Feature/General
Darius Goes West
By Barbara Smalley
Jan/Feb 2008

A funny thing happened on the way to my son Logan’s pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in special education at the University of Georgia. He decided to make a documentary about his young friend, Darius Weems. Darius has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), the number one genetic killer of children worldwide, and Logan had read that scientists had finally discovered the cause of this disease. He figured that making a movie might help educate folks about DMD. And maybe, just maybe, it could affect a cure.

Never mind that Logan had no film experience. He had the idealism of youth on his side. He had passion to promote change and awareness. He had enormous hometown support, and he had friends, family, and mentors who shared his dream to help find and fund a cure for this 100% fatal disease.

Hopefully, you’ve heard of “Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life.” Heck, you’re probably in the credits, since that’s how the bulk of the money for this project was raised (thank you, Athens!).

Las Vegas was Darius's favorite stop on the trip. Whitewater rafting in Colorado. Darius and the crew met William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman,
who appear in the film. Darius and crew at the Grand Canyon. (Left to right)
John Harmon, John Hadden, Dylan Wilson, Daniel Epting, Jason Hees, Logan Smalley, Sam Johnson, Ben Smalley, Collin Shepley, Andrew Carson, Kevin Wier, Darius Weems Darius, with Logan, at the beach for the first time ever.

Darius
Photos

It began with a promise
Logan was 13 when he first met Darius at Project REACH, a local summer camp for children with disabilities. In an effort to get him “out of the mirror,” I was the one who made him volunteer there, and he went kicking and screaming. “Just one week,” I promised. Fortunately, he liked it and the campers so much that he stuck around the entire summer, then volunteered or worked at the camp for seven seasons after that. He had found his niche.

Initially, Logan was closer – both in age and in terms of friendship – to Darius’ older brother Mario, who also had DMD. Eight years ago, when Mario died, he asked Logan to look out for little brother. Without hesitation, Logan agreed to do so, but at the time, he had no idea what shape or form that promise would take.

Over the years, Logan watched as Darius’ health slowly deteriorated. In a few short years, he went from being fully mobile, to using a walker, to using a wheelchair. In late 2004, Logan decided there was no need for the quality of Darius’ life to disintegrate along with his muscles. So he recruited 11 of his friends (including younger brother, Ben), rented a wheelchair-accessible RV, and took Darius, who had never seen mountains, the ocean, or even crossed a state line, on the adventure of a lifetime. The ultimate goal of their 7,000-mile cross-country journey was to reach Los Angeles and convince MTV’s hit show “Pimp My Ride” to customize Darius’ wheelchair. Along the way, they evaluated wheelchair accessibility and celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). But mostly they raised awareness of DMD, particularly among a generation not familiar with Jerry Lewis and his annual telethons.

A story of friendship
From Athens to Los Angeles and back, cameras rolled. In fact, by the time this “band of brothers” returned to the Classic City, Logan had over 300 hours of footage to edit into a 90-minute documentary.

The focus of “Darius Goes West” is definitely on DMD and accessibility issues in America. But to me, this film is more about the joys of friendship and the power of young people to change the world, all while having fun. When Logan and the crew set out on their adventure, they knew it would be life changing for Darius. I think what surprised them though, was how life changing this journey would be for all twelve of them.

The kudos keep coming
The impact of “Darius Goes West” on all of the young men involved in this project has been huge. Not only has the film played at Carnegie Hall, but the crew has traveled to film festivals worldwide, gaining new fans at every turn. In Telluride, Colorado, for example, Tom Shadyac (producer/director of “Bruce Almighty,” “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” and other Jim Carey flicks) was so taken by the film that he invited Darius, his mom, and the entire crew to Los Angeles for the world premiere of “Evan Almighty.” At a NASCAR event in Atlanta, Darius was the special guest of race car legends Richard and Kyle Petty. At the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, Robert DeNiro stopped by Darius’ hotel room to say hello, and Beyonce recently sent Darius a big box of birthday gifts.

Are you dizzy yet?
Amazingly, “Darius Goes West” has won 25 film festival awards and been featured on Nightline, the TODAY Show, and Ellen DeGeneres. More importantly, the movie has, to date, raised over $750,000 for DMD research! But from Logan’s point of view, the best is yet to come...

“Know about it”
At every film festival, teachers, principals, and school officials have approached the crew to say how much “Darius Goes West” inspired them. Ditto for students. At the Cleveland International Film Festival, high school students were so inquisitive of Darius’ story and how they could help, that their Q&A with the crew lasted for three hours. And in Santa Barbara, the film was such a hit among middle school English and journalism classes that these students chose “Darius Goes West” as a theme for their annual 60-mile bike fundraiser (subsequently donating over $2,300 to DMD research).

Ever the education major, Logan quickly realized what an impact “Darius Goes West” could have if the film could be shown in middle and high schools nationwide. He reasoned that by motivating students to become honorary “13th crew members,” a cure for DMD would come much quicker.

This month marks the official launch of the “Darius Goes West Know About It” program. Schools everywhere can now purchase (for $25) a special edition of “Darius Goes West” and gain online access to an entire curriculum that meets the national standards. In science, for example, there is a lesson plan about genetics, using Darius and his disease as a live example. In English, students learn about symbolism, plot and theme and will be able to discuss how the director and editor use these to move the movie forward. In social studies, lesson plans focus on the disability rights movement and explore tolerance and diversity topics. And in math, students are challenged to calculate how long it would take Darius’ mom, Jamie, to “walk to Atlanta!”

Students have access to their own sections on the “Know About It” Web site. There is an interactive Q&A with Darius and the crew. There are forums where students can discuss the film with their peers across the country – and brainstorm ways to raise money for DMD research. In “Brag about it,” there are outlets for students to shine the spotlight on themselves for helping our cause. There are also opportunities to e-mail “Big D” himself and to win “Darius Goes West” t-shirts.

Thanks to a private grant from a huge “Darius Goes West” fan, I have been tapped to run the “Know About It” program. Already, over 150 schools nationwide have signed up to participate, and that’s just through word-of-mouth advertising!

Paying it forward
DMD research is burgeoning. Indeed, scientists believe they can zero in on a cure within a decade, maybe sooner. All that’s lacking, they say, is sufficient funding. “Darius Goes West” intends to fill that void via sales of DVDs ($19.99) and the “Know About It” program, with 100% of all proceeds going to DMD research.

In the movie, Logan points out that Darius knows a cure isn’t likely to happen in his lifetime. And he’s come to terms with that. In fact, Darius participated in this documentary for reasons that were purely unselfish. Just as Logan made a promise to Mario to look out for his little brother, this film is Darius’ way of looking out for the next generation of boys with DMD...in essence, his “little brothers.”
Know about it.

For more information Visit www.dariusgoeswest.com

Barbara Smalley is the mother of director Logan and crew member Ben. She enjoys her work behind the scenes for “Darius Goes West” and “Know About It.”<