The Way(2008)

PG-13
2h 3m
- Comedy
- Drama

Release Date: Oct 17, 2008

82%
83%
C-
7.3

A father heads overseas to recover the body of his estranged son who died while traveling the "El camino de Santiago," and decides to take the pilgrimage himself.

Releases

Original Release | Oct 17, 2008

2010 Re-release | Oct 7, 2011

2023 Re-release (Fathom Events) | May 16, 2023

Box Office

All Releases (3)
Total US & Canada:
$4,998,213
Total International
$8,917,939
Total Worldwide:
$13,916,152

Total International
$2,448,217
Total Worldwide:
$2,448,217

Director & Top Cast

Emilio Estevez
Director

Renée Estevez
Actor

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital,DTS,SDDS

Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: Spain,United States

Language: English,Spanish,French,Catalan,Italian

Showtimes

Your Location or

(U.S. Only)

Summaries

Plot Summary

Tom is an American doctor who goes to France following the death of his adult son, killed in the Pyrenees during a storm while walking The Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of St. James. Tom's purpose is initially to retrieve his son's body. However, in a combination of grief and homage to his son, Tom decides to journey on this path of pilgrims. While walking The Camino, Tom meets others from around the world (three in particular), all broken and looking for greater meaning in their lives.Along The Way, Tom discovers the meaning of one of the last things his son said (in a flashback) to his father. There is a difference between "the life we live and the life we choose."

Storyline

"The Way" is a powerful and inspirational story about family, friends and the challenges we face while navigating this ever-changing and complicated world. Martin Sheen plays Tom, an American doctor who comes to St. Jean Pied de Port, France to collect the remains of his adult son (played by Emilio Estevez ), killed in the Pyrenees in a storm while walking the Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of Saint James. Rather than return home, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage to honor his son's desire to finish the journey. What Tom doesn't plan on is the profound impact the journey will have on him and his "California Bubble Life". Inexperienced as a trekker, Tom soon discovers that he will not be alone on this journey. On his journey, Tom meets other pilgrims from around the world, each with their own issues and looking for greater meaning in their lives: a Dutchman ( Yorick van Wageningen ), a Canadian ( Deborah Kara Unger ) and an Irish writer ( James Nesbitt ), who is suffering from a bout of writer's block. From the unexpected and, often times, amusing experiences along the way, this unlikely quartet of misfits creates an everlasting bond and Tom begins to learn what it means to be a citizen of the world again. Through Tom's unresolved relationship with his son, he discovers the difference between "the life we live and the life we choose". — The Way California-based ophthalmologist Tom Avery has had a strained relationship with his only offspring, late thirty-something Daniel Avery, ever since the death of Tom's wife/Daniel's mother. That strain is due to the differences in their life outlooks: Daniel feels Tom doesn't really live in his standard life, while Tom feels Daniel has no focus, the latest point of contention being Daniel's decision to quit his post-graduate studies in their entirety truly to live and to find himself, the initial process being to hike on his own the 800km El Camino de Santiago as a pilgrim. Tom heads to Europe himself upon the news that Daniel was killed in an accident on the first day of his pilgrimage outside of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the French Pyrenees. In his grief, Tom, upon the suggestion of Captain Henri who was in charge of the the case, decides to have Daniel's body cremated, not to bring the remains back to California (the easier transport being the reason for the suggestion), but using Daniel's largely untouched gear to do the pilgrimage as father and son together, Tom spreading the ashes at key points along the way. This decision is despite Tom's advanced age, not having prepared physically for such a grueling hike, and being a lapsed Catholic himself. In dealing with what he considers a very private matter of which no one knows except Captain Henri, Tom amasses some travel companions along the way, the first, a large Dutchman named Joost, who is able to put two and two together. Each of the three who end up traveling with Tom has a very different reason for doing the pilgrimage, those differences which may bring them closer together or tear them apart as companions as they deal with their individual core issues. — Huggo