冬日的夜里，律师米歇尔（伊安•霍姆 Ian Holm 饰）在某洗车房洗车时，接到了嗑药女儿佐伊打来的电话，言语间暴露了父女之间理念上的矛盾。怀着一腔闷气的米歇尔，又遭遇了洗车时车门打不开的尴尬，最后只能愤然弃车，扬长而去。此前，在飞机上，米歇尔曾邂逅女儿的昔日好友艾莉森，并跟他讲述了父女分崩离析的原因……　 　　米歇尔在小镇上目睹了一起车祸现场，那个载有学龄儿童的校车因躲避来车意外翻车掉进了湖里，导致很多家庭失去了亲生骨肉。米歇尔在探访中接触到了各式各样的家庭，有的父女畸形恋，有的酗酒暴力，有的疾病缠身。为了帮助他们向政府讨要抚恤金，律师走上了一条坎坷的助人为乐之路…… 　　The soundtrack to Atom Egoyan's The Sweet Hereafter boasts an expansive folk/international mix tailored made for the film's atmospheric study of loss and guilt. Featuring original material by Mychael Danna, the disc spotlights the wan vocal talents of Sarah Polley (who also appears in the film and contributes some music and lyrics here) enveloped in lean and ethereal backdrops; the accompaniment comes courtesy of the Toronto Consort and a combo that includes Danna on Harmonium and Kim Deschamps on pedal steel. Also on hand are ney player extraordinaire Hossein Omoumi and flautist Ron Korb, both of whom fit snug on the many Middle Eastern-flavored sides they guest on. In addition to the Danna material, the soundtrack also features numbers by Jane Siberry and the Tragically Hip.