The Way

[kevinknapman]

A film directed by Emilio Estevez and starring his father Martin Sheen. It tells the story of Tom (Sheen) who finds out that his son Daniel (Estevez) has died whilst walking the Camino De Santiago. The Camino De Santiago runs from the South of France through to the North of Spain and is a journey made as a spiritual pilgrimage. When he goes to collect his son's body, he decides to complete his son's journey carrying his son's ashes with him. Along the way he meets several other travellers making the journey for their own personal reasons.

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I saw a preview of this followed by a Q&A with Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez earlier tonight at the BFI. I wasn't expecting a great deal going in and the posters outside with the tagline "You don't choose a life. You live one" didn't exactly help. I expected a lot of new-age touchy-feely nonsense to be honest. I was however pleasantly surprised.

I thought it was a really beautifully told story, clearly a personal labour of love for both father and son. Martin Sheen was excellent in the title role and gets good support from his fellow pilgrims including Deborah Kara Unger, James Nesbitt and Dutch actor Yorick van Wageningen (James Nesbitt is intially very annoying but you warm to him by the end). The scenery is, unsurprisingly, breathtakingly beautiful. It's not a perfect film, but it's quite moving and often very funny. Although it clocks in at 140 mins, the time passes quickly.

Well worth seeking out when it's released in April. I expect tourism to the area could well increase after the films release. I'm quite tempted myself.

Oh and the Q&A afterwards was great too.

[EthanRunt]

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Estevez's Bobby, so this'll be high on my priority list.

[kevinknapman]

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Estevez's Bobby, so this'll be high on my priority list.

A complete contrast to that film (Which I also thought was pretty good) and I expect some people will just dismiss it as new-age touchy-feely nonsense but despite the occasional overly sentimental moment it was very watchable.

[cinefila1]

Thank you Kevin for your thoughts on this film. I look forward to it when it comes out in April. I actually know some parts of the Camino de Santiago and yes, the landscape is breathtaking.

[antomaguire]

went to a screening of this new emilio estevez movie "The Way" due out in the UK and Ireland in April and the U.S. in September. Stars martin Shenn and Estevez. directed and written by estevez, Great Movie, Great characters. If you get a chance go and see it

[hdaniel82]

An American father travels to France to recover the body of his estranged son who died while traveling "El camino de Santiago" from France to Santiago de Compostela (Spain).

Director: Emilio Estevez
Writer: Emilio Estevez (screenplay)
Stars: Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez and James Nesbitt

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[valda]

Is that Martin Sheen as in Emilio's Dad or Martin Sheen as in Tony Blair? I think if its father and son, should be a good film. I love Martin Sheen, he stands up for what he believes in. Wish he was President for real

[kevinknapman]

There's already a thread for this film.
http://www.fmuk.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=10085

[antomaguire]

saw this last night in dublin film festival. Lovely movie, great directing and writing, 4 great main characters. Well worth the trip to the cinema in april, and i bet anyone to say afterwards they would not love to undertake the walk.

[Yinster]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_(film)

Martin Sheen plays Tom, an American doctor who comes to a rural village in France to collect the remains of his adult son killed in a storm while walking the historic Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route through the Pyrenees. Driven by his profound sadness and desire to understand his son better, Tom decides to embark on the historic route. Along the way he learns what it means to be a citizen of the world again and discovers the difference between "the life we live and the life we choose".

The film opens across the UK in key cities on Friday 13th May.