MOVIE OF THE WEEK (10/21/11) THE WAY

"I have to admit this is a very somber moment ... But this jacket is keeping me quite warm at this moment." Tom Avery (Martin Sheen) reflect during his journey in a scene from THE WAY. Credit: David Alexanian © 2011 Arc Entertainment. All rights reserved.

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Martin Sheen, Deborah Kara Unger, Yorick van Wageningen, James Nesbitt and Emilio Estevez

WRITER(S): Emilio Estevez

DIRECTOR: Emilio Estevez

WEB SITE: http://theway-themovie.com/

THE PLOT: Inspired in part by Jack Hitt's book Off The Road: A Modern-Day Walk Down The Pilgrim's Route Into Spain, The Way stars Martin Sheen as Tom Avery, a well-to-do ophthalmologist living out his golden years in California. Free to play golf when not attending to his patients, Tom's life is good ... Although his relationship with his estranged son Daniel (writer/director Emilio Estevez) is not. And it becomes worse when Tom receives the phone call that every parent fears the most: His son has perished - and now he has to travel overseas to Spain to retrieve the body.

Once he arrives in France, Tom is informed by Captain Henri (Tchéky Karyo) how his son died: Walking along the famed Camino De Santiago. Tom then learns of Daniel's plans to walk the winding 500-mile trail leading to Galicia, the supposed resting place of the sacred relics of St. James the Apostle. The Camino has intrigued "peregrinos" (or pilgrims) for centuries, for not only is the journey a long and arduous one, it also - for many - has led to life-altering revelations and a renewed outlook on life. So you know what Tom - a grieving, gruff, lapsed Catholic who is a man of few words - is going to do, right?

Tom is going to walk the Camino de Santiago ... And he's bringing his son Daniel's ashes with him.

THE TAKE: The Way is a film that one could over-analyze to death. Instead of doing that, I will simply say this: The film is very well-done (albeit a bit long for this reviewer's taste) and is carried by a few simple, yet nearly perfectly executed factors: Strong acting on the part of Sheen and the supporting cast, excellent cinematography and a story that is inspiring without the over-the-top pomp and circumstance of a film that is blatantly trying to achieve such heights.

Given the personal connection to the story for both Sheen (Galicia is his father's birthplace) and Estevez (he read several books about the Camino and the region after talking to Sheen, who is his dad in case you somehow didn't know that), it would be very easy for this project to go awry. But instead, the duo grasped onto what they were intrigued about in regards to the Camino, the stories about it and were able to use that dedication wisely in transferring their vision to the screen.

Sheen (real name Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez) never plays Tom as a knowing curmudgeon who finds himself transformed, nor does he play him as a man whose "lost." Instead, he simply plays him as a man on an unexpected journey and being open to the experience. Instead, he lets the cast of characters around him - be it party-loving Dutchman Yoost (Yorick van Wageningen), jaded, chain-smoking Canadian Sarah (Deborah Kara Unger) or fast-talking, writer's block-suffering Jack from Ireland (James Nesbitt) - add to the story by sharing the experiences.

While each character individually has their potentially annoying moments (both for Sheen's character and the audience), they as a unit are greater than the sum of their parts. While you may never buy completely into them as characters, Sheen and Estevez help you buy into their journeys, which is the far more important responsibility. Estevez also achieves in using the Camino - shot on location - itself as a character, from its beautiful scenery to its more rugged elements. In turn, the film takes on a realistic element versus a more romantic one as found in say a Eat, Pray, Love. Whereas the Julia Roberts-led vehicle has a bit of an escapist/vacation feel to it, The Way has a true sense of discovery to it for both the characters and the audience watching.

PARTING SHOT: All things considered, while there is no shortage of films like it, the way in which The Way (try saying that three times fast) brings you into its story and keeps you enthralled makes it a trip worth taking.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):