Sunday, January 15, 2012

Darius Goes West


We watched this documentary in one of my classes. I thought it was amazing. You should definitely check it out. It is the story of a boy with muscular dystrophy that wants to get his wheelchair pimped by MTV's show "Pimp My Ride". With the help of some friends a three week cross country trip in a RV from Athens, GA to Los Angeles, CA and back was planned to try to convince MTV to trick out the wheelchair. They also filmed a documentary to bring awareness to muscular dystrophy and wheelchair accessibility. It is an eye-opening and heart touching film.

The story that struck me most from the film was Darius, the boy with muscular dystrophy, was dared by some of the crew (comprised of his friends) to eat a spoonful of wasabi. Darius was not one to back down from a bet. However, someone else in the restaurant yelled at the crew for picking on Darius. Darius in no way felt picked on and felt like he was just hanging out with his friends. It was just a strong reminder that people in wheelchairs do not want to be coddled or pitied, but be part of the gang.

The film brings up wonderful perspectives on wheelchair accessibility, living with muscular dystrophy, and living your life the fullest. If you want to check it out you can go to http://www.dariusgoeswest.org/the-film/ to purchase the film and learn more.   

Here is a preview:


No comments:

Post a Comment