AFI Dallas Review: Darius Goes West

You may think you've seen all the road trip movies you'll ever want to see in your lifetime, but trust me on this: Darius Goes West is not your average road trip flick. The film is a documentary about 15-year-old Darius Weems, who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, the most common type of MD. Duchenne is always fatal, killing the boys who have it by their late teens to early 20s. Darius watched his older brother, Mario, die of Duchenne, and he knows he faces the same fate, and yet his attitude is so positive, so sunny and bright, that other people are drawn to the infectious orbit of his radiant personality.

Darius had a dream: To have his wheelchair pimped out on MTV's Pimp My Ride, so that he can expose millions of young people in the MTV generation to muscular dystrophy, and motivate them to help find a cure for the devastating disease. But Darius wants more than that. He's never been out of the town of Athens, GA in his life, and he wants to see some of the world before he dies. So he and his 11 best friends concoct a plan: To take a roadtrip to California and back in an RV, and along the way to film a documentary about their trip, exploring how accessible to the disabled America really is.

With funding from sponsors including the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and Children's Wish Foundation, fundraising efforts in their home down, and donations from folks who just heard about their plan, they are able to raise the money to take Darius west. They pile into a rented RV, plan an itinerary that includes stops to hook up with various groups along the way to promote both access for the disabled and fundraising for a cure for MD, and set out on the journey of a lifetime together.

What's particularly beautiful about this film the genuine, mutual love and respect between Darius and his friends. These young men are there to support their friend and help him reach his goals, all the way. They get him in his wheelchair down to the Atlantic Ocean, then support him in the waves so he can experience the ocean for the first time. The sheer joy and exuberance Darius' face as he plays in the ocean and feels the sand is a beautiful thing to see. Darius also gets to go down into Carlsbad Caverns, to Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, white-water rafting, and many other things. The DGW crew (as his friends call themselves) are there for Darius all the way. They lift him into bed at night, help him onto the toilet, whatever they need to do to help him.

As for whether Darius and his friend and director, Logan Smalley, are able to persuade MTV to pimp out the wheelchair, you'll have to watch it to find out. That's really just a side note to the overall tale, though. This is a story about male friendship and bonding, and about how these 11 young men have rallied around their friend to lift him up even when he can't uplift himself, and in this selfish, self-absorbed age we live in, it's remarkable to see a group of young, college-age guys focused so intently on helping their friend achieve his dream before he dies. Darius is a lucky young man to have such a dedicated and loving group of friends, but in the interviews with the guys, it's clear that they are the ones who consider themselves lucky to have Darius in their lives.

This is director Logan Smalley's first documentary (he was in the Cannes Student Progam previously), and the quality of the filmmaking is quite good for a first time film. The most remarkable thing about the film, though, is Darius and his larger-than-life personality, which touches everyone who knows him. The film certainly touched the audience at the screening I saw last night -- I saw a lot of folks tearing "5" on the ballot sheets. The film has already won audience award at other fests, and it just may take another one. It's a bit heartbreaking to watch this remarkable young man and know the clock is ticking for him; when he says in the film, "When I go, people aren't going to say I'm dead. They gonna say, Darius went West," there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

The filmmakers are in talks for a distrib deal, so it may be coming to a cable channel near you soon, and there will be a DVD at some point as well. If you get a chance to see Darius Goes West, don't miss it. Your life will be touched just by meeting Darius through the film and watching the guys on their fantasic journey.

For more information on Darius Goes West, check out the film's official website. All proceeds from the film will be donated to Charley's Fund, a not-for-profit that raises money and then directs funds to those resources that Charley's parents feel have the best shot at finding a cure for their boy before it's too late.