Alternate versions of “The Way”

[Vacajoe]

I just watched a buddy’s copy of THE WAY and was shocked to see two very noticeable differences from my version. His was a Chinese DVD (maybe pirated) with Spanish titling while mine was simply the generic US version.

The biggest difference was the reappearance of Daniel at the very end, having a brief discussion with his father Tom after he spreads his ashes. It was only 30 seconds extra, but it really added to the movie. Additionally, the song used as they walk to Burgos was Pink Moon on mine, but My Oh My on his.

IMDB doesn’t list alternate versions, so I was curious what version other members have. (Yes, this is officially permission to watch the movie AGAIN despite the concerns of your family, friends, and neighbors...)

 

[Saint Mike II]

Yep its a pirate copy. In all honesty your friend should burn his copy.

 

[Vacajoe]

But what version was pirated?!?!? Has anyone else seen this version with Emilio Estevez and Martin Sheen talking street the end in Muxia?!?!

 

[MartinBryant]

I re-watched it a couple of weeks ago on Amazon Prime. It certainly did have the scene at the end with his son ... and if I remember correctly, when I originally saw it a few years ago on TV it also had that scene.
Some countries do edit films differently with scenes being removed because of cultural differences.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

The Spanish edition that is on YouTube has Daniel speaking with his father at Muxia.

 

[nycwalking]

The Spanish edition that is on YouTube has Daniel speaking with his father at Muxia.

What?

Why not the English version?

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

What?

Why not the English version?

Well, it was put up by Jorge Pebre. It is in English but supposedly you can turn on Spanish subtitles.

 

[tpmchugh]

The Spanish edition that is on YouTube has Daniel speaking with his father at Muxia.

So does my version. Official, not pirated bought in Belfast. The english version on youtube also has it as does the one broadcast by the BBC and stored on my tivo box. Dont know what version you have in the US but it seems at odds with everyone else's version. Even when I saw it in the cinema way back when, that scene was in it

 

[Anik2001]

I’m in Canada and my version doesn’t have that conversation with Daniel at the end. Just went and watched it on YouTube to see what you were talking about. I sure like that ending better!

 

[rappahannock_rev]

What, what what, what??!!?? Outrageous! Next thing you'll tell me is that there are translations of the Scriptures not authorized by King James!

 

[Bradypus]

Next thing you'll tell me is that there are translations of the Scriptures not authorized by King James!

I am sure that when the time comes you will give Jerome a severe talking-to.

 

[Gail Dickson]

But what version was pirated?!?!? Has anyone else seen this version with Emilio Estevez and Martin Sheen talking street the end in Muxia?!?!

I am in Australia. I think I purchased on Amazon. Also no Daniel at the end!!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Also no Daniel at the end!!

Daniel is traveling tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain
Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye
God it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes

They say Spain is pretty, though I've never been
Well Daniel says it's the best place that he's ever seen
Oh and he should know, he's been there enough
Lord I miss Daniel, oh I miss him so much

 

[Saint Mike II]

Rick, thank for the adaptation. It’s one my favourite Elton John songs!.

 

[kelleymac]

Well that was interesting to watch. Also missing in the American version is Tom walking away from the ocean after he empties the ashes, and him putting his pack back on and walking up towards the church building.

 

[jmcarp]

Be careful about buying versions published in different countries. The format may not be compatible with your player. Remember VHS vs Betamax?

 

[Sue127]

I just watched a buddy’s copy of THE WAY and was shocked to see two very noticeable differences from my version. His was a Chinese DVD (maybe pirated) with Spanish titling while mine was simply the generic US version.

The biggest difference was the reappearance of Daniel at the very end, having a brief discussion with his father Tom after he spreads his ashes. It was only 30 seconds extra, but it really added to the movie. Additionally, the song used as they walk to Burgos was Pink Moon on mine, but My Oh My on his.

IMDB doesn’t list alternate versions, so I was curious what version other members have. (Yes, this is officially permission to watch the movie AGAIN despite the concerns of your family, friends, and neighbors...)

I just watched this for the first time prior to my first Camino at the end of May. Beautiful film. On YouTube, it was advertised as having Spanish subtitles, but there were none, and it had the ending with Tom and Daniel; bizarre after your comments. My husband’s comment (who is no accompanying me) after the first two minutes « Don’t you dare to that to me! » my aim is to walk safely and follow the advice of locals.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

I have 2 DVD versions. One bought from Amazon in 2012, UK I think, and the other bought in Madrid at the huge DVD store. Both have the Daniel conversation and the music. The ending without the Daniel conversation must be weird. “So you made it then”, he says. “But now” says Tom, “I’ll have nothing of you to take back with me”. “Sure you will”.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

Seriously, though, who on earth would bother making a decision that the very brief interaction would somehow not be suitable for N American audiences. And for heaven’s sake, WHY?

 

[Peregrinopaul]

As Joost says, “This is ridiculous, man!”

 

[Kathy F.]

This thread is blowing my mind. Since I haven't seen the movie since . . . when did it come out, 2011? . . . I don't remember a scene where he talks to his son at the end. But, I see I have been given permission to watch the movie again. Uh oh, how will I convince my Dear Husband not to worry because it's for research? Yeah, he knows better.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

Fake movies in America!

 

[Kathar1na]

Seriously, though, who on earth would bother making a decision that the very brief interaction would somehow not be suitable for N American audiences. And for heaven’s sake, WHY?

Someone who decides that the movie is dragging on a bit and could do with some minor cuts?

While this is quite curious I don’t find it so earth shattering whether those few images and words are in the story or not. I can’t compare versions, however. I’ve rented the movie once but don’t remember scenes in great detail, and whenever there’s a discussion on the forum I watch the copies floating around on YouTube with the excuse that I’m not “actually watching“ it as a consumer. I’m surprised that the version that I usually go to has managed to stay on YouTube for so long and that nobody has gone after them.

As far as I know, movies are sold to distributors who may differ from country to country and there are also different release dates. The Way was first released in Spain and only several months later for the US market. Perhaps there’s the explanation somewhere.

 

[MartinBryant]

So this begs a question for our north American friends... are ANY of the scenes where Daniel appears as a ghost included in your copies (presumably DVD Region 1)? e.g. Daniel leaning against a tree as his dad walks by, or in the SdC cathedral during mass, Daniel is seen pulling one of the ropes of the Botafumeiro.

Thinking about it, is the final scene in Muxia the only scene where he actually TALKS to Daniel's ghost? Perhaps that is why the censors cut it?

 

[Kathar1na]

when did it come out, 2011?

According to Wikipedia, The Way premiered in September 2010 at the Toronto International Film Festival and was commercially released in Spain first with its Spanish premiere in November 2010. The film was released in the UK in May 2011 and in the United States in October 2011, a full year later. It was released on DVD in 2012, possibly again with separate dates in various countries.

In an interview at Toronto, where Emilio Estevez had to sell his 2 hour movie to the distributor companies and convince them that there was an audience for it, he mentions an advice he was given once: Make sure the film is the right length so people’s asses don’t fall asleep, and when you see them shifting in their seats, that’s when you’re losing them. So the duration in minutes and seconds is a commercial issue and I think he was trying to say there that the faith-based audiences to whom he pitched the movie originally are willing to watch it.

 

[Kathar1na]

And here's something from a 2012 article: Initially, I had spoken to Estevez at the 2010 Berlin Film Festival when he was in the throws of editing. The film then premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and went on to the Dublin Film Festival [...] After its early screenings, The Way, however, was deemed too long to be released in America. So Charlie stepped in and funded a new edit after which Emilio and Martin took off in a bus marketing the film in 35 locations around the US.

So again, if there really are such differences between US and non-US versions, my guess is still that the reason behind it has to do with commercial distribution, i.e. the duration of the movie and not its content.

 

[Sue127]

And here's something from a 2012 article: Initially, I had spoken to Estevez at the 2010 Berlin Film Festival when he was in the throws of editing. The film then premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and went on to the Dublin Film Festival [...] After its early screenings, The Way, however, was deemed too long to be released in America. So Charlie stepped in and funded a new edit after which Emilio and Martin took off in a bus marketing the film in 35 locations around the US.

So again, if there really are such differences between US and non-US versions, my guess is still that the reason behind it has to do with commercial distribution, i.e. the duration of the movie and not its content.

A pity for the US - the ending with Daniel was poignant !

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

While I could could on subtitles in other movies on YouTube I could not get any in the Spanish edition on YouTube.

The YouTube version is 2 hours and 8 minutes and my North American DVD is 2 hours and 1 minute.

 

[Kathar1na]

The YouTube version is 2 hours and 8 minutes and my North American DVD is 2 hours and 1 minute.

What about the song as they walk to Burgos? Pink Moon vs My Oh My? The credits say that these are songs by Nike Drake resp. David Gray (I wouldn't recognise any of these two).

 

[Kathar1na]

A pity for the US - the ending with Daniel was poignant !

Well, the actual ending of the movie is the scene in Marrakesh. But I guess most viewers follow Tom Avery only to Muxia, and will never know what they are missing. A short trek in Morocco can be life-changing and life-affirming. I speak from experience.

 

[Sue127]

Well, the actual ending of the movie is the scene in Marrakesh. But I guess most viewers follow Tom Avery only to Muxia, and will never know what they are missing. A short trek in Morocco can be life-changing and life-affirming. I speak from experience.

You're right - but that did not stick in my mind so much after the film. However, thinking about it, that is probably what Daniel was trying to imply - his father was free to live his life as he wanted - not as was expected.

 

[Vacajoe]

On my North American DVD, Daniel’s spirit dies appear multiple times, just not at the end. The songs as they approach Burgos and in the Léon Parador are switched, which is equally odd since there is no time savings to that as postulated as a possible reason by a previous comment.

I guess my wife will now be subject to watching BOTH versions side-by-side to find the “missing” 7 minutes that Rick referenced.

 

[Yodapsy]

Yep its a pirate copy. In all honesty your friend should burn his copy.

It was my copy and I don’t know for sure that it was pirated. I’m not throwing it away as I can’t get the other version here. It is special.

 

[Vacajoe]

Plus it seems like YOUR version is THE version while all of us buying it on Amazon.com ended up with the slightly shorter one.... But I still like the musical choices on mine better

 

[La Brique Jaune]

Two versions of movie "The Way" two different ending....yes like one different ending for each one of us.

 

[GettingThere]

This is fascinating. The version I saw (twice) in the cinema here in NZ, and the DVD version I purchased and have watched - oooh - a few times... has the ending with no conversation between Tom and Daniel, although Daniel appears several times through the movie. I can't of course imagine any other ending - in fact it almost seems like an unnecessary addition to have a conversation included. As though audiences couldn't infer for themselves what Tom gained from the experience. Telling rather than showing. Maybe that's why it was cut when they were looking to shorten the length slightly. But of course I'm sure if that was the version I had seen, I would think it wouldn't be right without it! Doesn't make me want to seek out that version though - I'm happy with my ending!

 

[OTH86]

Interesting! I've seen the film about 25 times since mid-2012 - always checking it out from the public library, and the last time, a few months ago, was the first time I saw Daniel appear with Tom at the end - just before the "real" ending bit in Marrakesh!! I DID like that ending - a lot! ALL the versions I've seen have had Daniel appearing in all the usual (and, imho, correct) places.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

ALL the versions I've seen have had Daniel appearing in all the usual (and, imho, correct) places.

While directing the film Estevez stayed in costume so he could jump in for a ghostly appearance whenever it might be a good occasion.

At one point Estevez used a stand-in. Because he was too busy directing he had his son "lie-in" for him in the body bag. Sheen was filmed reacting to seeing his dead son by actually seeing his grandson. He did not know that this was going to happen.

Oh, yes. Sheen's given name at birth was Ramon. Does anyone know if this has anything to do with the naming of the charater Crazy Ramon?

 

[OTH86]

Sheen's given name at birth was Ramon. Does anyone know if this has anything to do with the naming of the character Crazy Ramon?

Martin Sheen (born Ramon Antonio Gerardo Estevez). There's a book that Sheen & Estevez wrote together that explains the various names and where they come from (not from Crazy Ramon - maybe the other way around?). A couple of intertwined autobiographies leading up to the movie...

 

[CWBuff]

@Rick of Rick and Peg
Parts of the script are based on a book "Off the Road" by Jack Hitt ('Jack' in the movie)
Ramon is in the book and I also vaguely recall someone else stating that he (R) 'was real'

 

[CWBuff]

Well, the actual ending of the movie is the scene in Marrakesh. But I guess most viewers follow Tom Avery only to Muxia, and will never know what they are missing. A short trek in Morocco can be life-changing and life-affirming. I speak from experience.

Hmmmm
Somehow I didn't think Marrakesh
I guess 'where' he was walking at totally took a back side to me vs. where he was walking to.
I always thought that Tom was going to Jerusalem

 

[Saint Mike II]

It was my copy and I don’t know for sure that it was pirated. I’m not throwing it away as I can’t get the other version here. It is special.

Hola @ Yodapsy - apologies. Given the Family association with Spain then its possible that its genuine, just printed via an alternate source. Cheers

 

[HeidiL]

How interesting! I haven't actually seen the film, but I think there's a copy on DVD at home that someone gave us. Must check.

Regarding film versions, I still remember inadvertently seeing "Robocop" both in England and Norway many years ago. The bits that were cut: English version: the side of someone's breast in the police changing room. Norwegian version: Weller being his by a large number of bullets, while jerking about and showing pain.
My interpretation: The respective authorities thought English audiences shouldn't see breasts, Norwegian audiences shouldn't see hard violence.

But the differences you write about here: North American audiences shouldn't see ghosts?

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

But the differences you write about here: North American audiences shouldn't see ghosts?

Nope. We shouldn't hear them.