scene , if you will , to the last eighty minutes of " titanic , " when the behemoth sinks slowly and spectacularly to its watery demise , and you 'll appreciate the futility of comparing greatness in films .
the scene in " the sweet hereafter " epitomizes all that 's right with independent canadian director atom egoyan 's film .
it 's not sensational .
we do n't see the inside of the bus with its payload of screaming , terrified children being bloodied and battered about .
the bus does n't explode or break into a thousand tiny pieces .
it simply leaves the road and silently slips beneath the surface of a frozen lake .
it 's a horrifying sequence made all the more so by calm and distance .
using a non - linear approach to his narrative , egoyan shifts back and forward in time , connecting us with the inhabitants of the small british columbian town who have been severely affected by this tragedy .
fourteen children died in the accident , leaving their parents and the town itself paralyzed with grief .
the catalyst at the center of the film is ambulance chaser mitchell stephens ( a wonderfully moving performance by ian holm ) , who comes to sam dent to persuade the townsfolk to engage in a class action suit .
stephens , who " does n't believe in accidents , " functions as a concerned , involved observer , scribbling details in his notebook and providing the parents with an opportunity to reach some kind of closure in the harrowing aftermath .
while stephens ' initial drive may be financial ( one third of the total settlement if he wins ) , his involvement provides him more with an outlet to come to grips with his own loss .
his self - destructive , drug - addicted daughter has been in and out of clinics , halfway houses and detox units for years .
egoyan 's attention to detail and ability to establish mood are so impeccable
that even the sound of a kettle boiling resonates like a plaintive cry .
mychael danna , who composed the shimmering music for " the ice storm , " contributes another memorable score that shivers and tingles .
equally impressive is paul sarossy 's cinematography , capturing the imposing canadian mountainsides and low - hanging fogs as splendidly as his shadowy interiors -- in one scene a bright wall calendar serves to illuminate portions of a room .
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the sweet hereafter , " while undeniably grim , urges the viewer to grab onto life with both hands and not let go .
it 's a film of generous subtlety and emotion .
urges the viewer to grab onto life with both hands and not let go . it 's a film of generous subtlety and emotion splendidly contributes another memorable score that shivers and tingles . equally impressive attention to detail and ability to establish mood are so impeccable