New Andrew McCarthy book 'Walking with Sam' shares story of epic journey with son
NEW YORK -- To movie fans of a certain age, Andrew McCarthy will always be known as a member of the "Brat Pack" - a group of actors who gained huge fame on the big screen in the '80s, but he has managed to transcend that label and become a successful author and TV director.
McCarthy's third book, "Walking with Sam," tells how the star bonded with his teenage son over the course of an epic journey they took together.
Sam McCarthy is studying to become an actor, just like his dad, and that's not the only way Andrew McCarthy is leading by example.
His new book, out this week, tells the true story of how the two came to better understand each other during a journey across Spain.
Andrew McCarthy is following in his own footsteps a quarter century after he first hiked the Camino de Santiago.
He had come of age in movies like "Pretty in Pink" but later found his career had stalled.
"I found that walking 500 miles across Spain just sort of brought me home to myself in a way that I guess subconsciously I was hoping would happen," McCarthy said. "I didn't know what I was looking for, but I just felt I walked myself home emotionally."
The experience was so meaningful, McCarthy always wanted to do it again, so he recruited his eldest son.
It was no walk in the park, but rather a very strenuous hike that lasted five long weeks.
Sam found his dad to be more patient than he expected.
"Whether it was you know trying to drag me out of bed or just kind of listening to me talk about my life for hours on end," Sam said.
In the remote part of the country where they were largely removed from the stress of modern life, the father and son were free to get to know each other better.
They both learned to listen to each other more and found less time spent on the phone actually led to greater communication.
If you are in the Union Square neighborhood on Wednesday evening, Andrew will be signing copies of the book and answering questions at 7 p.m. at the Barnes and Noble on East 18th Street.
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