When A Movie Changes Your Way Of Thinking

Sometimes we find a movie that somehow managed to slip by for years without us knowing that its brilliance existed. For me, this movie came in the form of a beautifully filmed story from Writer/Director Emilio Estevez released in 2010 called, “The Way”.

Martin Sheen stars as Tom, an American ophthalmologist who is comfortable living his luxury life, spending his spare time playing golf at the country club. However, when his estranged son Daniel (Emilio Estevez) tragically dies after getting caught in a storm while hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain, Tom must gather his courage and go to collect his son’s remains.

After arriving in Spain and identifying the remains of his only child, Tom is handed Daniel’s travel pack which contains everything needed to complete the hike, including a travel passport with one solitary stamp inside. This moment changes Tom’s life forever. He decides that when he wakes in the morning, he will not only walk the entire length of the Camino de Santiago (500 miles), but he will carry the cremated remains of his son with him.

This film will make you laugh, cry and want to scream! Each character Martin Sheen encounters along his journey have come to the Camino de Santiago for different reasons, but through the process they change each other for the better.

This film is unlike any I have seen for years. The connection between Estevez and his real-life father Sheen is enough to captivate any audience. When you combine that with the all-star cast and the emotional storyline, it is a must see! If you watch this film and don’t want to quit your job and travel the world, I would be surprised. If there is one thing I have taken from this film, it is, “You don’t chose life…You live one”.