# "The Way Back": the screen adaptation of Slavomir Rawicz's "The Long Walk" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-back-the-screen-adaptation-of-slavomir-rawiczs-the-long-walk/559758 "2010-11-07T02:08:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-back-the-screen-adaptation-of-slavomir-rawiczs-the-long-walk/559758/1 "2010-11-07T02:08:53Z")
For years, [“The Long Walk”](http://www.amazon.com/Long-Walk-True-Story-Freedom/dp/1558216847) has been on my “Why Don’t They Make a Movie of This” list so I’m rather surprised about finding out about this just now. Peter Weir has directed the screen adaptation, **The Way Back** , and it stars Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, and Saoirse Ronan. [**The Way Back**](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1023114/)will be opening in selected cities in late December to qualify for the Oscars and will go nationwide in early 2011. Granted, it does look like blatant Oscar-bait but the only thing that would dampen my interest in seeing this is if it received near-universal bad reviews. [Here’s the trailer.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jlgenq_Ca0) So, does this look interesting to anybody else? Let’s discuss. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-back-the-screen-adaptation-of-slavomir-rawiczs-the-long-walk/559758/2 "2010-11-07T02:15:27Z")
“fact based?” Well, anyway it’s a great story. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-back-the-screen-adaptation-of-slavomir-rawiczs-the-long-walk/559758/3 "2010-11-07T02:22:47Z")
I know nothing about the story the movie is based on, but Weir is one of my favorite directors. It’s been a long wait since _Master and Commander_ for another film from him. I’ll definitely see it when it opens near me. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-back-the-screen-adaptation-of-slavomir-rawiczs-the-long-walk/559758/4 "2011-01-21T22:07:32Z")
Bumped because this movie goes into wide release today. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-back-the-screen-adaptation-of-slavomir-rawiczs-the-long-walk/559758/5 "2011-01-22T20:54:37Z")
“Fact based?” I agree with **Slithy Tove**. _The Long Walk_ is very loosely fact based, as Rawicz makes exaggerated claims throughout the book. Did it happen the way it’s told? No way. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-back-the-screen-adaptation-of-slavomir-rawiczs-the-long-walk/559758/6 "2011-01-23T00:44:38Z")
This is playing at River East 21 in Chicago, a multiplex! I’m seeing it tonight because I don’t know how long it will be there. It may only play a week and I don’t want to miss it. I love Weir, Sturgess and Farrell, so I’m very prepared to like it a lot, “fact-based” or not. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-back-the-screen-adaptation-of-slavomir-rawiczs-the-long-walk/559758/7 "2011-01-23T04:18:26Z")
I saw it today and I thought it was decent but not great. The dialogue was consistently trite, and I though the ending was very heavy-handed. Ed Harris was fantastic as always, though, and was the highlight of the movie for me.