When an American doctor learns that his estranged son has died overseas while on a pilgrimage, he knows that he must go and bring his son back home. Traveling to France, he finds himself on the “El Camino de Santiago” a network of paths where modern day pilgrims and travelers make their way toward the shrine of Saint James the Great in Spain. This region and the paths through it are known as The Way. Tom is determined to bring his son home, but while there, faced with the grief of losing his son, he feels a connection to Daniel that he knows he must respect. It doesn’t take long for him to decide to finish the journey that his son began.
Wrapped in his grief, Tom isn’t there to make friends or travelling companions. He only wants to experience the connection with his deceased son and make the pilgrimage on his behalf. However as we all know, the best of intentions don’t always turn out the way we had planned. As Tom goes through the motions and learns more about the pilgrimage and his son, he begins to notice those around him and, as with life, connections form whether we want them to or not.
About the Film
Written for the screen and directed by Emilio Estevez, The Way is a stunningly beautiful exploration of life, faith, and what it takes to walk through grief. At the same time Tom puts one foot in front of the other each day, he must also learn to put aside his own thoughts and his own struggles and see the burdens of those around him. As he begins to open himself up to the beauty and people around him, he also begins to understand more of his own journey through life.
A True Family Affair
The Way is a family undertaking from beginning to end with Emilio and his father, Martin, working together. Emilio’s son Taylor and even his sister Renee also take part in bringing this epic story to the screen. Estevez is especially proud of the fact that he was able to include his father in the credits with his real name, Ramon Estevez and dedicate the film to his grandfather. Resonating with a powerful message, gorgeous imagery, and deep family ties, it is most definitely a film that should make everyone involved proud.
Originally released in 2010, but is hitting big screens across the country this evening, May 16th, for a limited, one night only run. Unless something has been a massive fan favorite, you don’t usually see a re-release like this one. However with the scale of this film, seeing it on the big screen is something you won’t want to miss.
This movie will profoundly change the way you look at the world, grief, and faith and I can assure you, it will stay with you long after the credits have ended and the lights have come up. It may even shift the way you see the people,around you, their lives, and their various journeys.
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