Tonight I went to see The Way, a limited-release movie directed by Emilio Estevez and starring his father, Martin Sheen. I had been interested in The Way ever since, a month or two ago, I read an interview with Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez about it in my local newspaper: Martin Sheen is a practising Catholic (unlike Emilio Estevez, who describes himself as lapsed, and his even wilder other son, Charlie Sheen, who has become as famous for snorting coke off pornstars’ asses as for his movie and TV career), and the idea to make a movie about a famous Catholic pilgrimage was his idea, which Emilio ended up taking over, casting his father in the leading role.
The story follows Sheen’s character, an eye-doctor from California who flies to France to collect the remains of his son (played in flashbacks and imaginary scenes by Estevez), who had passed away in an accident, while on the pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of Saint James. He decides to finish what his late son started, and sets off on the pilgrimage. Along the way, he meets other pilgrims, and so, it’s a ‘road trip’ movie of sorts, though one conducted on foot rather than in vehicles. (Those who don’t mind ‘spoilers’ can read a more detailed plot outline here.)
The movie was very funny in many parts, and sufficiently dramatic, to make for a pleasant two hours (it is that long). I quite enjoyed it.
That said, I kind of wish it had been Martin Sheen rather than Emilio Estevez who had directed it, as it might have focused a bit more on faith, had a person of faith been the director. Conservative film reviewer James Bowman (whom I think is either Roman Catholic or high-church Episcopalian; not quite sure, but definitely a Christian) didn’t like it, largely because none of the main characters really had any religious motivations for going on the journey (one thought it might help her quit smoking; another one wanted to lose weight and become fit; another was hoping to cure his writer’s block); moreover, the film took a New Agey tack, that ultimately, it didn’t even matter whether or not they succeeded in their various endeavours, that all that mattered was “the journey”, and there was little emphasis on other pilgrims, whom, one would assume, in real life, would mostly indeed be faithful Catholics doing it for reasons of faith. Here and there, there was a priest on the journey, some people carrying large crosses, and of course, at the end, some scenes from the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia (at the end of the journey). But only one character appeared to have been particularly moved, emotionally and presumably spiritually, at the cathedral.
Still, notwithstanding its deficiencies, IMO, it certainly worked as a movie; greatly entertaining, and far more respectful towards religion than pretty much everything else coming out of Hollywood today. And the good messages, of people helping each other bear each others loads (not so much physically, but psychologically), outweighed the negative New Agey slant, IMO. Worth seeing in the theatre especially for the gorgeous scenery of the Spanish countryside; certainly worth seeing when it comes out on DVD / Netflix, eventually; an evening’s entertainment, anyway, and one which does, in spite of itself, provoke some wonder and amazement, at the devotion of those who would undertake such an arduous journey, voluntarily.
(Incidentally, this isn’t the first movie about the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage that this here Protestant has seen and enjoyed; last year, I saw a Québécois comedy called “Les doigts croches” (“Sticky Fingers“), about some Montreal gangsters forced to walk the pilgrimage in exchange for their share of the loot from a botched robbery. It was funny as all get out, and also worth seeing for those who speak French or don’t mind subtitles, but it was far more secular in its tone than even The Way is; more of a fish-out-of-water, criminal escapade story than anything else. I think, once The Way comes out on DVD and download, that it and Sticky Fingers would make for a great double feature, for anyone who can get their hands on both of them.)