2010 - THE WAY, a modest but very good drama

After the death of his son who was hiking on the Camino de Santiago a trail that has been a pilgrimage for Christian followers since 1492.  A father decides to mourn and pay tribute to his son by completing the son's pilgrimage.  Along the way he meets up with three other hikers, a divorced woman recovering from an abusive spouse, a British writer suffering from writer's block and an overweight man trying to lose weight.  

The story of The Way involves the interaction of these four individuals as they learn to bond with each other on the pilgrimage.  As trite as the plot may sound this is actually a rather touching film.  The relationships among the hikers are presented in an understated manner and there is no inappropriate love story to spoil the mood of the film.

The writer and director actor Emilo Estevez cast his father Martin Sheen as the grieving father and Estevez plays the deceased son in flashbacks.  Estevez shot this film on a tight budget with a small crew.  Sheen gives an excellent understated performance and the rest of the cast does very well as his hiking partners.

 

The film showcases some beautiful Spanish scenery and architecture.  The Way is touching and inspirational in a good way it could have easily went over the top with a lot of sloppy sentimentality but the restraint in the storytelling really works for the film.  The Way is kind of an undiscovered little gem of a film. 

 This running time for The Way is 123 minutes.