The Way (2010) - full transcript

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[wind blowing]

[seabirds calling]

Woman: X-O-T.

F-D-E.

MAN: And the next set?

P-N-E.

E-R-Z.

Uh, Eunice.

Yes, Dr. Avery?

How many of those letters
can you actually see,



and how many
have you memorized?

l can see all of them,
Dr. Avery.

Eunice.

Okay. l memorized
the last two, Tom.

Only the last two.

lf l can't get
my license renewed--

Eunice, you need to wear
the lenses l prescribed.

Contact lenses don't work for me,
and glasses give me headaches.

Then we'll change the prescription,

but you know the DMV's
gonna test you again anyway.

l've memorized those charts, too.

WOMAN: Mrs. Conrad called

and canceled her appointment
for tomorrow.

Bill Warren wants to know if he can
see you before he goes in for work,



which means you have
to be here at 8 A.M.

- Okay.
- Okay for 8:00?

- Yeah.
- Oh.

Roger called while you were in
with a patient.

Uh, he said if you miss the 2:00 tee time,
you pay for the beer.

l pay for the beer anyway.

And Daniel called

and left a message here
on the voice mail last night.

What'd he say?

He said he'll call back,
said he's somewhere in France,

and, uh, he sounded good.

l mean, how do you not sound good
if you're in France, right?

Did he leave a number this time?

No.

Everyone on the planet
has a mobile phone except my son.

The world on Daniel's terms.

See you.

[telephone rings]

Oh, no!

- [chuckles]
- Ayy!

Let me show you
how a real doctor does it.

Since when is Tom
not a real doctor, Rog?

The eyes are the most important
organ in the body, Roger.

Maybe at your age, Tom.

They're the windows to the soul.

Yeah? How the hell
would Roger know?

He doesn't have one.

[chuckles]

Oh. Ho ho ho!

Looks like malpractice
to me, boys.

ROGER: Don't use
your foot wedge, Phil.

l got your foot wedge, Roger.

All right, what have we got,
about 70?

Yeah, plus 10 to the flag.

That's what l'm talking about.

- lt'll play.
- Yeah? That's good stuff.

l'm over there.

Yeah, l see.
lt's about three feet away.

- You want a ride, or what?
- l'm old and tired.

Heh. You're old and lazy.

l don't see you
walking this course.

[cell phone rings]

[ring]

lt's mine, and it can wait.

[ring]

Get--
Ay-yi-yah.

- Nice chip.
- Not bad.

Go ahead and putt out.

l'll catch up with you.
Hello.

MAN, ACCENTED:
Uh, hello? Hello?

- Yes. Hello.
- [speaking French] ...Monsieur Tom Avery.

l'm sorry.
l don't speak French.

l'm Captain Henri Sebastian
of the National Gendarmerie

in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
in France.

ls something wrong?

Are you the father of Daniel Avery?

Yes, l am.

l'm sorry to inform you
that your son has been killed, sir.

What?
What do you mean?

Daniel? Something
happened to Daniel?

He was caught in a storm.

On the Camino de Santiago,
monsieur.

- What?
- it's in the French Pyrenees.

Tom.

Tommy!

PHlL: Where you going?

Tommy?!

MAN: l'm sorry
for your loss, Tom.

Thanks, Father.

l'm going overseas
to bring Daniel home.

Would you like
to pray with me, Tom?

What for?

All the information
for your itinerary is in here.

l--l canceled all your appointments
for next week, so...

He wanted to see the world.

And he did.

You should fly with me.

What?

You should fly with me.

- Yeah, right.
- Turn the car around.

Pack a bag.
Grab your passport.

Forget your golf clubs.

Come on. A father-son trip.
lt'll be fun.

When you coming back?

l don't know.

So you don't have a plan.

We agreed that if l let you
take me to the airport,

you wouldn't lecture me
about how l'm ruining my life.

l lied.

You know, most people
don't have the luxury

ofjust picking up
and leaving it all behind, Daniel.

Well, l'm not most people.

lf l don't have your blessing,
that's fine,

but don't judge this.
Don't judge me.

My life here might not seem
like much to you,

but it's the life l choose.

You don't choose a life, Dad.

You live one.

[PA announcements in French]

[announcements continue]

PA: Mesdames et monsieurs...

[overlapping conversations]

[dispatch chatter]

- Monsieur Avery?
- Yes.

We spoke on the phone.
Captain Henri Sebastian.

Of course.

[telephone rings]

[overlapping chatter]

l don't know why.
l know it's odd,

but l thought it would say
something else.

lt's the same word back home.

l guess l thought
it would be different.

Mr. Avery, if you're
not ready to do this,

- it can wait.
- No. lt's fine.

l mean, it's not fine.

l mean l'm okay.

Let's get it over with.

Let's just get it over with.

[water dripping]

[zipper zips]

[bottles rattle]

[police dispatch chatter]

These are Daniel's belongings.

Merci.

This is everything he had
when we found him.

What happened?

lt was an accident.

The weather in the Pyrenees
is famous for being unpredictable,

and l'm sure Daniel would have been
warned by the locals.

You were not close with him?

Not since his mother died,
l'm sorry to say.

What was he doing out there?

He was on pilgrimage
on the Camino,

walking the road
to Santiago de Compostela.

People from very different backgrounds,
faith and generations

have walked the path
from here in the French Pyrenees

to Santiago de Compostela,

800 kilometers
on the northwestern coast of Spain

for over a thousand years.

We believers are told that the remains
of Saint James, the apostle of Jesus

are interred there,
and so we make pilgrimage.

This is what your son
Daniel was doing.

Why was he alone?

Many people choose
to make the trek alone.

The Way is a very personal
journey, Mr. Avery.

This is the shell,

the symbol of the pilgrim
making the journey.

And this,

this is Daniel's passport
for the Camino.

lt is to be officially stamped

at every important stop
along the route through Spain.

And the first stamp is here
in Saint-Jean.

WOMAN: Buen camino.

Merci.

When you arrive at the end,

the passport should look like this.

l have walked the Camino
to the Atlantic Ocean three times,

there and back.

l will do it once more
on my 70th birthday,

God willing, of course.

Daniel was my only child.

We can also offer cremation

if that is a more suitable way

for you to transport
the remains back home.

[overlapping conversations]

MAN: Um, excusez-moi.

[speaking French]

l'm sorry.
l don't speak French.

Oh. Do you mind if l sit here?

Because there's
no other seats available.

Hi. l'm Joost.
l'm from Amsterdam.

- Tom.
- Hey, Tom.

l saw you on the--
on the train.

Uh, this morning.
We came from Paris.

We were on the--
on the same train.

You're not a pilgrim, are you?

A pilgrim.

Uh, a trekker, a peregrino, eh?

You're not here to walk
the, uh, Santiago de Compostela?

- No. l'm here on family business.
- Ah.

Well, it's not for everyone,
you know.

ln fact, um, somebody died
on the Camino this week

only one day into the trek.

Yeah, it's such a tragedy.

Yes.

But it's no mystery
why l'm doing this trek.

Do you see this gut?

[chuckles] My older brother's getting married
in Rotterdam in December,

and, uh, l want to fit
into my old suit.

You could just buy a new suit.

No, but it's the third time
that he's getting married.

Well, but wedding or not,

l mean, uh, a bit leaner,
a bit lighter

would make my doctor...
and my wife,

uh, a bit happier, no.

Ah! Merci beaucoup.

Uh...

lt's for energy.

[crickets chirping]

[zipper zips]

Listen.

My doctorate...

l'm not gonna finish it.

You mean this year.

l mean ever.

Margaret Mead didn't become
a great cultural anthropologist

by staying in school.

And when was the last time
you traveled abroad?

And l'm not talking
about for business.

l mean before Mom got sick.

Nepal, Morocco, lndia,
Papua New Guinea, Europe.

l gotta go to these places.

l--l gotta go.
l gotta go.

[knocks on door]

Captain.

Mr. Avery.

l want to cremate the body.

Capitaine, monsieur,

bonne nuit.

l'm gonna walk
the Camino de Santiago.

Mr. Avery,
if you pardon me, please,

you're not prepared
to go on this trek.

You have no equipment or--

l've got Danny's backpack
and all his stuff.

But you haven't trained
for this walk.

And no disrespect.
You're more than 60 years old.

So it'll take me
a bit longer than most.

You'll be lucky
if you finish in two months.

Then l better get started.

We're leaving in the morning.

"We"?

Both of us.

[objects clatter]

[sighs]

Okay.

Here we go.

[overlapping conversations]

[car horn honks]

Came to give me
another pep talk, captain?

l came to wish you
buen camino, Mr. Avery,

and to give you this.

- ls this a good-luck charm?
- Something like that.

You'll know what to do with it
when you get there.

Get where?

Cruz de Ferro.
lt's on the Camino.

You'll be there a month from now.

You can read about it in the guide.

lt's a place of much significance.

Monsieur Avery, do you know
why you're walking the Way?

l suppose l'm doing it for Daniel.

You walk the Way for yourself,
only for yourself.

Well, then l guess
l don't have a clue, Captain.

Monsieur Avery...

l have also lost a child.

l wish you a buen camino.

Enjoy your pilgrimage, both of you.

Thank you.

Tom.

This is the way.

[music covers dialogue]

[sheep bells clanging]

[kiss]

[sheep bleating]

[bleating]

[music playing]

[walking stick echoing]

[dog barks]

[bell ringing]

Enough. Shh.

Sorry.

- Are you American?
- Yes.

Americans are always late.

Well--You speak English.

- So do you.
- Huh.

lt's my first time in Spain.

You're not only in Spain.
You're in the Basque country.

We are in Navarre.

Well, is there a room
in the Basque country in Navarre?

A room?
You mean a bed.

A bed, a room,
it's all the same.

l'm very tired.

15 euros for a bed and food,

but it's late, so no food,

- no more cooking.
- Ah.

No food, but still 15 euros?

- Yes.
- [laughs] Okay.

[snoring]

Shoes here.

[man coughs]

Bathroom there.

[woman coughs]

You're here.

[pats bed]

Welcome to Roncesvalles.
Buenas noches.

[snoring and coughing]

[pack clatters]

- Shh!
- Shh!

[guests snoring]

[cough]

[crinkling]

[heavy coughing]

[food crunching]

Pardon me, sir.
Do you have any Grey Poupon?

l followed the same route as you
to a point,

Um, but then l detoured
at Vall Carlos,

and that's why l got here
a couple of hours before you.

My guidebook didn't say anything
about any detours.

Yeah, but that's because
you haven't got the Dutch guidebook.

-The Dutch guidebook?
- Yep.

You know, because we Dutch,
we're always

trying to find the quickest way
to get to the next party.

Heh. Because you know
what they say.

lf it ain't Dutch, it ain't much.

Did the old woman feed you?

- No.
- Well, you're lucky.

The meal was as grim as the beds.

Here. Have this.

- No. l can't take your food.
- Yeah, you can.

- All right. Thanks.
- You're welcome.

Pamplona in a couple of days.

Hemingway,
running of the bulls, all that.

l think l might stay there
for a couple--

iPeregrinos!
No drugs here.

l know what l smell.

l will call the Guardia Civil.

- Ja. Ja.
- l will call the police!

- Ja.
- So--

- Ja, ja.
- Ja.

What does she mean, drugs?

Oh, nothing.

Well, well, nothing
by Dutch standards.

Just a little
tobacco booster, yeah,

to help us sleep.

Hmm.

- You want some, too?
- No. Thank you.

Sure?

l'm sure.

Here.

l also have these options.

Ambien, earplugs.

[snoring]

[overlapping conversations]

l know you got a thing
for Dutchmen, señora.

En tus sueños, perro.

[stamp clatters]

Have you ever walked
the Camino, señora?

Never.

When l was young,
l was too busy,

and now that l'm older,

l'm too tired.

Buen camino.

Hey, Tom, we should get
a coffee here before we go,

just to, uh--to get
our motor running, no?

Yeah, we'll--we'll have
a quick coffee.

[goats bleating]

Ah, look,
a cheese maker, Tom.

Ho ho ho. Fresh--
fresh goat cheese, my man.

Come on, Tom.
You haven't lived

until you have goat cheese
from these mountains.

iHola!

[raps on door]

[girl laughs]

Are you gonna make it, fat man?

Don't you worry about me, old man.

[urinates]

JOOST: Hey, Tom.

When we met in Saint-Jean,

you--you said nothing
about going on pilgrimage.

l wasn't going on pilgrimage.

Yet here we are.

Yeah.

Y-You said you were
on family business.

l am.

But you--you have
all the equipment

for the, uh--
for the walk to Santiago.

Yeah.

Tom, that--that box
with the ashes...

My son.

l'm done for the day, Joost.

l'm staying here tonight.

- Here? ln this village?
- Yeah.

But Pamplona's
a stone throw away.

My feet are killing me.
l gotta get out of these shoes.

l'm sorry, but not me, man.

- Pamplona beckons.
- Okay.

lt's been a pleasure, Tom.

Hey, uh, buen camino.

[overlapping conversations in Spanish]

Ah.

Buenas tardes, peregrino.

l don't speak Spanish.

We were expecting you.

Expecting me?

- You're a pilgrim, ¿sí?
- Yes.

We're always expecting pilgrims.

Come. We have plenty of beds,
and your food is still warm.

Hey, the Americans are here.

[playful booing]

- Bueno, bueno, bueno.
- [laughter]

Vamos. Come on.

[humming
The Star-Spangled Banner]

MAN: The truth of the matter
is confusing.

HOST: No. Charlemagne had other ideas,
to extend his empire.

He crossed the Pyrenees,

but nothing worked out
as he intended.

This is Spain.

This is Basque Spain.

He tortured the Basques of Pamplona

and allowed his men to have

a little too much rest and relaxation
with our women.

When the Basque shepherds
who lived around here

heard what happened
in Pamplona,

they slipped into the woods.

Then we, we Basques,
killed them.

[FRENCH ACCENT] Sorry, monsieur,
but based on what l have read here,

that is complete crap,
d'accord?

Ah, you won't find much truth
in this book.

Charlemagne, Ro-land--

not Rrroland, Roland--

this is part of French history, okay,
no, not Basque.

- [speaking French]
- The French?

The French don't want to admit
that the death of Roland

was because of Charlemagne's
un-Christian intentions.

Come on. Allez.

Bon nuit tout le monde.

W-Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.

- Night.
- Wait a minute. Señor.

Señor, l thought it was the Arabs
that killed Roland.

- [groans]
- Bueno, bueno, bueno.

Otra vez. Otra vez.

[overlapping conversations in Spanish]

One of the guys said
you're Canadian.

Don't spread it around, eh?

So how's it going for you
out there on the road, Boomer?

l'm Tom.

You know, as in baby boomer.

You got all those horrible signs

of that desperate generation
taking its final breath,

trying to screw the rest of us over
one last time.

Only thing missing from you,
Boomer,

is one of those
stupid-looking ponytails

and a collection of James Taylor
songs on your iPod.

l like James Taylor,

but l don't have an iPod.

Well, that's pretty amazing.

What, no iPod?

No cell phone or computer
to keep you connected?

lsn't it written somewhere
in the baby boomer code book

that you must own
a certain percentage

of anything Steve Jobs makes?

So, what is it, on pilgrimage
to change your life?

Something like that.

Wait. Don't tell me.
Just getting over a nasty divorce,

and she took it all.

Or maybe you're out to meet
some young chicks

and relive your college glory days.

Believe me, l've seen
plenty of that nonsense.

Oh, l got it.

You're seeking penance for screwing over
your company retirees

in some stock market scandal.

You sound really angry.

Yeah, sure. l'm angry.

l gotta quit these.

And l'm really,
really angry about that.

And when we get
to Santiago de Compostela,

it's all over for you,
my little friend.

You're a goner.

The end of the Camino
is the end of my addiction.

Spoken like a true addict.

Spoken like someone
who took 10 days to get this far.

Well, at that pace,

you should get to Santiago
by the end of the year.

He's onto our plan.

[men singing inside]

But, you know--

[rooster crows]

[dog barking]

MAN: Hey. Ah hah.

Ah hah.

Hey, hey.

Ah hah.

Hah. Yah.

Ah.

Gracias. Gracias.

[embarrassed chuckle]

l wanted to be a bullfighter.

My father wanted me to be a lawyer.

Coffee is in the common area.

Bonjour, americano.

Thought you might be staying
at least a few more days here, eh?

Funny. These European guys
are starting to get a little familiar.

l want to get out of here while they're
still sleeping off their hangover.

Besides, l got all the friends l need.
Don't want any tag-alongs, so...

Well, be safe out there.

You, too, Boomer.

- Good luck with the quitting.
- [laughs] Yeah.

Good luck with whatever it is
you're doing out here.

Oh. l do have a cell phone.

Yeah, well, me, too.

And an iPod.

Sorry for being such an ass
last night.

l-l'm out here to get away
from everything, and you just, uh--

Reminded you of it.
Yeah, l get it.

Well...

You're all right, Boomer,

even if you do like James Taylor.

[Country Road
by James Taylor playing]

♪ Take to the highway ♪

♪ Won't you lend me your name? ♪

♪ Your way and my way ♪

♪ They seem to be one and the same ♪

♪ Mama don't understand it ♪

♪ She wants to know
where the boy's been ♪

♪ l'd have to be some kind
of natural-born fool... ♪

l'm gonna need you
to cancel all my appointments

for the rest of the month, Doreen.

♪ On a country road ♪

♪ Sail on home to Jesus ♪

♪ Won't you, good girls and boys? ♪

♪ l'm all in pieces ♪

♪ You can have your own choice ♪

♪ 'Cause l can see a heavenly band
full of angels ♪

♪ Coming to set me free ♪

♪ Said l don't know nothin'
about the why or when ♪

♪ But l can tell you
that it's bound to be ♪

♪ Because l could feel it now ♪

♪ On a country road ♪

♪ l guess my feet know
where they want me to go ♪

♪ Walking on a country road, oh ♪

Oh, no!

[gasps]

[water trickling]

[rustling]

[footsteps approaching]

[voices nearby]

- Buen camino.
- Buenos dias.

[overlapping conversations]

Tom!

Tom, it's me!

Tom, it's--it's Joost
from Amsterdam!

lt's cordero.

Spain is famous for its roast lamb.

Mmm.

Here. You should try some.

No. Thank you.

Much to my dismay,

Pamplona is just
an ordinary Spanish city

when the bulls are not running.

So much for being a party town.

But l made reservations
to return here in July

during their week of fiestas,

uh, the Sanfermines.

l would like
to propose a toast,

'cause we Dutch
love to propose toasts.

That we agree
to meet here in July

and run with the bulls,
like real men.

Like real crazy men.

Well, l'm gonna come back.

Wine shots, huh?

[coughs] Yeah.

What are your plans?

To move through Pamplona quickly.

As long as l'm sitting here,

l might just order some tapas.
Señor.

Th-They're called pinchos.

l beg your pardon, Joost.

ln Pamplona,
they're called tapas.

See, here in Pamplona, it's tapas.
l just read that.

You see, unlike
the Dutch guidebook,

which may be directing you
to the nearest party,

the American guidebook
is designed so that you

don't look like a clown
if you order pinchos

when you really mean tapas.

Señor.

No, Tom--

Señor, ¿algo más?

Uh, tapas, por favor.

Tapas. Aquí, no hay tapas.

¿No tapas?

No, no, no. Tapas es más de Madrid,
del sur, eh?

Aquí estamos en Navarra.

En Navarra,
son los pinchos, eh?

Las tapas y los pinchos
pasan lo mismo, pero--pero no lo es.

Porque la--la tapa viene
como en un plato grande, eh?

Los pinchos vayan
como en platos separados

más pequeñitos,

más trabajados
en una presentación.

Vamos, se ha convertido
en una tradición.

- ¿Quiere pinchos?
- Eh, no.

Well, look,

it's Tom Quixote
and Sancho Panza.

JOOST:
And that would make you Dulcinea.

Buen camino, fellow pilgrim.

Hey, buen camino. My name is Joost.
l'm from Amsterdam.

Dutch, huh? Got any drugs?

Oh ho ho. l love this girl.

Wears off quick, l promise.

You know each other?

Sort of.

What are you looking to score?

Oh, something for sleep.

l've had trouble sleeping for the past--
l don't know, couple of years.

You folks mind doing this drug deal
while we walk?

l got some Ambien.

Or something stronger
if that's your pleasure.

Ha. l love this guy.

lt wears off quick, l promise.

- Come. Come with us.
- Oh.

Tom, wait!

JOOST: l tried to quit once,

but then l thought why?

My grandmother, she drank,
and she smoked her entire life,

and she lived to be 103 years old.

Now, what does that tell you?

Tells me that everyone
that's trying to quit something

always has
an ancient relative they use

as an example
of why not to quit.

Suppose that makes me
a cliché, then.

You said it.

But l'm not the one
trying to quit anything.

Yeah, well, we keep
walking at this pace,

quitting isn't gonna be the problem.

Surviving will be.

[chuckles]

Doesn't this guy ever stop
to smell the flowers?

[panting]

This isn't a race.

No, it isn't.

Then why does it
piss me off so much

that l haven't seen him
stop to take a break?

l mean, why does something
that should be inspirational

make me so... angry?

Totally irrational.

Same could be said
for this entire journey.

Wonder how old he is.

Older than us.

[windmills whirring]

JOOST: Hey, Tom!

You think l will look like this
by the time l get to Santiago?

Yeah, sure, Joost.

Just keep eating that cordero.

Nothing like a few pounds of lamb
to help shed the excess weight.

But it's part of
the Camino experience, no?

l mean, you can't come to Spain
without having their roast lamb.

"Donde se cruza--"

"Donde se..."

"Where the path of the wind
crosses that of the stars."

what do you think the waist is
on this guy?

32?

More like a 25 or 26.

[chuckles] Well, a man can dream.

[chuckles]

[bicycle bell ringing]

What, you can do this on a bike?

Why the hell are we walking?

Ah, that's ridiculous, man.

[overlapping conversations]

Just try it, man.
lt's superstrong.

l brought it from Amsterdam.
lt's really good.

Y-You do smoke, no?

Yeah? Do you like it?

- [laughs]
- These are the--

H-Hey. l'm Frank, New York.

Tom, California.

Nice to meet you, Rabbi.

Oh, actually l'm a priest.

You can understand my confusion.

Yeah, a lot of people
make that mistake.

Brain cancer.

Surgery left me
with a terrible scar.

l wear this yarmulke to cover it up.

They didn't get it all,
you know, cancer.

Said it'll probably come back.

Who knows about
these kind of things?

Only God.

Anyway, they say that miracles

happen out here
on the Camino de Santiago.

You believe in miracles, Father?

l'm a priest.
lt's kind of my job.

- You a Catholic?
- l don't practice anymore.

You know, mass at Christmas, Easter.
That's about it.

Here. Take this.

No, l can't take your rosary, Father.

No, please, take it.

Lot of lapsed Catholics
out here on the Camino, kid.

Besides...

[laughs]

Oh. Well, thank you.

THE SHlNS: ♪ Dawn breaks
like a bull through the hall ♪

♪ Never should have called ♪

♪ But my head's to the wall,
and l'm lonely... ♪

[bells ringing]

Vengan, peregrinos.
Bienvenidos.

Vengan, vengan.
Willkommen.

♪ l'd have jumped ♪

♪ From my tree ♪

♪ And l'd have danced
like the king of the eyesores ♪

♪ And the rest of our lives
would have fared well ♪

♪ And if you took... ♪

MAN: Wanderer, there is no road.

Only the wakes on the seas.

Viva Carlo.

[all cheer]

Viva, buy us a round!

- [all cheer]
- Viva.

[man coughs]

[bell tolling]

Mi espalda.

[overlapping chatter]

[dog barks]

[bird squawking]

Fore!

MAN: Oh, my goodness.
Oh, my goodness. Oh!

l'm sorry! Sorry!

l didn't, uh--
l didn't mean that.

Threw that--oh.
Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

l thought l was out here all alone.

You thought wrong.

Oh, yes.

Hello. l'm Jack from lreland.

l'm Jack from lreland.

How long you been out here,
Jack from lreland?

Jeez. Uhh.
lt's hard to say.

This spot, well, um,

it's hard to say that, too.

But l think this place
means something.

This place means--

This place is brimming
with significance!

That's the problem
with this whole damn road.

- Problem?
- Metaphor, man.

You're out walking all alone,

and suddenly
in the middle of nowhere,

you see a dogfight
near a cheese farm.

What does that dogfight mean?

And despite its literalness,

the idea of a pilgrim's journey on this road
is a metaphor bonanza.

Friends, the road itself
is amongst our oldest tropes.

The high road and the low,

the long and winding,
the lonesome,

the royal, the open road
and the private.

You have the road to hell,
the Tobacco Road,

the crooked,
the straight and the narrow.

There's the road
stretching into infinity,

bordered with lacy mists
favored by sentimental poets.

There's the more dignified road
of Mr. Frost,

and for Yanks,
every four years,

there's the road
to the White House.

[sighs] Then you have the road
which most concerns me today,

the wrong road,

which l fear
l must surely have taken.

Well, Jack, maybe a dogfight
near a cheese farm

is simply
a dogfight near a cheese farm.

Ah!

Okay.

That's good.

That is very good.

Maybe l should adopt
a more conservative attitude

instead of trying to trickle meaning
out of every curve in the road.

Oh, Christ.

l haven't had an original thought
in months.

[Jack sighs]

Writer's block.

You know what that is?
Any of you?

Okay, so--

The reason l'm out here
walking the Camino,

writer's block.
l figure the sooner

we get the small talk
out of the way, the better.

Great.

[cell phone rings]

Wait a second. Hmm.

[recording] Mailbox full.

Ah.

[recording]
You have 35 unheard messages.

All from my editors,

who probably think l'm drinking again,

which isn't a bad idea.

Ooh. Can l, uh, bum
one of those, please?

Uh, uh, yes.

Sure, sure.

Thanking you.

So, uh, what's your book about, Jack?

The Camino, of course.

Of course.

- What about all you?
- What about all of us, what?

Oh, why are you
doing the Camino?

Must of the pilgrims l've polled
say their walk to Santiago

is for religious, cultural
or historical reasons.

- You're taking a poll?
- Ah, informally,

though l have been keeping track

of most of the pilgrims
l've met along the way.

So far, less than 15%¤

say they were doing it for health.

Fewer than 5%¤ say they're out here
looking for a miracle.

Miracles are in short supply
these days, Jack.

Well, if you don't mind,
l'd like to include you in my book.

l do mind.
Very much so.

JACK: Oh, uh...

Would it be all right
if l walk with you for a bit?

Well, l--l don't know about them.

Uh, okay.

Yeah, but--but it's okay--
it's cool with me, man.

- Really?
- Yeah, sure.

l'm--l'm Joost.
l'm from Amsterdam.

Joost. Right. Hey.

l mean, l'm--l'm not here
for God or miracles

or any of that stuff.

l'm--l'm just a fat Dutchman
trying to, uh, lose a few pounds.

So you're doing it
for health reasons?

Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, you could--

Yeah, you could
more or less say that.

Well, um,
would it be all right

if l put you under the category
of doing it for health for my poll?

Yeah, man, sure.
Whatever.

- Really?
- Yeah.

Joost. Dutch.

Health.

Ah. Thanks.

Mmm. Would you like
to try some of this?

lt's, uh--
it's Turkish.

l--l hear it's good
for writer's block.

[Lost by Coldplay playing]

[chuckles] You may be right, Joost.

Yeah, l'm right. Tom!

- ♪ Just because l'm losing ♪
- Hey, Tom!

♪ Doesn't mean l'm lost ♪

♪ Doesn't mean l'll stop ♪

♪ Doesn't mean l'm across ♪

♪ Just because l'm hurting ♪

♪ Doesn't mean l'm hurt... ♪

Everything all right?

Yeah, sure.

JACK: So what's her story?

JOOST: Tom met her in a refugio.

Walking the Camino
to quit smoking.

That's all l know about her.

She's sexy, but complicated.

He seems like quite a stiff.

[chuckles]

l met him in Saint-Jean.

He's a--he's an opth--

an, uh--an eye doctor
from California.

- An ophthalmologist?
- Ah.

Didn't come here
on pilgrimage.

Seems like it was more a--
like an accident.

l started my pilgrimage
in Paris, Joost,

three months ago.

And if l know one certainty
about the Way of Saint James,

it is that no one walks
this Camino by accident.

No one.

He, um, carries the cremated remains
of his son--

got caught in a bad storm
over the Pyrenees first day out.

- Oh, you're kidding me.
- No.

He carries the--that box
in his backpack.

He leaves little--little piles of ash
all along the Camino.

That's brilliant.
l mean tragic, of course,

but brilliant.

Um, do you think he'd, uh...
want to talk to me about it?

l think he'd sooner shove
that walking stick down your throat.

♪ l'm just waiting
till the shine goes off ♪

- You're sick.
- Eh?

The reason you're out here.

- You're ill and dying.
- Not even close.

That's good.
But l will get it.

No, you probably won't.

Next town is Torres del Río.

Towers on the river.

Your Spanish is pretty good.

Yeah, well,
the guidebooks stress

learn as much
of the language as possible

before you start the walk, so...

l thought you said something
about not wanting any tag-alongs.

l did.

lf the last 15 kilometers
are any indication,

walking the Camino with you
is kind of like being alone, so--

But, hey, you want me
to buzz off, that's cool.

Next town,
l'll go my separate way.

lt's not like there's
a thousand routes to get to Santiago,

so you might have to suffer
bumping into one of us from time to time.

l'll take my chances.

Torres del Río, then.

He's in a bad mood.

He's been in a bad mood
ever since l met him.

Well, death has a way
of doing that to you.

What do you mean, death?

She doesn't know?

She doesn't know what?

What doesn't she know?

[dog barking]

JOOST: This town is so short of water
that the locals

store it up in winter
for use in summer.

l don't see anything about bars.

There's an albergue called
the Casa Santa Barbara.

Oh, yeah. lt's the only one,
but it has five stars.

JACK: l don't care how many stars it has,
as long as it's got a toilet.

[bell rings]

- ¿Sí?
- Hola.

¿Peregrinos?

- Sí.
- Sí.

Hey, welcome.

- Bienvenido. Ah.
- Hola.

- Ah hah.
- Hola.

l am el Ramón, eh?

Ah. l'm--l'm Joost from Amsterdam.

Ah, nice, nice. Good, good.

Come, come. Come with me.

Come along. Heh.

Come along, please.

Uh, passports, please.

- Passports.
- Now?

l need passports.

Passports, everyone. Yes.

Thank you. Passports.

Passports, please.
l need passports.

- ls there a--
- This is my very own

and very special
el Ramón stamp.

You won't find a stamp like this
anywhere else on the Camino.

Uh, could l, um, use your--

This is the Ramón stamp,

and l will stamp your passports
with el Ramón.

Stamp. The Ramón stamp.

The Ramón stamp.

Perfect.

This is the proof
you have been with el Ramón.

JACK: Yes, as l was saying--

Ah, you must be hungry, yes?

Yes? Ah, yes. You're tired.

Of course. Well, but you have come
to the best refugio in all of Spain.

ls there a baño
l could use, please?

Oh, yes. Yes, yes.
Of course.

[chuckles] Yes.

Aha. ls there.

Uh, it's a bit more serious,
let's say.

Uh, one moment.

Good? Good?

- Yeah. Good.
- Good. [chuckles]

[rooster crowing]

l think we're the only pilgrims here.

The only ones alive.

Tom, should we stay?

lt's a bed and a meal,
few hours sleep.

[woman laughing,
thumping]

[man speaking foreign language]

Obviously we've interrupted
something.

Well, that was, uh, interesting.

Bit cold out there.
Who's next?

[laughter upstairs]

Maybe we should stay, no?

Did anyone ask how much
he's charging for the night?

'cause if it's more than
a couple of Euros, it's too much.

Yeah, l second that.

- l...
- All right.

When he comes back down,
l'll ask him about the fee,

but l don't think we're gonna get
a straight answer from el Ramón.

[laughter and thumping]

Well, it could be a while.

Okay.

l'll go up and ask him.

Them.

l'll go with you.

- Yeah, me, too.
- Let's all go.

What, are you all, five?

No, just scared.

Huh.

[whooping and laughter]

[broadcast playing]

Un poco de vino.

Es un poco de vino
del Ramón, sagrado.

Eh, el vino de El Ramón.

Eh?

[high voice] Gracias.

Ah, man, it's 4 1/2 hours

- to the next albergue.
- Really?

Right, well, we gotta think about
setting up camp for the night.

- No way.
- lt's getting dark.

Hey, Boomer, Tom,
we gotta camp out.

Now, this, this is
a true pilgrim experience.

JOOST: Cheers to that,

even though l hated
camping as a boy.

SARAH: "True pilgrim experience"?
What do you mean by that?

Ah, well, l'm talking about tradition
in the purest sense.

A true pilgrim walks the Camino
with nothing.

He has to live off the land,

he has to accept the kindness
presented to him,

and he has to carry his goods
on his back.

Pilgrim is poor and must suffer.

SARAH: That strikes me as extreme

to say the only way
to be a true pilgrim

is to imitate what we like to think
a true pilgrim is.

Should a pilgrim dress himself
as a beggar even if he isn't?

Do we honor the poor
by imitating them?

l don't think that pilgrims
500 years ago

ignored the creature comforts
of the road

any more than we should now.

JOOST: Yeah, and what about
pilgrims on bikes

or--or pilgrims that do the Camino
on horseback?

No, tradition would
dismiss bikers at least.

Biking or riding requires
less suffering and less work.

But l don't think
we have to artificially

add more hardship
than is already there.

That, in my opinion, is being
a false pilgrim, not a true one.

lf you were a man, l would challenge you
to pistols at dawn.

[laughter]

What do you think, Boomer?

Finally, an American
without an opinion.

Take a picture.

[laughter]

- Good morning, sunshine.
- Oh!

Hey.

Where are the guys?

Out gathering some provisions
from the local farms.

- Like true pilgrims?
- Yeah.

So you weren't even
gonna say goodbye, Boomer?

Yeah, well...

What are you doing out here, Tom,
besides taking a really long walk?

Why do you care?

Joost told me
you were a--a doctor.

- Yeah.
- What do you practice?

l'm an ophthalmologist.

- An eye doctor.
- Yeah.

Ah. So you, uh, you help people
see the world a little better, huh?

Yeah, that's one way to put it.

[box clatters]

- l got it.
- No, no. No, no.

Unh!

l...

l'm sorry.

[laughs]

Whoo!

Three cheers
for the true pilgrims.

Hot bread and coffee
for everyone.

Oranges, apples. See?
We're living off the land.

This is the way
it's supposed to be.

Hey, Tom.

Hey. Have a look.

- Sleep well?
- Yep.

- No. Gracias.
- Do we have knives?

We don't need knives.
Just rip it apart.

Orange, Tom? Eh? Orange?

No, thank you.

Right.

Let's get this coffee on the go.

You okay, Tom?

Yeah. Why?

[woman singing in Spanish]

Tom.

l'm sure the last thing
in the world

you want to do is have
a conversation with me.

You'd be right about that.

Tom, your son--

Joost told me. l--

l'm so sorry.
l had no idea.

Joost told you, huh?
That figures.

l don't know what to say, but...

the way you touched me,
grabbed my arm,

just--l mean, in my other life,

my life before the Camino,
l was married.

l was married, and l was pregnant,
my first, my only.

But my husband
was not a kind man,

so l terminated.

l got rid of my baby girl, Tom.

Didn't want the son of a bitch
to have two of us to beat up on.

Sometimes l hear her voice,
my baby.

l know it sounds crazy 'cause
she never got to take her first breath,

but l imagine what
she would have sounded like.

And sometimes l hear her, Tom.

Sometimes l swear
l can hear her.

l'm sorry about your baby.

Sorry about yours.

My son was almost 40.

Yeah, but he'll always be your baby.

Well...

Pilgrims, we have arrived.

l'm gonna get us a bottle.
Or three.

Oh, hey, you'll need
an extra hand for that.

[overlapping conversations]

JACK: iHola!

Look, Tom, l--
l want to apologize again.

l'm really sorry--

Can we talk about
something else, please?

But l hit you with everything l had,
and you took it.

My mother taught me
that only a coward hits a woman.

How'd she do that?

She whupped the hell out of me
every time l hit my little sister

till l finally got the message.

My ex could have learned something
from your mother.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em, eh?

l'd smoke across
this whole damn country, Boomer.

There's a whole world out there
to beat you up plenty.

You don't need to go
looking for people to pile on.

Glad you became an eye doc
instead of a headshrinker.

The first consultation is free.

Let there be wine!

Let the drinking commence.

JACK: ...whereas Paulo Coelho
examined the spiritual in the Camino,

was inspired to write
his first book afterwards.

So l said to them...

the last thing in the world
you need to publish

and the last thing
l am willing to write

is another bloody guidebook
on the Camino.

l mean, how does one follow
the Codex Calixtinus anyway?

- The what?
- Codex Calixtinus,

Liber Sancti Jacobi.

SARAH: Devotees of the Way
regard it as the first tourist guide.

That's right. lt is the source,

attributed to the writings
of Pope Callixtus ll,

the twelfth century.

lt is a work of wonder
divided into five folios.

Book one,
Anthologia Liturgica.

Book two, De Miraculis
Sancti Jacobi.

Book three translates
the writings of Saint James.

[distant thunder]
Book four, the lesser known,

banned by the Church of Rome,

details Charlemagne's vision
of Saint James

instructing him
to destroy the Moors.

But it is book five, folio five,
which most concerns us.

Historians believe it is the first book
ever written on the pilgrimage.

[echoing, distorting]
So the dilemma for me

is to come up with
something contemporary,

but also pays homage
to the ancient tradition

of what it means to be
a true pilgrim in a modern age.

Christ, you're a bore.

l beg your pardon.

An arrogant bore.

[stifles laughter]

Oh, dear, l think this pack's
getting ready to eat one of its own.

That's just it,
Jack from lreland.

You're not one of us.

You think you're better than us
'cause you're writing a book.

[scoffs] True pilgrim.

All right, all right, Tom.

True pilgrim,
like you would know.

What did you use to pay
for this wine here, huh?

How many credit cards
do you have in your wallet,

Jack from lreland?

How many true pilgrims

used their credit cards to get out
of a true jam along the Camino

back in the Middle Ages,
you jackass from lreland?

[chuckles]

You are a true fraud.

That's what l think you are.

Fraud!

Over here, everybody!
This man is a fraud!

Police! Hey, hey!

Over here, gentlemen!

Arrest this man for being a fraud!

Hey, Tom,
we're just talking, man.

Yeah, only talking.
You're good at that, Dutchman.

Let me ask you something.

ls there anything
in that Dutch guidebook

about having
some common courtesy,

keeping your mouth shut about
other people's private matters?

What the hell
are you talking about?

You know what the hell
l'm talking about,

Joost from Amsterdam.

Or maybe you smoked
so much hash

and popped so many pills,
you can't remember

anything you say or do anymore.

Hey, what do you think
of the Boomer now, eh, Sarah?

Whoever the hell you are.

So...

friends,

the question is...

What does it take for someone

to become a true pilgrim
on the Camino?

ls that right, Jack?

How 'bout death?

How about dying on the Camino?

Would that rate?
Would that make someone a true pilgrim?

Would that qualify
for your damn book?

Hey, uh, Tom,
that's my pack. My--

That's my--Tom.
Tom! Let's--

[overlapping chatter]

Get out of here!

No, Tom, that's my pack.

For Christ's sake.
Get your hands off me!

JOOST: Ohh! Tom!
Officers, officers--

[indistinct yelling]

l'm an American!
l speak American!

Tell them l'm being kidnapped!

Camino de Compostela!

God bless America!

Everyone...

♪ God bless America ♪

♪ Land that l love ♪

[echoing]
♪ Stand beside her ♪

♪ And guide her ♪

[telephone ringing]

[overlapping chatter]

How do you say, "l'm sorry," in Spanish?

Uh, lo siento.

- Lo siento, señor.
- Buen camino.

Gracias.

Adiós.

l don't really remember very much.

That might be a good thing.

Thank you for bailing me out.

You can thank my credit card.

[Pink Moon
by Nick Drake playing]

♪ l saw it written,
and l saw it say ♪

♪ Pink moon is on its way ♪

♪ And none of you
stand so tall ♪

♪ Pink moon gonna get you all ♪

♪ lt's a pink moon ♪

♪ Yes, a pink moon ♪

♪ Pink, pink, pink, pink ♪

♪ Pink moon ♪

♪ A pink, pink, pink, pink ♪

♪ Pink moon ♪

♪ lt's a pink ♪

♪ Yes, a pink moon ♪

l intend to reimburse you.

You agree to letting me use the story
in my book, we can call it even.

Not a chance.

Well, l can still include it anyway,
change the names.

You wouldn't.

Ha! l would.
As far as anecdotes go,

it's one of the best
from my journey so far.

My friends,
you know, my patients,

they're gonna read your book,
get the wrong impression of me.

[laughs]

Do you honestly believe
that your mates from the country club

would waste their time
reading my book?

Good point.

What was your son like?

Daniel's story's got nothing to do
with any deal.

l have to explain why
you're out on the Camino, Tom.

Can't just introduce
some crazy, drunk American

into the art
without giving him purpose.

"Crazy, drunk American."
Thanks.

l can read his obituary
at any lnternet cafe along the way.

But l can't imagine
it would shed any light

on--on who he was
or what he meant to you.

He was my son. What do you think
he meant to me?

Daniel was a lot like you...

smart, confident,

stubborn,

pissed me off a lot.

May l?

Thank you.

MAN: Sarah!
Hey, ça va.

Hola. Ça va.

[speaking French]

[laughter]

- Hey, Carlo.
- Hey. Ciao, bella.

- Hello.
- Jack.

¿Cómo estás?

[overlapping conversations]

- iHola!
- iHola!

[speaking French]

Oh, man!

- Tom!
- Father Frank.

- Are you just getting to Burgos?
- This very moment.

Then listen. You've gotta stay
at least a day. Tour the cathedral.

El Cid is buried there.

- The Chuck Heston film.
- Ah.

Let me buy a weary traveler a drink.

Café con leche, por favor.

- They've come in handy.
- They usually do.

Maybe a couple of tapas,
too, here.

l don't have to tell you,

but this Spanish coffee
is really strong.

- Yeah, l know.
- You know,

l can't drink it in the afternoon.

Otherwise, l don't sleep a wink,
no matter how far l've walked.

ls this weather beautiful?

He plays the, uh--
he plays the banjo.

Hey, that kid took my bag.

That kid stole my bag!

Hey! Hey!

Hey, you little bollocks!

[door closes]

l'll go door to door if l have to.

- No, no, no. No, Tom, not here.
- Why not?

- lt's Gypsies, Tom.
- So what?

- lt's all Gypsy here.
- So what?!

Listen, you start knocking
on the doors here,

you might not be happy
with what you find behind it.

Having your backpack stolen'll
be the least of your worries.

Then we have to file
a police report or something.

No, cops hate Gypsies,
don't want anything to do with it.

Not in Amsterdam, not here,
not anywhere in Europe.

SARAH: Sorry, Boomer.

Can you hear me, son?
l know you're here!

- Just give me the box!
- Tom.

Just give me the little box!

- You can keep the pack!
- Tom. Come on.

Just give me the box!

SARAH: You can't give up now, Tom.

lt's a big city. We can--
can get you new gear.

l'll take a bus to Madrid
and fly home tomorrow.

SARAH: Come on, Tom.

This whole thing was stupid.

Bloody, thieving Gypsies.

l understand your anger, señor.

My name is lshmael Villalobos.

My son stole your property.

He wishes to return it
and apologize.

Lo siento mucho.

lt is as you left it.

Everything's there.

Everything.

My son has dishonored himself,

his family and yours as well.

This is the problem with how
Europeans see the Gypsy people,

as thieves and beggars.

Well, your son
is not helping your cause.

A ver.

A very dark day for me.

l wish to extend
an invitation to you

and your friends to be my guests
at my home this evening.

l insist.

lt will be an intimate gathering.

You will not be disappointed
by the food or the company.

[flamenco music playing]

[shouting in Spanish]

iAnda! iAnda!

iBaile! iBaile!

[singing in Spanish]

This is what you call
an intimate gathering?

By gitano standards.

A Gypsy wedding
will sometimes have 2,000 guests.

All close, personal friends?

Actually, yes.

Of course you are taking
your son's remains to Muxia.

No, to Santiago de Compostela.

You go the cathedral in Santiago

for the pilgrims' mass
and the blessing.

You must continue across Galicia
to the sea.

There is a shrine in Muxia,

la Virgen de la barca.

Go there.

Place the remains
of your son in the water.

lt is for him and--
and for you.

lshmael, l'm not
a very religious man.

Religion has nothing
to do with this.

Nothing at all.

[singing continues]

[singing fades]

Hey.

lshmael, please,
l can take it from him now.

He will carry it to the very edge
of town, not one step less.

But he couldn't have known
what was in the bag.

Don't you think you should
cut him some slack?

And what if it were your son?

Stealing is bad enough
and wrong.

But what my son did
could have brought

more than shame
to our community.

Ah, yes. You mean like a curse.

Please. The simple mention of it.

JOOST: Ooh!

Paco.

Oiga, dale al payo su cosa.

Le mira a los ojos y le pide perdón.

Perdón.

lSHMAEL: Mira.

Lo siento.

Our children,

they are the very best
and the very worst of us.

lshmael.

Adiós y gracias.

Buen camino.

[Thank U
by Alanis Morissette playing]

♪ How 'bout getting off
of these antibiotics? ♪

♪ How 'bout stopping eating
when l'm full up? ♪

♪ How 'bout them
transparent dangling carrots? ♪

♪ How 'bout that ever elusive kudo? ♪

♪ Thank you, lndia ♪

♪ Thank you, terror ♪

♪ Thank you, disillusionment ♪

♪ Thank you, frailty ♪

♪ Thank you, consequence ♪

♪ Thank you,
thank you, silence ♪

♪ How 'bout me not blaming you
for everything? ♪

♪ How 'bout me enjoying
the moment for once? ♪

♪ How 'bout how good it feels
to finally forgive you? ♪

♪ How 'bout grieving it all
one at a time? ♪

♪ Thank you, lndia ♪

♪ Thank you, Providence ♪

♪ Thank you, disillusionment ♪

♪ Thank you, nothingness ♪

♪ Thank you, clarity ♪

♪ Thank you,
thank you, silence ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah ♪

[vocalizing]

[song fades]

JACK: Nah. No self-respecting pilgrim
in the Camino

would ever stay in a parador.

The decadence of it
is absolutely appalling.

TOM: My treat.

Really?

For all of us?

[sighs]

[knock on door]

- Ah. Hola.
- Hola.

lf you could, uh,
just put it here.

Uh, yes. Um...

l need to have
some laundry picked up.

Some, uh, clothing
needs to be washed.

Such a glorious morning here,

which just heightens my sense
of acute loneliness.

There's traffic
on the Camino today,

pilgrims queuing up
to bear witness

to the anxious state of a writer
who's forgotten how to--

a writer who has...

lost his way.

JACK: A child.

A youth, not yet a man,

no longer a child,

could not have known
that of all the bags at his disposal,

the one he artfully
made his own

contained the most
precious cargo of all,

the remains of Tom's
only son, Daniel.

We all have a quest.
Sarah's is clear.

Tom's is becoming clear,
but Joost,

for whom kindness
is an instinct,

is further away than ever.

Joost.

[programming in Spanish]

[knock on door]

[knocking]

Hi.

You gonna invite me in?

Uh, sure.

l couldn't sleep.

Me, neither.

Where's Joost
when you need him, eh?

[groans]

Make yourself comfortable.

[knock on door]

Didn't know you were
expecting company.

l'm not.

Uh, hi. Could you direct me
to the nearest albergue?

Oh.

l seem to have
interrupted something.

Please, come in.

Speak of the devil.

Et voilá.

l bought some licor de orujo.
lt's from, uh, Galicia.

lt's made of 18 different herbs,

and they're so secret,

that they have to be squeezed
by blind monks.

[groans]

Thank you.

God save the queen
and her fascist regime.

[knock on door]

- ls there any room at the inn?
- You're kidding me.

[both laugh]

Oh, hello.

Oh, lovely. This is
so similar to my room.

[Joost laughs]

Hmm.

- Voilá.
- Thank you.

Ah, you're welcome.

[coughs] Dear God.

Whoo!

[music playing]

[laughter]

- WOMAN: iBuen camino!
- MAN: iBuen camino!

"Dear Lord, may this stone,

a symbol of my efforts
on the pilgrimage..."

"a symbol of my efforts..."

"Dear Lord,

"may this stone,

"a symbol of my efforts
on the pilgrimage

"that l lay at the feet
of the cross of the Savior

"weigh the balance in favor
of my good deeds that day

"when the deeds
of all my life are judged.

Let it be so." Amen.

lt's a beautiful church, Jack.
Have a look.

Where l come from,
the Church has a lot to answer for.

Temples of tears, Tom.

Don't go in them anymore.

[bell tolls]

You've been taking
an awful lot of notes.

That's right.

End of your writer's block?

- Thank you.
- Glad to be of service.

l trust you'll treat us all kindly

when the book
goes to the publisher.

Oh, you know, the darker it is,
the bigger the sales.

That's what my editors
will surely be asking for.

l understand.

You know,
when l was an undergraduate

at Trinity College, Dublin,

l wanted to be W.B. Yeats
or James Joyce.

But good writers usually die broke,

so after l left college,
l wrote for travel mags.

Thought l'd do that for a while,

put some money away
and then get down to the novel.

20 years later, here l am,

still writing for travel magazines.

l'm not feeling sorry for myself.

lt's the life l chose.

Jack, you write whatever
you want about all this,

what you saw, how you felt.

You write it like it happened.

You write the truth.

l'll do my best.

JACK: And after Santiago? Home?

Back to the real world?

TOM: lf you want to call it that.

You know, lshmael said
that after Santiago,

l should take Daniel's ashes to Muxia.

SARAH: What do you think
about that, Boomer?

l don't know, but he seemed to think
it was very important that l go.

JOOST: Oh, it's all
Gypsy hocus-pocus, man.

Ah, you're on your own, Tom.

Santiago is as far
as this Dutchman is going.

Me, too, mate.

l been away for three months.
l gotta get back.

Santiago de Compostela
for me, Tom,

it's the end of the Camino
for me, too.

And at the foot of Saint James,

l shall put these down
once and for all.

[sputters, laughing]

Uh, l'm sorry?

l swear.

Well, good luck with that.
Yeah, yeah.

[Joost laughs]

Have to go in here
and get our diplomas.

Diplomas?

Ah, it's called a Compostela.

We sign our name to the rolls,
get our passport stamped as proof,

and then we receive confirmation.

- Hola.
- ¿Hablas español?

No.

- Hola.
- Hola.

- English.
- English.

[laughs]

WOMAN: Can l have your pass,
pilgrim's pass?

- Yeah, sure, sure, sure. Sure.
- Oh, it's beautiful.

- Here you go.
- Thank you.

- Very green.
- Your name is Joost...

- Joost Michiel DeWitt.
- Joost. Okay.

Sarah Marie Sinclair.

Jack Emerson Stanton.

Thomas Avery.

Where did you start the Camino?

ln Saint-Jean.

ln Saint-Jean-Pied--

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
Okay.

ln Paris, Notre Dame.

- Really?
- Mm-hmm.

Canada.

Have you walked the whole way?

Yes, we did.
Uh, l did.

Unfortunately, yes.

So what is your reason
for walking the Way?

WOMAN: What are your reasons
for having done this pilgrimage?

Um, l mean,
do you have some kind

of religious or spiritual
motivation or...

Religious, yes.

l mean, uh...

Leprechauns.

l was, uh, looking for leprechauns
at the end of the road.

l, um, l needed to lose weight.

Um, well, uh...

lt's also because my--my wife

didn't want to sleep
with me anymore,

but it's because
l'm--l'm too fat.

l...

thought that l--

l should probably travel more.

l was a writer,

l stopped writing,

and now l'm writing again.

lt's passport with the official stamp
of the cathedral,

and this is your Compostela.

lt's in Latin.

lt's all written in Latin

because this document
dates from the Middle Ages.

Uh, l'm terribly sorry.

Um, l gave you the wrong name.

Yeah, but l've already
entered it, you know.

l see that, but, um,
could you please change it?

Okay, as you wish.

- Name, please?
- Daniel Avery.

Okay. Here you are.

All right.

Thank you very much.

Ah, well, l'm here, ain't l?

lt's the Portico of Glory.

[gasps] lt's him, Saint James.

Um, tradition commands

that pilgrims approach the statue
on their knees.

El Cid, Saint Francis,

Von Eyck,

kings, queens,
millions of pilgrims,

they all collapsed to their knees
out of gratitude.

[woman vocalizing]

[music fades]

[new instrumental begins]

[chuckles]

[laughs]

[music ends]

[waves crashing]

Writers,

they always want
the last word.

But this...

This was never about
quitting these things.

But you knew that.

l needed a new suit anyway.