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It wasn’t too long ago that all eyes were on Hollywood bad boy Charlie Sheen, whose antics seemed to become crazier by the day. The rest of his family, meanwhile, remained in the shadows—perhaps hoping to distance themselves a bit from the Charlie Sheen Crazy Train. Now that things have died down for Charlie, though, big brother Emilio Estevez is free to come forward to release a family-focused film that’s anything but wild and crazy.
In The Way, Estevez teams up with dad Martin Sheen for a charming drama about fathers and sons—about living life instead of choosing it.
Sheen stars as California ophthalmologist Tom Avery—who, after learning that his estranged son, Daniel (Estevez), has been killed while hiking El Camino de Santiago in Europe, boards a plane to bring his son home. Once he arrives in the small French town to claim his son, however, he has a change of plans. Instead of returning home, he decides to don his son’s backpack—packed with a box of Daniel’s ashes—to finish the pilgrimage that his son had started.
Along the way, he’s joined by a motley band of fellow pilgrims—like boisterous Dutchman Joost (Yorick van Wageningen), bitter Canadian Sarah (Deborah Kara Unger), and blocked writer Jack (James Nesbitt), who’s hoping to write Tom’s story. But Tom would rather keep to himself and make the journey alone.
Though it has a kind of Canterbury Tales vibe to it, The Way is the polar opposite of Estevez’s last film, 2006’s Bobby, which was little more than a complicated jumble of big-name stars. The Way, on the other hand, is simple and stripped down, with a smaller, more intimate cast of characters, who seem to welcome the audience along on their life-changing journey.
While Sheen is the star, though, van Wageningen’s Joost is the most lovable character in the bunch. While his companions are all bitter or angry or downhearted in their own way, friendly, jovial Joost is just happy to have the company. And although he claims to be walking to lose weight for his brother’s wedding, he’s eager to enjoy the food and drink that he finds along the way.
Sheen’s Tom, on the other hand, is a frustrating character—a bitter and judgmental father whose motivation for hike seems rather questionable. He just doesn’t seem like he’d care enough about his wayward son to put his life on hold long enough to make the journey. Throughout the film, he’s closed off and rude to his fellow pilgrims—who, for some strange reason, stick with him anyway. Of course, he eventually changes his attitude—but, when he does, it’s sudden and absolute, making his transformation feel unnatural.
Still, despite a few less-than-lovable characters, The Way is an enjoyable and quietly moving journey. It’s a leisurely film, taking its time to take in the natural sites of the camino and the surrounding villages on what’s likely to be more than a month-long expedition for its world-weary pilgrims. The breathtaking setting alone will have you lacing up your hiking shoes and planning your own adventure—and one can only hope that you’ll be able to find a fun-loving traveling companion like Joost.
