The Sweet Hereafter

In the fictional town of Sam Dent, Canada, a school bus has swerved off an icy road into a frozen lake, leaving dozens of children dead and others injured. In the accident's aftermath, the townspeople each react differently, some looking for a party to blame, others mourning quietly. As if to profit from their grief, a big-city lawyer comes to town looking for clients to sue the bus company and promising to make them rich. The lawsuit, however, threatens to divide the townspeople even further. Just when the suit appears to be solid, one survivor's crisis of conscience leads her to make a decision that will lead her to the ''sweet hereafter,'' a realm for those who are at peace with their fate.