Emilio Estevez Talks About 'The Way,' Being Released on DVD February 21

By Randy Sly
2/8/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

This is a film that you will want to watch over and over again

"The Way" continues to attract national media attention as the powerful film moves toward its Feb. 21 release on DVD. We were able to talk with Emilio Estevez about the film and his thoughts regarding its upcoming release on DVD/Blue Ray.

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WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - "The Way," written and directed by Emilio Estevez, is the kind of film you need to think about after viewing. Like a fine wine, it has a finish that lingers with you long after the credits have run. This makes it a perfect DVD film to own and give to others as a gift.

Recently, I was able to talk with Emilio about this remarkable film, which carefully connects with you and then carries you off on a journey you are eager to make.

You are joining American ophthalmologist, Tom Avery (played superbly by Martin Sheen - Emilio's father), who loses his son (played briefly by Emilio) through a hiking accident on the historic El Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James) in Northern Spain. In reality he had actually lost his son, relationally, long before that. Which leads to the rest of the story.

Rather than return home after identifying the body, Tom decides to embark on the trip himself, following the path used by pilgrims for more than a thousand years, to honor his son's desire to finish the journey. What Tom doesn't plan on is the profound impact this trip will have on him both in rigor and relationships. He's not prepared for the physical toll on his body or the emotional toll from the friends he joins along the way. He learns first hand what his son meant in saying, "You don't choose a life, you live one."

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.

As I watched this movie, I was struck very quickly by the impact physically that filming this story would have on its lead, Martin Sheen. I was curious to ask Emilio about this aspect of the project.

"My dad has been doing yoga for about 35 years, long before it was trendy, He's a pretty fit guy; he was game to do the trek and really mix it up. He insisted on doing his own stunts."

There was one scene in particular that I wondered about. Tom (Sheen) lost his pack in a rapidly moving river and went in after it.

"That was his idea, you know," Estevez replied. "When I was developing the screenplay he insisted that the bag should get lost in the river and that his character should jump in after it."

While "The Way" did a really good job of portraying priests and has a positive tone regarding the Catholic faith, one of the devices in the film I questioned had to do with the cremation of Tom's son. He then decides to take the ashes on the journey and distribute them along the way. This concept flies directly in the face with Catholic teaching.

I asked Emilio about this and whether they got any push back from audiences. He indicated that one group, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), had a conversation about this and a few other things just after an early viewing of the film.

He said the discussion he had with FOCUS leaders was very positive. On the cremation subject they said to him, "His character is a lapsed Catholic and wouldn't know Canon Law. Wouldn't this be a wonderful talking point with groups regarding Canon Law and the character's choice to do this?"

Without giving away some great film moments, in addition to the three unique characters who join him, you meet a very engaging Catholic priest who is also a pilgrim. At first, Tom thinks he's Jewish because he is wearing a yarmulke but then discovers he has cancer and this is used to hide a tender scarred area on his scalp.

This was based on a true story. "My father met a priest at Lourdes and the priest was wearing a yarmulke, speaking in a thick Brooklyn accent. And my father said, 'Nice to see you, Rabbi!' and the guys says, 'No, no! I'm a Catholic priest and I had brain cancer and I used this yarmulke to cover the scar because I don't look good in a big hat.'"

Faith plays a big place in the film but it is never "preachy." Estevez said that the two things he wanted people to take away from the film were spirituality and community. He indicated he wanted to stay away from dogma that could divide and wanted to stay with themes that would unite the audience and celebrate humanity.

With the film's release on DVD, I asked Emilio how he felt "The Way" might be used.

"We did this cross country bus tour in the fall and we hit 27 states; we did 50 days out there. The feedback was amazing. Some people had seen it two or three times.

"The feedback seems to be, 'I'm going to buy a copy for myself and a copy for my mom. Retreat centers are asking how can we get a copy of the film so we can screen it for discussion here. Catholic organizations saying, 'We'd love for the film to be a part of a discussion on "The Camino" or about community.

"So I really feel that this is a film that is going to stand the test of time; that, while it wasn't a blockbuster type of film, it will be talked about 10 and 20 years from now. It will be remembered."

"The Way" will be available on DVD beginning February 21, 2012.

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Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online and the CEO/Associate Publisher for the Northern Virginia Local Edition of Catholic Online (http://virginia.catholic.org). He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal Church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: The Way, Emilio Estevez, Martin Sheen, Movies, Camino de Santiago, Way of St. James

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1 - 4 of 4 Comments

Scott
9 months ago
Great observations and commentary Jack! I just saw the movie and enjoyed it very much. I think the movie is quite realistic and is both hopeful and sad at the same time. All four of the main characters are profoundly impacted by the journey.

Ironically, their arrival at the end is really just the beginning of a new journey that seems even more daunting: transformation of our lives and the search to discover the true meaning of life.

The sadness comes from knowing that that some of the characters will go back to their old ways either because they find the new journey too difficult, or they don't have anyone to help guide them along the way.

The call to action I take away from the movie is to become a better husband, father, uncle, and friend to all the people God has placed in my life. It is also a challenge for me to learn more about my faith so I know how to explain it when friends ask me about it.
Jack
1 year ago
Seen the movie 4 times now.

PRO:
It is a lovely travelogue, filled with some beautiful scenery.
Part road movie, part character study, it can be engaging, funny, and moving.
The local Catholic bits are treated with respect.
It is well cast, well acted, and well filmed.

CON:
The philosophy invoked in the movie is a muddled mess, so the character studies and the story arc suffer as a result. This aspect of the movie (the main part) is most definitely NOT Catholic. Rather, Estevez seems to be offering up a yuppified version of Epicurianism. Think of it as the "Bucket List," but in a Catholic setting. Religion is pooh-poohed several times.

THEMES:
1 - "You don't choose a life, you live one" is the tag line. But that is wrong on many levels.

For the most part, we do choose. We are the sum of our choices. Do I sin or do I not? Do I choose this career or do I choose that? Do I go or do I stay? Do I help others or do I ignore them? Tom has made one set of choices at the beginning of the movie and is excoriated for it. At the end, he makes a different set of choices. But they are still his choices. And no system for judging one choice as better than another is offered.

It is almost admitted in the beginning that leading a life of Epicurianism is a luxury few people can afford.

Oddly, and apparently without wanting to do so, the movie reveals a reason why Epicurianism is bad. One of the main characters is struggling with his weight. He seems affable, but he spends the whole movie trying to please his senses. He smokes too much, drinks too much, eats to much, does drugs, and is constantly in search of novel experiences. And he is deeply unhappy. Neither he, nor the movie, connects the dots. But his public persona is outgoing, so he is a generally likable character. Personally, he wants a miracle, but none is forthcoming.

2 - Another theme is moving outside of one's comfort zone. Tom Avery, the father, is belittled by his son for choosing a safe life. And on the Camino, Tom is pushed out of his comfort zone. But many of the uncomfortable experiences are pointless, and best left unexperienced. Tom is never shown as having grown from these experiences. They just provide interesting moments in the film.

3 - A third theme (but one that was not immediately obvious) is that of "community." (Estevez talks about it in the Director's Commentary, but only a little.) The band of four does form a community of sorts by the end of their overlapping journeys, but what that means or how it impacts their lives is at best only briefly touched upon. And to what effect? The closing scene shows Tom traveling in an Arab bazaar, Marrakesh, perhaps. He is shown in an Arab crowd, but walking by himself. There is zero sense of community, zero sense of connection to the locals. There is no tie-back to the other characters. So what is the point? Tom, the father is honoring his dead son by traveling? It feels more like aging Yuppie angst. Tom has become a new cliche, different from the cliche in the beginning of the movie, but still a cliche. Tom looks more alone than ever, and his primary vocation as a doctor is left untended. His fellow man is NOT being helped, while Tom seeks personal fulfillment through travel. Yet this is somehow supposed to be the culmination of his story. Instead, the world is a little bit poorer for Tom's new choice.

4 - The character studies are disappointing. Each of the four struggles with a personal crisis. There are hints of difference between the revealed and the inner struggles, but they are never explored, never clarified. Jack's is never revealed. Yoost's real crisis is revealed too early. Sarah's reveal is well-done, but it seems almost accidentally so. (In fact, I think Estevez misses it completely. He talks about Sarah not trusting men, but that most definitely is NOT what haunts her. She needs extraordinary healing and forgiveness, but that's not going to happen in the company of momentary male companions.) Tom's inner crisis is never explained.

An opportunity to break down walls and open up is missed for two (and maybe three) of them. So why even alude to them? Like I said. It's a muddled mess.

CATHOLICISM
A solidly Catholic viewpoint would have improved this movie greatly. Namely, love informed by faith is the answer. But the film-makers, wanting to avoid cliches, avoid love at all costs. Tom's inner crisis could have been loss of all familial love (he is truly alone now, the only one left of his family). Sarah could find real healing in the Faith. If she had encountered a statue of Mary and the Baby Jesus in the Santiago de Compostela, believe me, it would have been a cleansing experience on film. Yoost has to abandon Epicurianism. He wants a miracle and Catholicism would offer him a better way, if only someone would plant the seed. Jack... well, who knows, but he may have legitimate issues with some Church members that only the love of Christ can heal.

And for the finale? Show Tom and some of his doctor friends (a new, purposeful "community," if you will) providing pro bono medical care in poor communities. Helping your fellow man is obviously more fulfilling than buying airline tickets with your excess cash. And show Sarah there too, helping expectant mothers to complete her story arc. A simple hand squeeze between Tom and Sarah would give it a hopeful ending and a beautiful reverse on another hand-on-hand situation from earlier in the movie. That finale would show the world as a little bit better for their new choices.

FINAL GRADE: B-
Concerned
1 year ago
My family and I went to hear Mr. Martin Sheen talk at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC and it was a disappointed. I knew that Mr. Sheen was a left wing democrat person but did not think that he would impose his 'liberal' ideas on us when he talked about his movie.

I am not so sure he is any different than Ms. Keehan of CHA who aligned with Obamacare to push pro-abortion agenda. Those who call themselves pro-life (i.e. Kmeic, Sheen, etc ...) should be warned of horrible consequences (loss of souls).

We saw the movie and it was a mix for me.
abey
1 year ago
If the above article is to be considered in terms of faith, then there is syncretism coming in words like yoga, cremation & distribution of ashes, for all the three are not of the Christian faith but of another, so its spirituality is anybody's guess. The difference in Spirituality would be as that between Cain & Abel.

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