The Sweet Hereafter is a 1997 Canadian drama film written and directed by Atom Egoyan, adapted from the 1991 novel by Russell Banks. It tells the story of a school bus accident in a small town that kills 14 children; survivors and grieving parents file a class-action lawsuit, which proves divisive in the community and becomes tied with personal and family issues. The ensemble cast includes Ian Holm, Sarah Polley, Maury Chaykin, Bruce Greenwood, Tom McCamus, Gabrielle Rose, Arsinée Khanjian and Alberta Watson. While the book was set in a small town in upstate New York, the film was set in a Canadian town, and was filmed in British Columbia and Ontario.