The Way Leads To A Walk In The Woods

The Camino de Santiago is considered a pilgrimage. The movie states it is about 800km but, according to the website Follow the Camino, it varies according to many different routes.

However, if one starts in France, where The Way starts its journey, the route is a little under 478 miles (790km for the French way and the Northern way is 825km). Introducing the main character and his son is quick and discloses the tension between father and son. Both are older men. The son is in his 40's and tells his dad that one doesn't choose a life, one lives it. After leaving his doctoral program to see the world, we then hone in to the life his father has "chosen."

Imagine getting a phone call from someone speaking French about your son who has gone on a personal mission to discover the world. The caller is a French police officer and starts speaking in English. He tells you that your son has had a hiking accident and has died.

Incredibly acted, Martin Sheen plays the father of his real life son Emilio Estevez. Emilio wrote the screenplay and directed the movie. The journey that ensues, following a trip to France to identify the body and decide how to deal with getting the body back to the United states, cannot be explained in words. The music, scenery, and dialog all intertwine to give the viewer the feeling that they too are on this journey... the Camino de Santiago.

Martin Sheen, on a whim, decides to walk the Camino with his son Daniel's equipment despite not having prepared in any way. Along the way, he is joined by Dutch actor Yorick van Wageningen, Canadian actress Deborah Kara Unger, and Irish actor James Nesbitt. Each character goes through personal tragedies and triumphs before and during the hike. The scene at the completion of the Camino de Santiago was unscripted. The director instructed the actors to do whatever they thought correct for their character.

There is some incredible trivia surrounding the movie, not the least of which is the actors walked between 300km and 350km during the 40 days production took. There were no actor's trailers nor a director's chair! Emilio Estevez's son also served as an associate producer. This film is an emotional rollercoaster so be ready with a lot of tissues. This film will take you on a journey of your own soul and perhaps, The Way will be on your bucket list to do, as it is on mine for the year 2023 when my partner will be turning 70 and I will turn 61.

If you like The Way, then another long distance trail walk that is equally entertaining is A Walk In The Woods based on the book of the same title by Bill Bryson. Robert Redford and Nick Nolte play Bill Bryson and his friend Steven Katz respectively.

Bill Bryson is an American writer who lived in England for a number of years. After moving back to America, he decided to get back to his American roots by hiking the Appalachian Trail. This is a 2, 190 mile trek stretching from Georgia to Maine. Only 1 in 4 who attempt it complete it.

The 2 actors were both in their 70's when they made the film, however, when Bill Bryson and Steve Katz did the hike, they were 44 years old. Robert Redford is an Oscar winner and Nick Nolte is an Oscar nominee. Two other Oscar winners appear in the movie: Dame Emma Thompson, and Mary Steenburgen. Whilst the 2 actors did not walk much of the actual trail itself, they did walk a considerable number of miles each day retracing parts of the trail over and over during scene takes!

The story follows the men as Bryson is in an author's slump and finding his life seemingly in a rut. He calls everyone he knows to find a companion as his wife won't let him go alone. Katz calls him and reluctantly, they start the journey together. Katz is a recovering alcoholic running from his accumulation of bad life decisions with bad knees and he's obese. Along the way, these men meet various characters including an hilarious scene with 2 bears.

This film combines humor with serious issues such as infidelity, alcoholism, obesity, mental health issues, and death. taking a walk in the woods, surrounded by nature, meeting others on the same journey, is something everyone on earth should experience at some point and repeat periodically throughout life. John Muir is quoted as saying, "In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. Did Bill Bryson complete the trail? You will need to watch the film to find out if the mission is completed!