 By the spring of 1998, "The Sweet Hereafter" had grossed $1 million domestically.According to "The Numbers", "The Sweet Hereafter" grossed $4,306,697 in North America and $3,644,550 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $7,951,247.Although Canadian historian George Melnyk said the film achieved "mainstream popularity," another Canadian historian, Reginald C. Stuart, said that the film "aimed for, but did not reach, a mass audience."