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THE WAY (2011)Movie Reviews
Comedy drama adventure about an American man who embarks on a historical pilgrimage in Spain to honor his late son's desire to complete the journey. Cast:Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Deborah Kara Unger, Spencer Garrett, James NesbittDirector:Emilio EstevezRelease Date:October 7, 2011DVD Release:February 21, 2012From:Icon EntertainmentRating:PG-13Length:1 hr. 55 min.
The Way (2011) played in key cities to very good reviews. • Steven Rea wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer, "A heartfelt project, scrappy and engaging... the actors find something genuine in the material, and the rapport among these strangers-turned-friends feels genuine." • And Lisa Schwarzbaum called the film in Entertainment Weekly, "...an affecting personal project..." More Reviews Below...
The Way (2011) Positive Reviews (35 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: VERY GOOD(cg) "Martin Sheen plays a doctor walking on a pilgrimage from France to Spain to honor his late son (Emilio Estevez, who also directs). Heartfelt and wry..."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 33 words, 10/06/11
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "There's a contemplative loveliness to this, an affecting personal project both for Emilio Estevez, who wrote, directed, and plays a small role, and for his father, Martin Sheen."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 84 words, 10/07/11
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a gift from this son Emilio to his father Martin. Sheen, gradually revealing a man painfully getting reacquainted with long buried feelings, gives the film its bruised heart."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 272 words, 10/07/11
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "...rare... captures the sense of awe felt in centuries-old churches.... celebrates companionship and community, all good reasons to embrace the experience..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 486 words, 11/11/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a sweet and sincere family pilgrimage, even if a little too long and obvious.... a nice film. Not great, not urgent, but quietly positive."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 515 words, 10/07/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...not an 'inspirational film' in the usual, syrupy sense... The beauty of the movie is that Mr. Estevez does not make explicit what any of them find, beyond friendship."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 276 words, 10/07/11
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...rarely subtle... Then again, the scenery is lovely, Martin Sheen's turn is marvelously nuanced, and his emotional investment in the story is palpable."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 312 words, 10/07/11
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...offers an intriguing look at the contemporary version of an ancient ritual.... a well-meaning, if too neat and orderly, portrait of modern-day peregrinos seizing the day."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 10/07/11
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...has a modesty you seldom see when Hollywood tackles spiritual subjects.... it's firmly grounded in emotional honesty by Martin Sheen, who is simply terrific..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 364 words, 10/07/11
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "Sweet but pat... the script settles for ordinary observations about living life fully and opening your eyes and your heart to the world."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 338 words, 10/07/11
John Anderson, New York Newsday: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Estevez's script, while spiritually ambitious, is short on both character-development and surprise.... but so well-meaning one can't help but be touched."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 340 words, 10/21/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a sweet and sincere family pilgrimage, even if a little too long and obvious.... a nice film. Not great, not urgent, but quietly positive."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 515 words, 10/07/11
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...trades in a kindred brand of warm, soothing uplift that viewers might read as insight into the Sheen family saga; we did not.... dramatically inert, spiritually generic..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 223 words, 10/05/11
Bruce DeMara, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "Estevez takes full advantage of the beautiful mountain scenery, dramatic skies and ancient architecture to give us moments of quiet wonder."(See all of Bruce DeMara's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 533 words, 11/04/11
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...doesn't really stack up to excursions past. Where's the ribald fun that Chaucer had with his 'Tales,' or the philosophic rigour that Bunyan added to his 'Progress'?"(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 635 words, 11/04/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...if Estevez's spiritual points never quite crystallize into something dramatic, his film does reach a gentle catharsis by the time the journey ends."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 131 words, 11/03/11
KEY CITIES (11 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "Funny, moving, hip and transcendent... both deeply thoughtful and enormous fun to watch. Its rewards are as rich for the secular as for the more spiritually inclined."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 579 words, 10/07/11
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "A heartfelt project, scrappy and engaging... the actors find something genuine in the material, and the rapport among these strangers-turned-friends feels genuine."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 503 words, 10/07/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "...warm, engaging... a plucky film that covers a lot of ground and uncovers this wonderful, ancient ritual that people of many faiths and from all walks of life take on."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 10/02/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...refreshingly sincere.... It could have come out sentimental, but doesn't.... 'The Way' is good without being goody-goody."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 394 words, 10/14/11
Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Essentially a buddy road-trip flick transformed into a spiritual (but pointedly not religious) sermon... there are some lovely moments and far more awkward ones."(See all of Kerry Lengel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 10/14/11
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: POOR(cg) "...a respectable failure.... Every so often, there's a glimmer of the movie Estevez was trying to make and thought he was making. But then in the next moment, it's gone..."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 513 words, 10/21/11
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: GOOD(cg) "The performances are solid, the cinematography is stunning, the setting is intriguing. But the whole thing feels bloodless, hitting us over the head with its understatedness."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 275 words, 10/07/11
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: EXCELLENT(cg) "You walk out of the theater feeling better about yourself. Not enough to hike 900 miles or chase birds around North America, but it's a start."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 527 words, 10/20/11
Tom Long, Detroit News: GOOD(cg) "...the performances are fine -- really, Sheen is a master -- the spirit is upbeat, the landscape gorgeous and if the simple truths are simple, they're still true."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 292 words, 10/21/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (7 Reviews)
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...trades in a kindred brand of warm, soothing uplift that viewers might read as insight into the Sheen family saga; we did not.... dramatically inert, spiritually generic..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 223 words, 10/05/11
Andrew Schenker, Slant: POOR(cg) "No doubt this all has a lot of meaning for the filmmaker, but for an allegedly personal project, there's far too much of the generic in Estevez's movie..."(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 651 words, 10/02/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...if Estevez's spiritual points never quite crystallize into something dramatic, his film does reach a gentle catharsis by the time the journey ends."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 131 words, 11/03/11
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Estevez has captured a sense of spirituality as a universal human experience that is as robustly physical and carnal as it is cerebral... I love this movie unreservedly..."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 302 words, 10/13/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...not an 'inspirational film' in the usual, syrupy sense... The beauty of the movie is that Mr. Estevez does not make explicit what any of them find, beyond friendship."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 276 words, 10/07/11
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...offers an intriguing look at the contemporary version of an ancient ritual.... a well-meaning, if too neat and orderly, portrait of modern-day peregrinos seizing the day."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 10/07/11
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: GOOD "If 'The Way' is sometimes shaggy and inelegant, and flirts with sentimentality the whole way through, I was finally overcome by its dignity and sincerity..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 574 words, 10/06/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: GOOD "...the type of chicken-soup project that inspires once-a-year ticketbuyers to leave their homes and seek out a good movie -- the sort without sex, drugs or swearing."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 933 words, 09/11/10
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: FAIR "...an earnest film, its heart always in the right place, but it's severely under dramatized.... comes off more as an amiable travelogue than a fully realized feature."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 714 words, 10/14/10
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...offers an intriguing look at the contemporary version of an ancient ritual.... a well-meaning, if too neat and orderly, portrait of modern-day peregrinos seizing the day."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 10/07/11
Michael T. Dennis, Cinema 24/7: GOOD(cg) "...a more candid movie than 'Bobby' with some of the same positives: a strong cast, an inherently interesting premise, and a lesson to be learned."(See all of Michael T. Dennis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 809 words, 10/10/11
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...not an 'inspirational film' in the usual, syrupy sense... The beauty of the movie is that Mr. Estevez does not make explicit what any of them find, beyond friendship."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 276 words, 10/07/11
17.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Way (2011)'s reviews are separated by an average 17.2 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Way (2011) (35 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Way (2011)'s reviews cover 56.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 14,820 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 423 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Way (2011) Coverage, Volume & Length (35 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 58.0 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Way (2011)'s reviews on average broke 58.0 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Way (2011)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Way (2011) (35 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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