The Way

Martin Sheen, Deborah Kara Unger, Yorick van Wageningen, James Nesbitt, Emilio Estevez

Dir. Emilio Estevez
Scr. Emilio Estevez

This is an absolute wee gem of a film. Poignant, funny, tragic, beautiful. It’s like a Lonely Planet guidebook come to life. And, to top it all off, Martin Sheen is in almost every scene. What more could you ask for? It’s certainly more than a little contrived and far too deliberately paced at times. It’s also incredibly sentimental. But I found I was able to forgive a lot and just sit back and enjoy the journey.

Tom Avery (Sheen) is a 60-something ophthalmologist widower living a comfortable life in California. On receiving the tragic news that his only son Daniel (Estevez) has died during a storm while walking the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St James), he travels to France to recover the body. But instead of swiftly returning home as intended, Tom decides to complete the trail his son could not. Along the way, he meets an array of travelers, all searching for some elusive remedy or inspiration – Joost (van Wageningen), a kind young Dutchman hoping to lose weight; Sarah (Unger), a mysterious Canadian who says she is walking the trail to quit smoking; Jack (Nesbitt), a verbose Irish travel writer with a severe case of writer’s block. And, of course, Tom discovers much about himself and his estranged son.

I do love a history lesson and The Way certainly provides an interesting one. The Way of St James is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain, where it is thought that the remains of St James the apostle are buried. The walk is a long one – over 800 km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France. In the film, the aging Tom takes approximately two months to complete his pilgrimage. It’s a fascinating journey, with beautiful scenery and ancient landmarks.

But this film is not a documentary. While Estevez weaves history and religion throughout the plot, we are always reminded that this is a personal story of a man grieving for what he has lost. It’s a tale of self-discovery, not just for Tom but for all that travel with him. But it doesn’t force such discovery in your face (well, not too often). Rather, it’s a quiet, slow-burning film. Compelling, for sure – there is action and laughs along the way, and a wonderfully surprising soundtrack. But it is also utterly hypnotic – it takes your hand and invites you to walk along with it.

The performances in The Way are near faultless. Estevez inserts himself into the film sparingly and effectively as the deceased Daniel. Nesbitt is entertaining as ever, loud and rambunctious and ever-so-slightly annoying. But in a good way. Van Wageningen is simply lovely as jovial Joost. Unger has more to work with than the other supporting characters and she is brilliant as Sarah, a woman with much to hide. But for all their good work, this is undeniably Sheen’s show. He’s the anchor and he manages to convey so much without much more than a look. It’s clear that Estevez wrote the role with his father in mind and Sheen doesn’t disappoint.

I heartily recommend this film. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, perhaps too slow and, at time, meandering for some. But I adored The Way, sappiness and all.

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Daniel: You don’t choose a life, Dad. You live one.