The Sweet Hereafter

In the small town of Sam Dent, British Columbia, a catastrophic incident occurs when a school bus encounters a patch of ice. The bus crashes into a lake, tragically resulting in the deaths of 14 children.

The parents of the lost children are left to grapple with their grief in the aftermath of the tragedy. Their lives are forever altered as they seek justice and understanding for what happened to their children.

Out-of-town lawyer Mitchell Stephens comes into the picture, driven by his own haunting trauma from a troubled relationship with his drug-addicted daughter. He approaches the devastated parents with a proposal to seek justice through a lawsuit.

Despite initial reluctance, the grieving parents, along with the bus driver Dolores Driscoll, agree to pursue a class-action lawsuit against the town and the bus company. They claim negligence in either the construction of the barrier or the maintenance of the bus led to the accident.

The success of the lawsuit greatly depends on securing favorable testimony from the few surviving witnesses. Special attention is given to Nicole Burnell, a 15-year-old who survived but is now paralyzed from the waist down.

Before the tragic accident, Nicole was not only an aspiring musician but also suffered from sexual abuse by her father, Sam. This harrowing past significantly impacts her actions during the lawsuit.

Among the parents, Billy Ansel harbors deep distrust towards Mitchell Stephens and pressures Sam to withdraw from the lawsuit. This internal conflict among the parents highlights the strain the tragedy has placed on their relationships.

During the pretrial deposition, Nicole shockingly accuses Dolores of speeding at the time of the accident. This false accusation not only puts Dolores in a difficult position but also jeopardizes the entire lawsuit.

Both Stephens and Sam come to a troubling realization that Nicole is lying about the events that led to the crash. Despite their knowledge of the truth, they feel powerless to disprove her testimony.

Two years after the accident, life continues to unfold for those affected by the tragedy. Stephens encounters Dolores, who is now working as a bus driver in another city, illustrating how the fateful day has left lasting effects on everyone involved.