Movie The Way Analysis

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Travel as a Catalyst for Self-Revelation and Long-Lasting Self-Change Pilgrimaging to a location one has never traveled to before can be a horizon-expanding experience. Experiencing firsthand how magnificent the world truly is, in conjunction with reflecting on where you fit in the grand scheme of that magnificent world, can yield rewarding, eye-opening results. “Past and present experiences are subject to constant interpretation and reinterpretation in the light of new experiences or influences” (Luik, 39). In the movie The Way, released in 2010 and directed by Emilio Estevez, the open road acts as a catalyst for self-revelation through different forms and, consequently, creates ideal conditions for possible self-transformation in light of …show more content…

At the beginning of The Way, Tom, though not unkind, demonstrates himself to be uninterested and unmotivated to fraternize with others traveling the Camino. He believes his trip should be a solitary one. However, he ironically ends up traveling a good majority of the Camino with other travelers he meets along the way. This is something he never intended to do during the journey; it was meant to be a dedication to his deceased son, as well as a grieving process for Tom. Initially, he tries to keep a more rigorous pace to distance himself from his small group of fellow travelers. As the journey continues and his group finds out about his reasoning for traveling the Camino, they become sympathetic to his situation and begin spilling their own “real” reasons for making the trip. Contrary to Tom’s lone wolf disposition, he finds himself enjoying the company of his companions more and more; he begins to walk with them, instead of before them. Tom experiences a slow revelation in the way he views and interacts with other people; he can be genuine and let people in, regardless of what type of people he thinks they …show more content…

Friendship is not determined by like personalities and pet peeves; it is determined by one’s willingness to connect with another. The journeys of Tom, Joost (Yorick van Wageningen), Sarah, and Jack (James Nesbitt) are all shaped by each other. Each character connects on an individual basis, as well as on a group level. Their willingness to bond with each other is exemplified through the hotel scene. Each character is given their own luxurious room, brimming with the amenities that are lacking on the road. They are given the opportunity for solitude, after weeks spent traveling with the same people. Rather than taking advantage of this solitude, however, each member of the group slowly trickles into Tom’s room. Though each of these characters began their trip to Santiago alone, it is through their relationships formed with others that they begin to find the truths about themselves, as well as the comforts, they are seeking. It is the road most traveled – not the least – that cultivates the most eye-opening

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