Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that The Way -- a drama about a father's grief after his grown son is accidentally killed during a journey in Europe -- isn't likely to have much appeal for younger kids or tweens. The subject matter is mature, the action much more internal than external, and the pace is deliberate and reflective. Lots of wine is consumed during meals in the Spanish villages in which the story is set. One scene shows the drunken hero being taken to jail after a loud, angry rant. A principal character frequently smokes marijuana and offers it to his companions. Cigarette smoking is pervasive. A female reveals that she reluctantly "terminated" a pregnancy some years earlier.
Sexual
Content
In the background of one scene, a man is wearing a thong.
Violence
The main character is forcibly escorted to a police station after drunkenly resisting police officers. In other action scenes, he scuffles with a woman, and she slaps him; he also jumps in a turbulent river to retrieve his backpack, and he chases a young thief.
Language
Occasional swearing: "ass," "piss," "hell," "son of a bitch," "Christ," and "crap."
Social
Behavior
The Way stresses the healing and inspirational power of travel, friendship, and life's simplest pleasures. "You don't choose a life, you live one."
Consumerism
The North Face brand is visible.
Drugs / Tobacco /
Alcohol
Many scenes show weary travelers drinking wine at the end of each day, usually along with a meal. One sequence finds the main character getting very drunk, behaving badly, and ultimately being taken to the police station because of his conduct. A traveler from Holland frequently uses marijuana and offers it (as well as sleeping aids) to others on the journey. A woman smokes cigarettes heavily and talks about the need to quit.
