The Way

Indie, Drama
5 stars
Excellent film starring Martin Sheen who after learning that his son died on the first day of a 400 kilometer hike across northern Spain, decides to carry his ashes on the journey his son had planned. The hike is a pilgrimage called Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of Saint James where people journey for their own personal reasons to arrive at a cathedral, Santiago de Compostela, where it is believed St. James’s remains are interred. Sheen’s character is a grumpy old man who wants to be left alone, but he reluctantly takes on three travel companions: a jovial Dutchman, an odd Irishman, and Canadian woman with a chip on her shoulder. The scenery is gorgeous, the story is poignant and the characters are quirky. Emilio Estevez produced, directed, and wrote the screen version of the story, as well as appearing in the film as Sheen’s son. Excellent, excellent film.