This new film is directed by Atom Egoyan, a pre-eminent filmmaker from Canada whose film won the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival. [He's also nominated for an Academy Award. See below.]

Adapted from Russell Banks' acclaimed novel, the movie involves a small town in British Columbia coping with the aftermath of a tragic bus accident that killed a number of children. The village is devastated and eventually Mitchell Stephens enters the picture. Mitchell is a big-city lawyer who tries to persuade the townspeople to file a class-action lawsuit. His efforts begin to reveal the survivors' guilt and grief and soon divides the town, turning it into a horrible place, filled with contempt, suspicion and revenge.

This is an emotional and powerful film that reveals a portrait of enormous loss and displays the sense of community that usually binds people together during times of tragedy. .



This movie is rated R. All those under 17 must

be accompanied by an adult.