Released in movie theaters this past fall, The Way takes viewers down the ancient pilgrimage path of El Camino de Santiago. Four characters become bound together as they walk the nearly 1,000-kilometer route from the Pyrenees of southern France to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Tom (Martin Sheen) is a grieving father. At the outset we learn that Tom is walking in memory of his only son, Daniel (played by Sheen’s real-life son, Emilio Estevez), who died in a fall on his first day of walking. Tom comes to France to identify the body; he decides to complete the journey in honor of his son and in a search for some meaning in his death.
Tom is joined by three fellow walkers, who form an unlikely but endearing group as they learn about Tom’s loss. In turn they reveal things about their disappointments and search for meaning. Although the characters strive for depth, the actors never quite deliver.
Shot on location, the movie leads viewers authentically along the trail past all the well-known landmarks familiar to anyone who has walked El Camino and sparking the interest of those who have not. Available on DVD or Blu-ray on February 21. (Arc Entertainment)