Martin Sheen
Posted on 10/05/2011 5:49:53 AM PDT by NYer
.- Actor Martin Sheen spoke in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 1 about his latest movie, which was filmed entirely along The Way of St. James, a European pilgrimage that leads to the city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
“If this is the last thing I ever do, I couldn’t be happier,” Sheen told his audience at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
The talk was part of a national tour to promote Sheen’s upcoming film, “The Way,” which opens Oct. 7.
Sheen stars in “The Way” alongside his son, Emilio Estevez, who directed the film.
“The Way” tells the story of an American doctor who receives news that his son has been killed in Europe while walking the Way of St. James. He decides to finish the pilgrimage in his son’s place.
“In the journey, he becomes himself,” Sheen said.
“It’s a story of renewal and healing. It’s also a story of redemption and faith.”
Sheen explained that as the pilgrimage progresses, the characters are forced to unload the things that burden them, both physically and spiritually.
“The real pilgrimage starts to take place on the interior,” he said.
“The pilgrims begin to open up their hearts,” he explained. “They begin to let go of anger and judgment and envy and all of the things that had kept them from being themselves.”
Sheen said that he has been amazed by “the number of young people that have been inspired by our film and are interested in making the pilgrimage.”
“The most rewarding part of the journey that we’re taking across America is really introducing pilgrimage to young people,” he said. “And the response has been so tremendous.”
Sheen also gave the audience a brief history of his own spiritual growth. He explained that he was born Ramón Estévez. When he moved to New York to pursue acting, he found himself faced with racial discrimination and decided that he needed a stage name.
He chose the last name “Sheen” after Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, whom he described as having an “extraordinary presence” in his household when he was young.
“I grew up watching him,” Sheen said.
“I thought of him as this magnificent actor,” he explained, recalling the archbishop’s sharp sense of humor.
“He had this fire in his eyes that was a reflection of his passion.”
Sheen challenged his audience to evaluate their lives in terms of how they can serve those around them.
“We need a far more realistic understanding of who we are and why we’re here,” he said. “Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, I believe we’re all responsible for each other.”
“There remains a very real and mysterious yearning deep within each and every human heart that compels us to reach outside of ourselves and serve others,” Sheen said.
“My fondest wish for all of you is that you will find something in your life worth fighting for.”
Learn more about The Way of St. James here - Official Web Site
Good luck with that, Marty.
The preview looks great! It seems tragic and inspirational at the same time. I really liked the line, “You don’t choose your life, Dad, you live one”.
I have wanted to make this pilgrimage since I read “Canterbury Tales” in high school. I hope I can do it before I am too old to do it.
I was always amused that his son had chosen a Latino stage name, ‘Emilio Estevez’?! Fascinating family story. Charlie’s real name is “Carlos Irwin Estevez”. BTW, check out the very early work ‘Catholics’ from 1973. Sheen plays a Catholic priest entrusted with enforcing the changes of a future dystopian church on a remote monastic community still clinging to the Tridentine Latin Liturgy!
Watching some early episodes of Hawaii 5-O, Sheen plays a corrupt young lawyer. Good stuff.
I walked it a few years ago, and I saw an 87 year old man walking it! It took him a bit longer than the rest of us, of course...but if people go slowly and carefully, even pretty elderly people can do it. I saw several people in their 70s, although the majority were probably in their 30s or 40s (not to mention the youth groups that come out to do part of it every summer).
Several people do die on the Camino every year, sometimes from heart attacks (there are several steep climbs) and sometimes from things like being hit by a car at one of the places where the Camino crosses a highway.
But it’s an unforgetable, important thing, and you should definitely make firm plans to do it.
He is one of many Hollyweird celebrities and demonRat politicians who are on the "World Can't Wait" list of endorsers and supporters. WCW is a revolutionary communist movement masquerading as a so-called "anti-war" group. They are a front for the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP). They infect many of the nation's schools: universities and even high schools!
Endorsers of the [World Can't Wait] Call to Drive Out the Bush Regime Include:
James Abourezk, Aris Anagnos, Rocky Anderson, Anti-Flag, Edward Asner, Russell Banks, Ed Begley Jr., Harry Belafonte, St. Clair Bourne, Gabriel Byrne, Margaret Cho, Ward Churchill, Paulette Cole, US Rep John Conyers Jr., John Densmore, Jesse Diaz Jr., Michael Eric Dyson, Steve Earle, Niles Eldredge, Daniel Ellsberg, Eve Ensler, Laura Flanders, Jane Fonda, Martin Garbus, Senator Mike Gravel, Andre Gregory, Sam Hamill, Suheir Hammad, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Jr., Mumia Abu-Jamal, Rickie Lee Jones, Sarah Jones, Brig. Gen. (Ret) Janis Karpinski, Jonathan Kozol, Rabbi Michael Lerner, US Rep. Cynthia McKinney, Robin Meyers, Mark Crispin Miller, Tom Morello, Viggo Mortensen, John Nichols, US Rep. Major Owens, Grace Paley, Harvey Pekar, Sean Penn, Michelle Phillips, Harold Pinter, Michael Ratner, Mark Ruffalo, US Rep. Bobby Rush, Susan Sarandon, Richard Serra, Jeff Sharlet, Rev. Al Sharpton, Cindy Sheehan, Martin Sheen, Nancy Spero, Gloria Steinem, Lynne Stewart, Serj Tankian, Sunsara Taylor, Studs Terkel, Gore Vidal, Kurt Vonnegut, Alice Walker, Naomi Wallace, US Rep. Maxine Waters, Cornel West, Ann Wright, Howard Zinn, and thousands more who have already joined us.
http://worldcantwait.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2538&Itemid=2
__________________________________________________________
From David Horowitz's FrontpageMag.com /DiscoverTheNetworks.org:
Profile: World Can't Wait (WCW)
*Revolutionary communist movement that stages protests against the Bush administration
*Organizes college and high-school students
*Founded in June 2005 by Charles Clark Kissinger, a longtime leader of the Revolutionary Communist Party
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7213
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The RCP calls for the violent overthrow of the U.S. government...
From the website of the Revolutionary Communist Party (revcom.us or rwor.org) :
"Create Public Opinion, Seize Power: We are preparing minds and organizing forces for the time when there is a major crack in the system, whenever it comes and wherever it comes from: an opening that makes it possible to bring the future Revolutionary Army of the Proletariat (R.A.P.) into the field and wage a revolutionary armed struggle that actually has a chance of winning.
And we have said that building our party itself is the most important part of organizing forces for revolution. This is true now, and it is true looking forward to the creation of that future R.A.P. and the waging of that armed struggle.":
It had to tax this butt-clown’s acting “talent” to the limit to play the role of a man of conscience. In real life he’s little more than an establishment tool who hasn’t had an original thought in his life.
Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez were here in Dayton at a premiere event two weeks ago. I couldn’t attend. While it had 500 people there, the tickets were given away.
1. Our deacon went on this pilgrimage. He said it was a deeply affecting experience and he would do it again if he could.
2. re: Martin Sheen. One time my husband was listening to a progressive radio station, KPFK, which he sometimes does because believes he should listen to everyone sometimes, even if it doesn’t change his conservatism. Sheen was being interviewed about a nuclear protest. He was talking about peace and started to segue into saying that being anti-violence was also related being pro-life and protecting the unborn. KPFK cut him off and went to a break before he could get all his words out.
It was a great experience. And you get a nifty certificate, in Latin no less:
They also have a non-religious certificate, very odd, why would they be making the Camino if they're not religious? Why not hike the Appalachian Trail or the Drover's Road or something?
It's Socialist Spain! Habits die hard.
I have seen Martin Sheen speak after a screening of The Way. He said it was one of two films that changed his life. The other film was Apocalypse Now.
The Way was an excellent motion picture and plan on seeing it again when it comes out.
Just so they can say they made the journey? Because it's there? Who knows?
It's absolutely wonderful!
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