- Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 34 wins & 54 nominations.
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Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
Ian Holm | ... |
Mitchell Stephens
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Caerthan Banks | ... |
Zoe Stephens
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Sarah Polley | ... |
Nicole Burnell
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Tom McCamus | ... |
Sam Burnell
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Gabrielle Rose | ... |
Dolores Driscoll
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Alberta Watson | ... |
Risa Walker
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Maury Chaykin | ... |
Wendell Walker
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Stephanie Morgenstern | ... |
Allison O'Donnell
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Kirsten Kieferle | ... |
Stewardess
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Arsinée Khanjian | ... |
Wanda Otto
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Earl Pastko | ... |
Hartley Otto
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Simon Baker | ... |
Bear Otto
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David Hemblen | ... |
Abbott Driscoll
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Bruce Greenwood | ... |
Billy Adsel
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Sarah Rosen Fruitman | ... |
Jessica Adsel
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Marc Donato | ... |
Mason Adsel
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Devon Finn | ... |
Sean Walker
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Fides Krucker | ... |
Klara Stephens
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Magdalena Sokoloski | ... |
Young Zoe Stephens
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James D. Watts | ... |
Young Mitchell Stephens
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Brooke Johnson | ... |
Mary Burnell
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Allegra Denton | ... |
Jenny Burnell
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Peter Donaldson | ... |
Schwartz
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Russell Banks | ... |
Dr. Robeson
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Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
Mychael Danna | ... |
Live Band Harmonium Player (uncredited)
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Directed by
Atom Egoyan |
Written by
Russell Banks | ... | (novel) |
Atom Egoyan | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
Sandra Cunningham | ... | line producer |
Atom Egoyan | ... | producer |
Camelia Frieberg | ... | producer |
Andras Hamori | ... | executive producer |
Robert Lantos | ... | executive producer |
David Webb | ... | associate producer |
Music by
Mychael Danna |
Cinematography by
Paul Sarossy |
Editing by
Susan Shipton |
Editorial Department
Chris Hinton | ... | color timer: DeLuxe |
Janis Kanigan | ... | color timer: British Columbia |
Joanne Rourke | ... | colorist: video mastering |
Paul Winestock | ... | first assistant editor |
Tai Zimmer | ... | apprentice editor |
Dov Samuel | ... | assistant editor (uncredited) |
Production Design by
Phillip Barker |
Art Direction by
Kathleen Climie |
Set Decoration by
Patricia Cuccia |
Costume Design by
Beth Pasternak |
Makeup Department
Gérald Altenburg | ... | assistant hair stylist (as Gerald Altenburg) |
Sylvain Cournoyer | ... | makeup artist |
Debra Johnson | ... | hair stylist |
Stephen Lynch | ... | assistant makeup artist: British Columbia |
Mary Monforte | ... | assistant makeup artist |
Production Management
Roberta Pazdro | ... | production manager: British Columbia (as Roberta J. Pazdro) |
Simone Urdl | ... | post-production supervisor |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bruno Bryniarski | ... | second assistant director |
Cassandra Cronenberg | ... | trainee assistant director |
Andy Mikita | ... | first assistant director: British Columbia aerial unit |
Tracey Poirier | ... | second assistant director: British Columbia aerial unit |
Mary Sylwester | ... | third assistant director |
David Webb | ... | first assistant director |
Art Department
Peter Atto | ... | set dresser |
Peter Bell | ... | set apprentice |
Larry Burkam | ... | art department assistant: British Columbia / set dresser: British Columbia |
Peter Cosco | ... | first assistant art director |
Darryl Dennis Deegan | ... | lead set dresser |
Sandy Glud | ... | set buyer |
Kate Greenaway | ... | illustrator: Pied Piper book |
Alexandra Hooper | ... | lead set dresser |
Mark Hunter | ... | propman |
Keith McCully | ... | construction supervisor |
Peter Miskimmin | ... | propman |
Daniel Olson | ... | art department apprentice |
Michele Witt | ... | photographic artworks |
Jon P. Goulding | ... | set designer (uncredited) |
Sound Department
Eric Apps | ... | adr recordist: Casablanca |
Colin Baxter | ... | sound assistant |
Ray Campbell | ... | sound assistant |
Andreas Carlsson | ... | sound trainee |
Tim J. Carroll | ... | stereo sound consultant: Dolby |
Bernie Cisternas | ... | sound recording engineer |
Sue Conley | ... | dialogue editor |
Steve Copley | ... | foley mixer (as Steve Copely) |
Keith Elliott | ... | re-recording mixer |
James A. Gore | ... | foley assistant |
Anna Gronau | ... | sound trainee |
David Horton | ... | boom operator |
Peter Kelly | ... | re-recording mixer |
Goro Koyama | ... | foley artist |
Bob Lacivita | ... | adr recordist: The Complex |
Andy Malcolm | ... | foley artist |
Ron Malligers | ... | foley assistant (as Ron Mellegers) |
Steve Munro | ... | adr recordist: Trackworks (as Steven Munro) / sound designer (as Steven Munro) / sound recording engineer (as Steven Munro) |
Daniel Pellerin | ... | re-recording mixer |
Ross Redfern | ... | sound recordist |
Ron Searles | ... | sound recording engineer |
Greg Shim | ... | adr recordist: DeLuxe |
David Drainie Taylor | ... | adr editor |
Tony van den Akker | ... | foley mixer (as Tony Van Den Akker) |
Sharon Zupancic | ... | foley assistant |
Special Effects by
Curtis Bradshaw | ... | special effects assistant: British Columbia |
Robert Moon | ... | key special effects technician: British Columbia |
Teo Moon | ... | special effects assistant: British Columbia |
Dawn Rivard | ... | special effects shop |
Jeff Skochko | ... | special effects technician |
Michael Kavanagh | ... | special effects coordinator (uncredited) |
Jason Wells | ... | Special Effects Tech: Toronto (uncredited) |
Visual Effects by
Dennis Berardi | ... | digital film scanning and recording: Cine-Byte Imaging Inc. (uncredited) |
Jason Carswell | ... | visual effects: TOPIX (uncredited) |
James Cooper | ... | visual effects supervisor (uncredited) |
Frank Falcone | ... | visual effects supervisor: TOPIX (uncredited) |
Sean Montgomery | ... | visual effects: TOPIX (uncredited) |
Persis Reynolds | ... | visual effects producer: TOPIX (uncredited) |
Craig Small | ... | visual effects artist (uncredited) |
Stunts
Marc Akerstream | ... | stunt consultant: British Columbia |
Bill Ferguson | ... | stunt consultant: British Columbia |
Rick Pearce | ... | stunt coordinator: British Columbia / stunts: British Columbia |
Bryan Renfro | ... | stunts (as Brian Renfro) |
Peter Szkoda | ... | stunt coordinator |
Claire Webb | ... | stunts: British Columbia (as Clarie Webb) |
Rob Wilton | ... | stunt coordinator: British Columbia / stunt double: Dolores, British Columbia |
Camera and Electrical Department
Craig Anderl | ... | second assistant camera: "b" camera, British Columbia |
Paul Boucher | ... | first assistant camera |
Rod Crombie | ... | Steadicam operator |
Jack Cruikshank | ... | generator operator: British Columbia |
Johnnie Eisen | ... | still photographer |
John Foss | ... | grip |
Rodrigue Hamilton | ... | electrician: British Columbia (as Rod Hamilton) |
Reni Hoz | ... | second assistant camera |
George Kerr | ... | best boy electric |
Julian Keyzer | ... | assistant camera: British Columbia aerial unit / first assistant camera: "b" camera, British Columbia |
Patrick King | ... | additional camera grip |
John McIntosh | ... | electrician: British Columbia (as John Macintosh) |
Gregory Middleton | ... | director of photography: British Columbia aerial unit (as Greg Middleton) |
Tom O'Reilly | ... | best boy grip (as Thomas O'Reilly) |
David Owen | ... | gaffer |
John Piva | ... | generator operator |
Brian Potts | ... | key grip |
David Suddaby | ... | electrician |
Nick Swyntuch | ... | grip |
Kirsta Teague | ... | camera trainee |
Jason Webber | ... | electrician |
Dale Zucchet | ... | generator operator: British Columbia |
Jim Filippone | ... | pilot: camera helicopter (uncredited) |
Casting Department
Megan Conacher | ... | extras casting |
Suzanne Leslie | ... | extras casting: British Columbia |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Pat Blow | ... | costume assistant: British Columbia |
Patricia Boulden | ... | assistant costume designer |
Joan Boyko | ... | costumer |
Alex Reda | ... | assistant costume designer |
Location Management
Lorne Davidson | ... | location manager: British Columbia |
Cory Kinney | ... | assistant location manager |
Tracey Renyard | ... | assistant location manager: British Columbia |
Darren Robson | ... | location production assistant: British Columbia |
Matthew Williams | ... | location production assistant |
Selina Williams | ... | location production assistant: British Columbia |
Eardley Wilmot | ... | location manager |
Music Department
David Archer | ... | musician: sackbut |
Anne Bourne | ... | musician: cello, backing vocals |
Bernie Cisternas | ... | music recording engineer |
Tim Clement | ... | musician: acoustic electric guitar (as Tim Clément) |
Al Cross | ... | musician: drums |
Mychael Danna | ... | musician: harmonium, acoustic guitar |
Kim Deschamps | ... | musician: pedal steel, electric bass, acoustic guitar |
David Eallis | ... | musician: bells, percussion (as David Fallis) |
Michael Franklin | ... | musician: shawm, krumhorn, recorder |
David Greenberg | ... | musician: vielle |
Ben Grossman | ... | musician: percussion |
Gary Honess | ... | assistant recording engineer |
Alison Mackay | ... | musician: vielle, recorder |
Terry McKenna | ... | musician: lute |
Alison Melville | ... | musician: recorder |
Steve Munro | ... | music recording engineer: Persian ny |
Hossein Omoumi | ... | musician: Persian ney |
Sarah Polley | ... | musician: vocals |
Greg Robertson | ... | assistant recording engineer |
Ron Searles | ... | music recording engineer |
Dante Winkler | ... | assistant recording engineer |
Colin Aguiar | ... | assistant: Mychael Danna (uncredited) |
Ron Korb | ... | musician: flute (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
Allen Bell | ... | script editor |
Joanne T. Harwood | ... | script supervisor (as Joanne Tolley-Harwood) |
Transportation Department
Denise Anderson | ... | driver: British Columbia |
Zoe Black | ... | driver: British Columbia |
Martin Boon | ... | driver |
Brian Brennan | ... | picture car coordinator: British Columbia |
Richard Chilton | ... | transportation coordinator: British Columbia |
Paul Davies | ... | driver |
Rosemary Dell | ... | driver: British Columbia |
Shawn Doyle | ... | driver: British Columbia |
Harold Felhauer | ... | driver: British Columbia |
Mike Giles | ... | driver: British Columbia |
Frank Guadagno | ... | driver: British Columbia |
Al Izumi | ... | driver |
Nancy Jackson | ... | driver: British Columbia |
Viola Janzen | ... | driver: British Columbia |
Janelle Kelly | ... | driver: British Columbia |
Ryan Kosmynka | ... | driver: British Columbia |
Herb Langill | ... | driver: British Columbia |
Evan Siegel | ... | transportation coordinator |
Bill Sims | ... | driver |
Bob Snape | ... | transportation captain: British Columbia (as Robert Snape) |
Gary Strachan | ... | driver: British Columbia |
Andres Vosu | ... | transportation captain |
Matt West | ... | driver |
Additional Crew
Joan Boyko | ... | set supervisor: British Columbia |
Shimmy Brandes | ... | assistant to producer |
Wendy Gibbs | ... | first aid: British Columbia |
Shirley Granger | ... | production accountant |
Florance Krause | ... | production secretary: British Columbia |
Martyn Krys | ... | production lawyer |
Frank Larre | ... | caterer: British Columbia |
Suzanne Leslie | ... | extras coordinator: British Columbia |
Sarah McCarthy | ... | production assistant |
Sheona McDonald | ... | production assistant |
Beth Nadeau | ... | caterer: British Columbia |
Eva Nagy | ... | flag person: British Columbia |
Vincent R. Nebrida | ... | director of marketing |
Bill Nesbitt | ... | security officer |
Sarah Pape | ... | production assistant |
Rick Parker | ... | animal wrangler |
Lynne Pollack | ... | flag person: British Columbia |
Holly Redford | ... | production coordinator: British Columbia |
Bill Sims | ... | assistant: Ian Holm |
Mark Steinberg | ... | director's observer |
Matt Thomas | ... | craft service |
Tami Thomson | ... | production coordinator |
Simone Urdl | ... | assistant: Atom Egoyan |
Alicja Wicinski | ... | production secretary (as Alicia Wicinski) |
Andrea Wood | ... | legal affairs: Alliance Pictures |
Simon St. Laurent | ... | opticals: Film Opticals (uncredited) |
Thanks
Margaret Atwood | ... | thanks |
Kavita 'Bad Cavity' Bhatia | ... | musical thanks |
Jack Blum | ... | thanks |
John Buchan | ... | thanks |
Sharon Corder | ... | thanks |
Lara Fitzgerald | ... | musical thanks |
Marc Glassman | ... | thanks |
Bill House | ... | special thanks |
Peter Jones | ... | musical thanks |
Victor Loewy | ... | special thanks |
Michèle Pétin | ... | thanks (as Michèle Halberstadt) |
Larissa Remedios | ... | musical thanks |
Julia Tait | ... | thanks |
Vandana Taxali | ... | musical thanks |
Chase Twichell | ... | thanks |
Leo Van Tine | ... | thanks: Merritt Search & Rescue |
Production Companies
- Alliance Communications Corporation (presents)
- Ego Film Arts (production)
- Téléfilm Canada (with the participation of)
- The Harold Greenberg Fund (with the participation of)
- The Movie Network (TMN) (with the participation of)
- Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC) (with the assistance of)
Distributors
- Alliance Communications Corporation (1997) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Electric Pictures (1997) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Fine Line Features (1997) (United States) (theatrical)
- ARP Sélection (1997) (France) (theatrical)
- Ama Films (1997) (Greece) (theatrical)
- New Line Home Video (1998) (United States) (VHS)
- Distribution Company (1998) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Líder Films (1998) (Spain) (theatrical)
- RCV Film Distribution (1998) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Scandinavian Entertainment Group (1998) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Triangelfilm (1998) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Alliance Atlantis Home Video (1998) (Canada) (DVD)
- Argentina Video Home (1998) (Argentina) (VHS)
- New Line Home Video (1998) (United States) (DVD)
- Budapest Film (1999) (Hungary) (theatrical)
- Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2004) (Canada) (DVD)
- New Line Home Entertainment (2004) (United States) (DVD)
- Arthaus (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
- Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
- Atlantic Film (2010) (Finland) (DVD)
- The Criterion Channel (2020) (United States) (tv)
- Alpha Filmes (Brazil) (VHS)
- Atalanta Filmes (Portugal)
- RCV Film Distribution (Belgium)
- RCV Film Distribution (Luxembourg)
- Versátil (Brazil) (DVD)
Special Effects
- Cine-Byte Imaging (digital imaging)
- Mad Dog Digital (digital compositing and effects)
- TOPIX Computer Graphics & Animation (computer animation)
Other Companies
- AON/Ruben-Winkler Entertainment Insurance (insurance)
- British Columbia Hockey League (hockey footage courtesy of)
- By David's (catering)
- CBC National News (Laurie Brown footage courtesy of)
- CBC Studio 44 (Toronto Consort recorded at)
- DeLuxe Laboratories (post-production facilities)
- DeLuxe Laboratories (sound)
- Deluxe Post-Production (post-production facilities)
- Film Opticals (titles)
- Francont Film (negative cutting)
- Government of Canada (produced with the assistance of)
- Handmade Sets (set construction)
- Hot Knives (catering)
- Merritt Chamber of Commerce (thanks)
- Merritt Search & Rescue (thanks)
- Merritt Security Services (security)
- Number 9 Sound (Sam Dent Band recorded at)
- Okanagan Wine Tours (shuttle buses provided by)
- PS Production Services (equipment provided by)
- Panavision (equipment provided by)
- Rogers Community 4 (hockey footage courtesy of)
- Ruben Entertainment Insurance Services (insurance)
- Sam Dent Band (group performers)
- Somerville National Leasing (production vehicles)
- Starcraft Services (craft service)
- The Magnetic North (post-production facilities)
- Toronto Consort (group performers)
- Trackworks Inc. (ney recorded at)
Storyline
Plot Summary |
A small community is torn apart by a tragic accident which kills most of the town's children. A lawyer visits the victims' parents in order to profit from the tragedy by stirring up their anger and launching a class action suit against anyone they can blame. The community is paralyzed by its anger and cannot let go. All but one young girl, left in a wheelchair after the accident, who finds the courage to lead the way toward healing.
Written by Matthew Tichenor |
Plot Keywords | |
Taglines | Sometimes courage comes from the most surprising places. See more » |
Genres | |
Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
Budget | CAD5,000,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
Trivia | As indicated on writer and director Atom Egoyan's commentary track on the DVD, many people ask about the odd mask worn by the notetaker during the deposition scene. This is a stenographer's mask, an item which is used in real life by a stenographer to record his or her own voice during the deposition. See more » |
Goofs | When Stephens visits the Ottos, and Mr. Otto offers him some tea, we hear a tea kettle whistling but the one we see on the wood stove is not the whistling type, and there is no steam coming from the kettle. See more » |
Movie Connections | Featured in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil/The Sweet Hereafter/John Grisham's the Rainmaker/Deep Crimson (1997). See more » |
Soundtracks | One More Colour See more » |
Quotes |
Mitchell Stephens:
I woke to the sound of Zoe's breathing. It was laboured. I looked over and noticed she was sweating and all swollen. I grabbed her, rushed to the kitchen, and splashed water on her face. Alison: What happened? Mitchell Stephens: I didn't know. I was in a panic. I guessed she'd been bitten by an insect, but there was no doctor. The nearest hospital was forty miles away, and Zoe was continuing to swell. Klara took her in her arms and tried to breast-feed her, while I dialed the hospital. I finally got a doctor on the line. He sounded young, but cool. He was confident, but there was a nervousness. He had been an intern. This was the first time he ever had to deal with anything like this. He wanted to seem like he knew what he was doing, but he was just as scared as I was.He surmised that there was a nest of baby black widow spiders in the mattress. He told me they had to be babies, or else with Zoe's weight she'd be dead. He told me I had to rush her to the hospital. He was alone. There was no ambulance available. 'Now you listen', he said, 'There's a good chance you can get her to me before her throat closes, but the important thing is to keep her calm.' He asked if there was one of us she was more relaxed with than the other. I said, 'Yes, with me.' Which was true enough, especially at that moment. Klara was wild-eyed with fear, and her fear was contagious. I was a better actor than she was, that's all. Zoe loved us equally then. Just like she hates us both equally now. The doctor told me that I should hold her in my lap, and let Klara drive to the hospital. He asked me to bring a small, sharp knife. It had to be clean. There was no time to sterilize properly. He explained how to perform an emergency tracheotomy. How to cut into my daughter's throat and windpipe without causing her to bleed to death. He told me there'd be a lot of blood. I said I didn't think I could do it. 'If her throat closes up and stops her breathing, you'll have to, Mr. Stephens. You'll have a minute and a half, two minutes maybe, and she'll probably be you can keep her calm and relaxed, if you don't let her little heart beat too fast and spread the poison around, then you might just make it over here first. You get going now', and he hung up. It was an unforgettable drive. I was divided into two people. One part of me was Daddy, singing a lullaby to his little girl. The other part was a surgeon, ready to cut into her throat. I waited for the second that Zoe's breath stopped to make that incision. Alison: What happened? Mitchell Stephens: Oh, nothing. We made it to the hospital. I didn't have to go as far as I was prepared to. But I was prepared to go all the way. See more » |