The Way

Actor/writer/director Emilio Estevez casts his dad (Martin Sheen) as Tom Avery, whose only son, Daniel (Estevez), is killed as he commences his pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. The 60-something Tom decides to make the pilgrimage himself, Daniel’s ashes in tow. En route, he collects a slew of companions---Sarah (Deborah Kara Unger), Joost (Yorick van Wageningen) and Jack (James Nesbitt)---a compatible cast who infuriate each other as siblings do. Too bad Estevez slapped on such an intrusive soundtrack: soft piano music, melancholic oooh-ing and aaah-ing and montages of the group schlepping backpacks along dusty paths as James Taylor and Alanis Morissette songs coo and bray in the background. At two hours, The Way is a bit of a trek that begs for a short cut. –Molly Segal