THE WAY: A Movie Review

By Jane West

It’s not often a movie comes around that you’d recommend to friends. The Way (based on a pilgrimage called The Way of Saint James) is such a wholesome experience, and I want to tell you about it.

The Way is the story of a father’s love for his son, which heals his heart and changes his life. Martin Sheen portrays the father with sensitivity and pathos. On the pilgrimage Way, which he would never have taken on his own initiative, he begins to clearly see the beauty of our world, which puts other things in perspective. Walking this long, difficult pilgrimage over the Pyrenees Mountains, gradually his busy, scheduled life fades, relegated to a lesser place in the importance of life. He meets other pilgrims on the Way, and finishes his route with three of them who trek with him. Totally different from him, they become companions, making an unusual foursome.

The photography is wonderful, with wide, sweeping views of valleys and villages and people who live in Eastern Spain past the western slopes of the mountains.

The powerful, yet simply story draws you in right away, and one scene has a pro-life message, but not blatantly. Because The Way is the story of a man’s pilgrimage to commemorate his adult son’s life, the movie is not one that young children would find interesting.

A wholesome movie. What a refreshing surprise; what a nice gift for the moviegoer. The Way is not highly advertised, and most people have gone because of word of mouth from a friend, as I did.

Click below to see the trailer,

http://theway-themovie.com/

I would like to introduce Jane West, the newest member of our Writers Rest family. Welcome Jane. It’s great to have you.

Jane West is an author and teacher mentor. She has written books, short stories for adults and children, how-to’s, newspaper articles, a manual for her position as Administrative Assistant in Marion County psychologist’s office, and a play which was performed in church. Her poem Tumbleweeds won first prize in the Southern Oregon. Poet’s contest. She  teaches a writing class in Oregon, where she lives, near her children and grandchildren.