The Way (2010)

Written for the screen, produced and directed by Emilio Estevez, The Way (2010) is an inspirational, funny and deeply moving journey, for the characters, presumably for the film’s cast and crew, and certainly for the audience. 

It is difficult to explain the plot of the film without using numerous clichés, but once the film starts, the amazing realisation begins to set in: Estevez has succeeded in making this film avoiding the obvious clichés. The film follow’s Martin Sheen’s character of Tom, who seemingly has built his life, brick by brick, around his job and family, and is unable to understand his only son Daniel (played by Sheen’s son Emilio Estevez) who longs to see the world. Tom is told that Daniel died in France on the first day of a pilgrimage called El Camino De Santiago. Once in France to pick his son’s body, the once closed off Tom is inspired to finish Daniel’s journey. Once the journey begins Tom meets people doing the pilgrimage for their own reasons. These people help Tom, making the journey more than just an 800km walk.

Sheen’s performance as Tom was compelling and different. Many viewers will have followed the entire term of Sheen’s Bartlett as Liberal President of the United States. That is what makes Tom, a reserved and conservative American so much different. In an interview with Will Lawrence of Empire Magazine, Sheen remembered the constant reminder his son had to provide: “Tom voted for Bush. Twice!” In the same interview Estevez urged that “it’s important that Tom is emblematic of how America is viewed by the rest of the world: somewhat cut off.” To perceive Martin Sheen as anything but the responsible and liberal paternal reputation that he built for himself since his early career is confusing. However the film constantly reminds the audience that despite how personal the film feels, and despite the real father/son connection, Tom is not Martin Sheen, or Jed Bartlett, but an average hard working American. Along with the rest of the cast, Sheen is able to slide almost seamlessly through comedy and profundity making it seem like a very real performance.

The supporting cast are all equally important. Estevez stated in the interview with Lawrence that he used The Wizard of Oz (1939) as a template. Tom is Dorothy, Joost the Dutchman is the cowardly Lion, Sarah from Canada is the Tin Man and Jack from Ireland is the Scarecrow. The performances are all entirely believable and enjoyable to watch, each with their own struggle between profundity and comedy. The real interesting thing about each character however, is their implied exposition. While the audience is following the journey of Tom, and each of the other characters are just supporting cast along for the ride, they all have a depth that isn’t explained. While they create comic relief while they’re all together, each has a small scene, line or section of dialogue that tells the audience how human they all are. It would be entirely understandable if four versions of this film were released instead of one, each focusing on a different character, changing who’s story is being told. Just as life is, the film seems to simply be a matter of perception.

Emilio Estevez is clearly the creator of this film, it is his film. He is the author of it, unfortunately, however, he is not an auteur. Everybody describes this film as ‘personal’. What they fail to mention is that despite how personal the project was the Estevez, he has managed to make it personal to the audience as well. This is a clear case of ‘birth of the reader’. Estevez doesn’t force any particular message onto the audience, but leaves a few that can be chosen.

I have tried to avoid using the sentence: “The setting is a character in itself.” However the setting is a vital part of the film, if not a character as well. It is a pilgrimage that has been made for thousands of years. The scenery, weather and inhabitants change as the journey continues, but the journey itself represents either a greater, more important change in the people making the walk, or at least the hope of a greater, more important change. For anybody who likes to travel or to see new things, the consistently beautiful backdrop is inspiration for making the pilgrimage. 

It has already been mentioned that most people summarise The Way as a very personal film. I feel that a better description is to describe it as a very ‘real’ film. The characters all feel real and could easily be people that we all know. The Way is a deeply moving, funny and thoroughly enjoyable film. To those who have yet to watch this Buen Camino.

Written by Edward L. Corrigan 4/6/2011