Perguntas frequentes

Before and After is based on the 1992 novel of the same name by American writer Rosellen Brown. The novel was adapted for the screen by American screenwriter Ted Tally.

Judith Ryan (Julia Weldon) narrates the movie by explaining how a person's whole life can change in a second. "Before...you think you know what kind of world this is," she says "and after, everything is different for you."

When their son Jacob (Edward Furlong) is accused of killing his girlfriend, artist Ben Ryan (Liam Neeson) and his wife, Dr Carolyn Ryan (Meryl Streep), face a dilemma. Carolyn wants to provide access to the police investigation, whereas Ben wants to protect his son by all legal means. The situation is made all the more difficult for them because Jacob has disappeared. Carolyn is afraid that Jacob has also been killed, whereas Ben has found blood in the trunk of Jacob's car and suspects that he might be the killer.

The case goes to court. The judge finds Jacob guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the second degree. He is sentenced to spend no more than five years at a juvenile correction facility but is released on probation after two years. In a voiceover, Judith says that her father had to serve a year for destroying evidence. She again reiterates how life can change in a second, but she says that her life is now starting to return. In the final scene, the family is seen canoeing together.