The Way By Emilio Estevez: Movie Analysis
A seven hundred and ninety-one kilometer walk from the foothills of the Pyrenees in France to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, a religious pilgrimage for reasons ranging from losing a loved one to breaking bad habits, to a new deeper relationship with your creator, both theses descriptions shed light on what el Camino de Santiago is. In English it means “The Way of Saint James” because it is a path where his remains were said to be dispersed by his disciples and for over a thousand years has remained a Christian pilgrimage, but thought to have existed possibly since 44 AD. The movie The Way, directed by Emilio Estevez staring Martin Sheen, depicts one man’s journey along its breath taking route after losing his son. Like el Camino, The Way
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The Way consistently remains focused on the challenges fought through by ordinary people, and for Martin Sheen’s character “Tom,” the coping strategy he relies on to overcome the death of his son. Director Emilio Estevez illustrates the concept of the life lived and the life chosen to live, a life with excitement and allowing self-renewal to follow. As a doctor, “Tom’s” life was set and ruled by charts and paperwork, while residing in a comfortable home; his son however had journeyed to the starting position for El Camino, but died and therefore was not able to finish the trek. In remembrance of his son “Tom” chooses to take the ashes of his son and with them finish the walk together. Throughout his journey he realizes his son’s choices had real rewards, and along with the other characters he meets amidst the obstacles of an inexperienced traveler, gains a full understanding of what is meant by a life chosen. Moreover, the movie The Way demonstrates through all its characters and their experiences the idea of self-discovery. Each having their own reasons for taking the journey ultimately realized el Camino de Santiago did not fix their issues, that this exploratory journey did in fact just that: allow them to explore and discover themselves. The movie therefore acts a path for any viewer to reexamine their own lives and choose to find themselves through the difficulties life brings or to continue to live a life of
The Way consistently remains focused on the challenges fought through by ordinary people, and for Martin Sheen’s character “Tom,” the coping strategy he relies on to overcome the death of his son. Director Emilio Estevez illustrates the concept of the life lived and the life chosen to live, a life with excitement and allowing self-renewal to follow. As a doctor, “Tom’s” life was set and ruled by charts and paperwork, while residing in a comfortable home; his son however had journeyed to the starting position for El Camino, but died and therefore was not able to finish the trek. In remembrance of his son “Tom” chooses to take the ashes of his son and with them finish the walk together. Throughout his journey he realizes his son’s choices had real rewards, and along with the other characters he meets amidst the obstacles of an inexperienced traveler, gains a full understanding of what is meant by a life chosen. Moreover, the movie The Way demonstrates through all its characters and their experiences the idea of self-discovery. Each having their own reasons for taking the journey ultimately realized el Camino de Santiago did not fix their issues, that this exploratory journey did in fact just that: allow them to explore and discover themselves. The movie therefore acts a path for any viewer to reexamine their own lives and choose to find themselves through the difficulties life brings or to continue to live a life of