The Way

I love, Love, LOVE this film and have watched it many times. This movie has one of the best musical scores, ever! Brilliantly written, acted and directed by Emilio Estevez. This is very much a Sheen/Estevez family affair with contributions by many family members as actors, producers, etc. The casting is spot-on. Sheen and Yorick van Wageningen (as Joost from Amsterdam) really shine in their roles, with wonderful performances by Deborah Kara Unger (as Sarah, with her painful history) and James Nesbitt (as Jack, a writer with "writer's block"). "Margaret Mead didn't become a great cultural anthropologist by staying in school," says Tom's son Daniel, who has a strong calling to travel the world. So, instead of finishing his doctorate, Daniel travels and unfortunately gets caught in a storm in the Pyrenees. (Again, the cast of characters highlights anthropology/sociology: Captain Henri (Tcheky Karyo), Angelica (Angela Molina), El Ramon (Eusebio Lazaro), are among my favorites, running the gamut of human emotions and circumstances.) *** SPOILER ALERT -- DON'T READ FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS *** Tom goes to Spain's Basque Country to retrieve the body of his only son. He decides to walk The Camino de Santiago from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela, and then further to Muxia, scattering Daniel's ashes along the way. The spirit of Daniel is very much with Tom along the way. Tom also makes the acquaintance of three other trekkers, or peregrinos, who form close friendships after some early conflicts, underscoring one of my favorite quotes: "To understand all is to forgive all." Toward the end, the film pays homage to Santiago de Compostela: exterior scenes from the distance and close up, St. James at the entrance, inside the church, and a mass with clergy getting the huge incense burner (botafumeiro) airborne, swinging from the nave to the chancel (an awesome scene!) on its enormous arc. At the suggestion of Ishmael, a gypsy with integrity, Tom goes the extra mile, taking Daniel's remaining ashes to Muxia, to the sea, where Tom reaches catharsis. Scenes of the Spanish countryside highlight the beauty of this route: a field under the Milky Way. A corridor where miracles can happen. Since all four travelers are seeking something along the way that they hope to find resolved by their destination, I could not stop myself from remembering "The Wizard of Oz." In spite of heartfelt sentiments in both films, I think "The Way" is the more serious of the two.

A great movie!

This movie either speaks to you, or it doesn't. For those who want digital effects, complicated twists and fast action - you will be sorely disappointed. This movie fails miserably at all of those. What it succeeds at - is taking you on a beautiful journey, in a very simple, eloquent and touching fashion. I am very impressed with Emilio Estevez. He managed to bring together a simple poignant story, the perfect cast, stunning visuals, beautiful music, and the one thing Hollywood seems to lack these days - the ability to make an emotional connection through a story. The entire cast delivers excellent, well-defined, yet subtle performances. Martin Sheen, (and I could not picture anyone else in this role) in particular, captures the "father of few words who can't express emotions" in a very powerful fashion. I read that Sheen had suggested Michael Douglas or Mel Gibson for the role of the father, and all I can say is, thank goodness Emilio told his father that it was written with him in mind. Sheen is spot-on, and the father-son collaboration makes it all the more powerful. Each cast member is excellent, and very adept at pulling you into the story. The final, fantastic cast member is The Camino itself. Absolutely breathtaking, it is beautifully captured in the cinematography and editing. The music as well, is tasteful, subtle and perfect for this film. I enjoyed it so much I ended up downloading the soundtrack. This movie, very much like walking The Camino, should be savored. The highest compliment that I can pay Emilio Estevez, is that after watching it 6 times on Netflix, I still felt the need to purchase the DVD. It just speaks to me! There are those who always wait for something dramatic to happen in a film, yet this movie contains such charm in the simple details. Savor, pay attention to the subtleties, and it will touch your heart. It may even, like me, speak to you in a way that spurs you to embark on a pilgrimage of your own.

Enjoyable, well-filmed and good story line. Without ever becoming treacly or pietistic, the movie was also very respectful of the pilgrimage tradition of the Catholic Church, which makes it a fairly unusual film for Hollywood, 2011. Another reviewer expressed surprise that one of the characters was so " impressed by the overpowering Catholic cathedral symbolism that [made him] kneel before a church pillar...." He shouldn't have been so surprised, pilgrims have been doing such things for fifteen hundred years and more. St. Helena (mother of Constantine) went on pilgrimage around 320 AD. Although I have a friend who has made the pilgrimage to Compostela, I haven't. In addition to going to such shrines as Lourdes, Ste. Anne de Beaupre and the Miraculous Medal Chapel in Paris, I have had the blessing, though, of visiting St. Peter's in Rome several times each, during four trips to the Eternal City. Each time I have visited the basilica, I have gone to say prayers (to God and His holy Mother, as well as to St. Peter for intercession to God) before the bronze(?) statue of St. Peter on the right side of the nave. As have millions of other pilgrims, I always kiss the foot of the statue on the spot worn shiny by millions of people before me. It seems quite natural when I do it and it remains a pleasant recollection during the periods between visits. Likewise, when I went to the Cathedral of Canterbury, I wanted to say prayers before the tomb of St. Thomas a Becket. Unfortunately, that evil man, Henry VIII, had viciously destroyed that shrine and so I was left to say a prayer at the spot where it used to be. The Anglicans temporarily running the Cathedral have had enough good sense to point out the spot, probably to ensure that they could collect more of the fees that they are charging for entrance to the Cathedral. [Think of that, Catholic cathedrals don't charge people for entry, but Canterbury Cathedral, the headquarters of the Anglican Church "BY LAW ESTABLISHED" in England charges money for entry]. In all events, the movie was very respectful of pilgrimage while also recognizing that some people may trek to Compostela for other reasons. The interplay of those diverse motives heightened the dramatic tension and thereby made for an even more engaging film. And Spain was beautifully shot. What a gorgeous place. The Way

I absolutely loved this film! Having walked the Camino I really was taken back to that ancient path. It was also a good reminder of all the motivations and deep reasons why people walk the Camino. Ultimately though everyone is searching for something bigger and meaningful. When I saw this movie I did some searching for books about the Camion and came across a phenomenal book - The Trail: A True Tale of the Camino by Elizabeth Sheehan. I cannot recommend it enough!!! The Trail was a lot like a walking meditation and it reminded me of all the questions I had when I was younger and on the Camino: Will we find the person we are meant to be with soon or much later? Is there "The one"? What am I meant to do or be? Do I have regrets? I suppose this is quite the existential tall order but these are the questions that drive us and once we are older and more settled I find myself loving books like Elizabeth's and movies like The Wat because they bring me back to the adventure of THE SEARCH! If you have ever had any questions about what is next in your life, the Camino as a personal journey, or know of a person who is beginning or beginning again their own adventure into the big wide world then this book is perfect! The Trail's wit and thoughtfulness reminds me of the power of words, their deep affect on us, and their ability to unearth those reminders that the adventure of life both allows us to fall and to soar. It's the adventure that exists in all of us today and that I encounter while reading The Trail. If you loved The Way continue to The Trail! :) The Trail: A True Tale of the Camino

There are some films that aren't masterpieces, but still strike a deeply resonant chord with viewers. For me, "The Way" is just such a film. Small, sincere, honest, it doesn't strive for some magnificent epiphany or all-knowing message. Instead, it offers a protagonist not unlike many of us, set in his ways, comfortable enough in them, who must suddenly face the shattering of his life & begin trying to cope with it. In this case, Martin Sheen delivers a quietly powerful performance as Tom Avery, who must cope with the death of his estranged son Daniel, who was beginning the long pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. Unable to put into words the depth & complexity of his anguished emotions, he chooses to complete the pilgrimage for his son ... and of course for himself. So he sets out, determined to reach his destination as swiftly as possible & find some sort of closure. "Closure" -- that's an overused word these days, almost a glib & arbitrary cutoff point imposed by a society intent on "moving forward" at all costs. In a way, it's a means of avoiding any in-depth contemplation & exploration. That's what makes this film so honest & heartfelt: it's not about closure, it's about opening up. In fact, Tom Avery's problem is that his whole life has become closed, sealed off; he's so goal-oriented that he can't see the beauty & wonder of the journey itself. But as he continues on the pilgrimage & unwillingly finds himself gaining three very different companions, Tom does begin to open up. As I said, there's no single shattering epiphany; it's more of an organic growth, a slow realization that there is indeed far more to life than simply getting there. If it's not explicitly a religious theme, it's definitely a spiritual one. I was reminded of Thomas Merton's classic volume "Mystics and Zen Masters" while watching, in that the film is much more about direct & immediate experience than any particular dogma or program. As Teresa of Avila once wrote, "Every day on the road to God is God." And this is just as true for an agnostic like myself as it is for a religious believer -- the journey is what matters, and the goal is simply a marker. I don't want to make this sound too ponderous & weighty. While there's plenty of substance here, writer-director Emilio Estevez never confuses what's genuinely meaningful with the glumly portentous or heavy-handed piety. There's a lot of humor, joie de vivre, and sheer beauty here, both in the gorgeous landscapes & in the evolving friendship of the four travelers. Everything is a reminder that each moment of life is both fleeting & precious, not to be wasted. For those of us who find our lives being eaten away by the minutia of the everyday, which we've come to take for granted as reality, this is something we desperately need to remember! And is anyone changed by the end of the film? Perhaps not so much changed as more truly themselves, far more knowledgeable & accepting of who they are, flaws & all. The final scene makes it clear that the journey never really ends, not for those who have broken through the walls of the mundane world that we've been taught is so important. Opening up, not closure -- most highly recommended!

I don't know exactly how to describe why I liked this film so much. All I can say is that every time I look at it I find something else to notice and love and I've looked at it several times in just one week. It's one of those LITTLE FILMS that just grab you from the very start. I love Martin Sheen of course, always have. In his older age he has certainly not lost his touch. His expression when he views his son's body is great acting. Another scene when he opens the door of his hotel room to find the woman standing there is another priceless moment. The other 3 people are actors that I don't ever recall seeing before but all are wonderful. They never seem to be acting, they seem to be real people in a real situation which, of course, is what excellent acting is all about. James Nesbitt is wonderful. His facial expressions alone are enough to make you love the movie. There are no huge dramatic moments but lots and lots of little dramatic moments in this film. It seems to be a film about people who are hurt in some way and without making a big deal of their own story they sort of pretend that it's really just a small thing that has brought them on this journey. The relationship between the people happens very gradually and is a very moving thing to watch. I have worked with doctors for over 40 years and I was particularly moved by the way he changes from the know it all, omnipotent DOCTOR person to a normal human being. I do want to mention that it is beautifully filmed with gorgeous scenery.. For a walking along the road film it never drags, the viewer is never bored. I recommend it highly. In thinking over this film I'm moved to wonder how Emilio turned out so beautifully and Charlie turned out to be such a total piece of crap. I wonder if Martin ever wonders about that. I understand that both boys were pretty much turned loose to do as they pleased at a very young age. One turned his life around and the other one never did. Emilio is beautiful in this movie. What a great face. BTW - Be sure to view the film again with the comments as they are really wonderful. I've ordered the book "Along the Way" and can't wait to read it. It gets wonderful reviews.

Cute story! Inspiring! If interested in walking the Camino de Santiago, watch this DVD.