A film directed by
Atom Egoyan, released in 1997.
A film that took Cannes by storm and even took home the Grand Prize of the Jury. The story unfolds with Ian Holm speaking with his daughter. It is obvious something is amiss. We do not know if she has merely runaway, is now a prostitute, or some combination.
Ian Holm is an ambulance-chasing attorney without the annoying ads(at least we do not see any here). He must convince a town, still dealing with their grief, to sue for massive damages. Every one is shown as dealing with a deep loss of some sort; most parents lost their children in a school bus accident and the only student that survived was Sarah Polley who is now confined to a wheelchair. Ian Holm is facing the prospect of losing his daughter to the streets or maybe he has already lost her.
As he goes door to door we see the hidden lives of the townspeople. We see the incest and adultery in addition to the great love many of these people had for their children. As Ian Holm is going door to door, we hear Sarah Polley reading to two children telling a tale that parallels what will happen to their town.
The scenery, which may as well have been on a postcard, contrasts with the grief and despair of the community and the inner anguish of Ian Holm. It looks like something out of a Christmas card.
This was the second time I had seen Sarah Polley in film. The first time having been Go. Sarah does not disappoint and even contributes to the soundtrack.
Time Out Film Guide
us.imdb.com