I saw it and did enjoy it, but I felt it had some elements masquerading as acceptable to a Catholic which are just not- such as the spreading of his ashes on the pilgrimage route. Nice thought in that sappy way devoid of what we know is correct. Further, being so wealthy, the dad had no real inability to fly the body home for a proper burial. But I digress.
The movie really brought home much in the way of the necessity for parents to recognize they can't dictate their children's lives into adulthood. The son was capable, educated and like a different version of Christopher McCandless of "Into The Wild" fame. He lived for the adventure and whatever or whoever was around the next bend. The world really does need people like that as much as we need people willing to do their 9-5 desk job. A broader look at the artist/patron relationship if you will.
We can easily embody the positive and negative aspects of all the characters in the film, from the woman assuming he was just some rich dork on holiday to him stepping outside of his pride to meet each other by sharing the hurt they carry with them, as well as her reciprocation.
The interactions, varied backgrounds of the characters, etc were all very reminiscent of my time spent talking with the homeless. We're all people. We all have a story. We all hurt, cry, smile, etc. Not everything is black and white when we step back from the gradient, nor is everything gray when looked at closely. The picture must be seen for what it is and is comprised of. In this regard, I can't help but think the movie brought that home by the picture of a father mourning his son, having been forced into seeing more than a gradient; the son, it seems, was traveling the world trying to find the gradient which formed the picture he naturally saw. It left me with the impression that both father and son should have made a more concerted effort while both alive to explore the big picture and its gradients together.
It also really made me want to throw on a pack and start walking.
