Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life

Filmmaker Logan Smalley sheds light on a fatal illness while also honoring a unique individual in the inspirational documentary Darius Goes West. Darius Weems, an African-American teenager with a boisterous laugh, lost his older brother Mario to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Also afflicted with DMD, Darius intends to spend his remaining years raising awareness about the condition (which has a 100% fatality rate; most Duchenne patients are lucky to make it to their early-20s). A fan of MTV's Pimp My Ride, then-15-year-old Darius makes a plan to travel from his Athens, GA hometown to Los Angeles with funds raised by friends and neighbors, so that host Xzibit and the detailing experts at West Coast Customs can “pimp” his wheelchair. Not surprisingly, plenty of problems arise during the drive through the South and Midwest (including an RV breakdown), but Darius and his intrepid crew continually find the means to soldier on. Filmmaker Smalley alternates between coverage of the 2005 road trip, Darius' autobiographical raps, and comments from Darius, his mother, other families dealing with DMD, disability rights activists, and the 11-man road team, most of whom hail from Project REACH, a program for special needs kids. Although things don't quite go according to plan, Weems nevertheless enjoys the journey of a lifetime, while also succeeding in getting his message out to the world when the media picks up on his story. Darius Goes West focuses on one individual, but also reminds us that millions of disabled Americans must confront accessibility and other obstacles on a daily basis (we see the group here celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act). Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)