Reservation Road (2007)

This is a study in revenge and confession.

When a little boy gets killed accidentally by an inattentive driver, the father of the boy becomes obsessed with seeking justice for the man who sped away. The perpetrator is racked with guilt and fear as he wrestles with being a good father to his son. What is truly moving in the film is the guilt driven desire to confess that wars with the desire to be present for his son.

Since wealthy characters and stories set in affluent neighbourhoods kind of get under my skin as they don't represent the vast majority of the world's populace, I was at first put off. The film uses this however in a brief scene at the victim's father's university class. We over hear some students talking about how pain is an everyday occurrence for the world's poor and they deal with it. This is contrasted by the obsessing over meting out punishment by a rich man who likely hasn't suffered much in the past.

Truth: Accidents happen. A culture of vengeance does not right any wrongs; forgiveness is the only path to healing.

Official Site | IMDB