The Sweet Hereafter

Director: Atom Egoyan Canadian citizen of Armenian descent Prominent films: Calendar (1993) Exotica (1994) The Sweet Hereafter (1997) – Considered his most critically acclaimed film Ararat (2002) Chloe (2009) – Considered his biggest commercial success Has served on juries at: Sundance Film Festival (1995) – dramatic jury Cannes Film Festival (1996) Berlin International Film Festival (2003) – head of jury Known for: Incorporating televisions and monitors into films Voice-over sequences throughout film Complicated nature of human sexuality

Screenplay Screenplay adapted by Atom Egoyan from novel (his first) Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 70 th Academy Awards Russell Banks was involved in the film and is included in the extra features of the DVD release ''Atom had to take the book apart and put the story back together in an utterly different way,'' said Mr. Banks, who has a cameo role in the movie as a doctor. ''I like to think he structured it horizontally and layered it, whereas I had it structured in four separate vertical narratives.” (NY Times, 30 Nov 1997)

Adaptation Features Setting was changed from Upstate New York to Canada Egoyan added references to Robert Browning’s “Pied Piper of Hamelin” Nichole is reading the story to the children before the accident Nichole becomes the crippled child in the story who wishes he had been able to go with the children “Pied Piper” theme is reinforced by the score Written by Mychael Danna Features music reminiscent of Medieval and Renaissance music (flute)

Awards Won 1997 Cannes Film Festival FIPRESCI Prize Grand Prize of the Jury Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Genie Awards (Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television) Best Motion Picture Best Director Best Cinematography Best Actor (Ian Holm as Mitchell Stephens) Plus three other awards 70 th Academy Awards Nominated for Best Director (lost to Titanic) Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay (Lost to LA Confidential)

Film Reception Rotten Tomatoes 100% (55 Reviews) 86% Audience approval Toronto International Film Festival (2004) Top 10 Canadian Films of all time – fourth 2015 moved to third 4/4 by Roger Ebert Received accolades from critics at USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Mirabella, among others

Cinematic Qualities Wide-screen format better suited to theater Panoramic establishing shots of landscape Character’s faces highlighted by surrounding shadows Characters often appear at the edges of the screen Multi-layered action Several things happening at once on different quadrants of the screen Accident Scene Framing - Long shots Camera Angles – high & low Editing – dissolve Sound – diegetic Diegetic - screams, feet in snow, train Nondiegetic – piano Narrative—diegetic

Fidelity Film is formatted differently (not in vignette format), but stays relatively true to the novel Banks was pleased that Eyogan kept the story loyal to his novel in regard to the meaning of the stories as he told them Understood the need for change for cinematic purposes

Trivia Egoyan’s wife, actress Arsinee Khanjian, appears in almost all of his movies She plays Wanda Otto in this film Similar case—1989 bus accident in Alton, TX 1989 bus accident in Texas; brakes failed on Dr. Pepper truck; slammed into school bus; bus plummeted into flooded gravel pit 21 students died Lawyers descended on town, large settlements reached Victims & victims families spent money unwisely, created resentment

Ideas to focus on Storytelling style Novel (vignettes by character; different first-person perspectives) Film (Stephen’s perspective; Pied Piper; nonlinear structure) Fidelity to novel Themes Guilt Blame Grief Family/Secrets Anger Justice

Sources IMBd Wikipedia YouTube The New York Times (Janet Maslin) Aflixionado The Film Sufi