Darius Goes West - Reception

Reception

Robert Kohler of Variety wrote "Certain to stir hearts -- as proven by its aud award at the Santa Barbara Fest -- and primed to raise awareness of a debilitating form of muscular dystrophy, Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life lovingly records 15-year-old Darius Weems' odds-defying cross-country U.S. trek. A rare case of an almost purely amateur film that has a solid shot of cablecasts after a certain roll through the fest circuit, pic makes up in authentic feeling what it lacks in documentary skill."

David Cook of The Chattanoogan made note of the compassion shared by the eleven friends toward Darius, writing "Teenage males are so often viewed as unemotional and stoic, as young Rambos in training. But this film highlights the deep love these friends had for each other, and for Darius." Cook also commended the care and consideration of the eleven when he wrote "Unable to move most of his body, he depended on his comrades as they lifted him into bed each night, carried him into the Gulf as he touched the ocean for the first time, sat together on the edge of the Grand Canyon, held on as they wheelchaired down Lombard Street in San Fran, advocated and fought against the lack of wheelchair accessibility in the US, and wept in the face of Darius’s crippling disease and impending death." He praised them further when he wrote "They were as graceful and compassionate caregivers as I have ever seen, and if you are looking for role models or hope in dark times, look no farther than this film and these men."

Martin Bashir of ABC News Nightline reported upon meeting Darius at the Santa Barbara Film Festival in 2007, that he felt like he was interviewing his own brother Tommy, who had also been born with DMD: "The shape of his head and torso were identical. The chubby cheeks and sneaky smile were the same. And the endless attempts to shift his bulbous arms, and get comfortable in his wheelchair, were an exact replica of Tommy. But this wasn't my brother. Sadly, Tommy passed away in January 1991. This was Darius Weems from Athens and this is what Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy does to the body." He called the documentary "remarkable" in how it "records a journey that is full of happiness and heartbreak", and in recalling his reactions to other documentaries, concluded "when I watched Darius Goes West something altogether more profound happened. I saw my brother again - and for that alone, I always shall be grateful."

Karen Day of Los Angeles Times wrote "Thanks to Smalley's editing and Darius' star quality, the documentary and its back story through development and disease make Darius Goes West play more like a hip indie film. Smalley, who also composed and plays the piano soundtrack, and his gang bankrolled the $70,000 film by selling on-screen credits for $10 each and having a hometown barbecue fundraiser." She praised the film by calling it comical and poignant tale that was equal parts Animal House and Stand by Me.

David Walker of DVD Talk called the documentary "a collective labor of love, put together by a dedicated group of people committed to changing the world," writing that "Film at its best has the power to engage us emotionally and spiritually", and that "that is what makes the documentary Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life not only a great film, but the best film of 2007." He concluded that "the film is an amazing celebration of life" and "one of the most life-affirming films you will ever see".