Tag: The Way

Camino inaccuracies

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The Way is a movie starring Martin Sheen about a man’s journey across Spain, walking the Camino. While I enjoyed it, there were a few inaccuracies I feel compelled to point out:

1. Rain

If this movie were accurate, there would need to be many more scenes of them walking in the rain.

2. Flies

At no point in the movie do we see the walkers getting irritated by or swatting away flies. Depending on the time of year that you walk the Camino, this is something you have to do quite a bit at certain points.

3. Popping blisters

There needs to be at least one scene where the group are gathered around looking at a blister on someone’s foot. By the end of the scene, that blister must be popped, either voluntarily or involuntarily.

4. Arguing about the relative merits on compeed

Following on from the above scene, there needs to be a sharp disagreement as to the relative merits of compeed.

5. Food

Food is a big part of the Camino. I’d have loved to have seen Sheen’s group gathered around a table more often sharing a meal. They could be discussing whether or not Spanish Red Wine should be considered medicine and why vegetables are so hard to find on the trail. I also think we should see them drinking orange juice and eating Napolitana, two staples of the Camino.

6. Miming

Refusing to learn Spanish, at least one character has to express their sleeping and dietary requirements to a hostel owner through the medium of mime.

The Way

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We are living at a great time for faith-related films. Virtually all of my trips to the cinema this year have been to see movies in which Christianity has played a positive part in the storyline. Last week I reviewed Warrior and today I’d like to say a few words about my most recent cinema outing to see The Way…

The Camino de Santiago is a 500-mile pilgrimage route from the town of St. Jean Pied de Port in France to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The story begins with the death of a pilgrim, Daniel Avery, shortly after beginning this pilgrimage. His father, Tom, who had a strained relationship with his son, travels from America to France to identify his son’s body and return him home.

When Tom arrives in France, he meets a policeman who explains to him about the pilgrimage his son was undertaking. Shortly before Daniel left America he asked his dad to go on a trip with him, but his father declined the offer.

Now that his son is dead, he decides to honour belatedly his son’s request. He resolves to walk the Camino in his son’s place and take Daniel’s ashes along with him, scattering them along the way (you’re not actually allowed to do this).

Tom is extremely single-minded in his journey. In many ways, the audience is left to guess at what is going on inside the head of this stoic figure, as he doesn’t exactly wear his heart on his sleeve. Tom is played expertly by Martin Sheen who, incidentally, was inspired to take his screen name from our beloved Grandpa Sheen. He gives a great performance as Daniel’s father.

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