“I’m gonna live my life till I can’t live it no more.”
Darius Weems
Darius Goes West was a very enlightening documentary about Muscular Dystrophy geared for young people. Today, I would like you to respond to some of my prompts listed below to this film. I want you to express your thoughts, feelings, and ideas from this documentary.
What was the message? What did you learn? How did you feel after watching this? What was your favourite part or moment? Why? What did you think of MTV’s decision not to participate in his dream of “Pimp my Wheelchair”? And lastly, what did Darius teach you about yourself?
Click on the picture to get to the Darius Goes West website!
Mr. Purdon's Class Blog 
How I feel is sad and happy because at the end of the movie the people were walcome him home.
And I leard that you can have a good lift before you die and it was happy because he got to see the world before he died and when he got home he got a new weelchir to ride in.
Katie, I’m goinfg to repeat what I said to Yolanda; it is very important that we read over our comments before posting them. When we publish something to the web, it should be as free of mistakes as possible. Please don’t rush your writing to be first done.
i think the message is that wether he get’s his dream or not he should of got to go on pimp my ride then he would of been really happy. How i felt was realy sad because he has that muscle thing so that is how i feel son that all i need to say today
Yolanda, it is very important that we read over our comments before posting them. When we publish something to the web, it should be as free of mistakes as possible.
I think the message in Darius Goes West is not to be so greety about your life. In this movie i learned to to the best things in life while i can. Ithink this because Darius knew that he was going to die soom but he tried to do the best things in life as he could. My favorite part in this movie was when Darius was telling a scary story during the camp fire. I liked it because he was making everybody laugh. Most of all, Darius taught me that i should enjoy life because you only get one chance in life.
I feel like the grammar police today! Zach watch you i’s! They need to be capitalized.
I had a feeling people would like that story around the campfire as well! 🙂
After i watched this flim i felt that I was sure glad that I did not hve this bad diesese because people never live after there tenns and twentys but i larned that somtimes your life can be stressful sometimes my favourit part was when they entered the swamp because Darius was always wanting to go there and he finally did, I think that MTV just wanted to give a excuse so that they did not have to worry about pimping Darius’s wheelchairbut even though pimp my ride never pimed his wheelchair sombody else did so he reached his dream. Darius tought me thta I am luky that i do not have this disese.
Damien, did you use Word first? There are a lot of silly errors here. Watch your i’s!!
This movie really emotionally touched me. I had tears welling up in my eyes when Darius and his friends were talking about his condition. Even though Darius knew about what was going to happen, he didn’t let that stop him from having fun. He lived his life to the fullest extent while he still could. He didn’t let Muscular Dystrophy stop him. Darius tought me something extremely important about myself. He tought me that the only thing slowing you down is you. He basically said life is short, live it long. That’s what he did. Muscular Dystophy, Cancer, any sickness. Don’t let that slow you down.
It was pretty hard not to be touched emotionally by this film. I was so moved by his character and bright outlook on his remaining life.
I think that Darius taught me that you can do anything even if you have a disability. I thought this because Darius went west like he always wanted to. He believed that he could leave his hometown and head west; even through he had Muscular Dystrophy.
My favorite moment was when Darius went swimming in the ocean with the people who help people with disabilities. That was my favorite part because I’m pretty sure that he had never experienced that, and he had a lot of fun. I like to see people have fun.
I think that the message was that you shouldn’t sit on the couch and stare at the T.V., you should go out of your house and explore the world.
I have to admit that when Darius swam in the ocean it touched me as well. To see how joyous he was, not just swimming, but to feel like he was almost standing on his own, was a very powerful momment!
I felt sad when I was watching Darius Goes West because all of Darius friends were helping Darius, Also Darius got to go west and get his wheelchair upgraded and spinners. I think that Darius got mad when he and his friends were writing a letter to MTV to pimp his wheelchair but they said it could be bad to mess with the electric whirs but we think it was an excuse so they don’t haft to do it. I think my favorite part of the video was when his friends were helping him do has dream and go west and I like when he smiles because he’s having fun and you should live you life long and live you dreams, Also he was still smiling even know he was going to die.
Very good entry Oscar. I’m glad that you felt for Darius. It’s by feeling that we become more involved in something.
I think that the message of this movie, Darius Goes West, was to never give up. Cliché, I know, but I truly think this because Darius was basically saying through out the whole video, that even though he had Muscular Dystrophy,he wouldn’t let that take him down. He lived his life to the fullest (and still is). This movie was very inspiring and taught me to enjoy life because you only live once, embrace it. Darius also taught me to be thankful that I don’t have that disease. Like I said, though he he was dying, he didn’t let that stop him from having fun.
I agree Kadi-Rose, we need to embrace life, not just live it!
I think the message in Darius goes west is if you have dream, you can accomplish it if you try. I learned that if somebody has a disability they can do what you can do. I Felt sad and happy because he didn’t get to be on MTV but, he got to be in a movie and got his wheel chair “pimped”.
well in this vidio dariouse taght me that you only live once an in that time you have to make the best of it. Dariouse had mucular dystrofie but that dint stop him from goin places and seeing new things, if he can do it everyone can. MTV had a really good chance of getting more viewers if hey did the pimp my wheelchair episoid,but they turned darious down,everyday they put drivers at risk with there new fancy,pimped up cars bu they didnt want to do it to dariouses wheelchair that made me feel dissapointed..
Nadia, as always you have really made some good comments that are thoughtful. However, the GRAMMAR and SPELLING POLICE are going to make some arrests!! Please read over your writing and use Word to help you. 😦
Well, in this video, Darius taught me that you only live once and in that time, you have to make the best of it. Darius had muscular dystrophy , but that didn’t stop him from going places and seeing new things. If he can do it, everyone can. MTV had a really god chance of getting more viewers if they did the “pimp my wheelchair” episode, but they turned Darius down. Everyday they put drivers at risk with their new, fancy, pimped up cars, but they didn’t want to do it for Darius’s wheelchair. That made me feel disappointed. Maybe it could have been phrased like that? Still, great ideas. I agree with the “you only live once” statement.
I think the message is that you should spend your life reasonably. I learned that you should always take an opportunity when you might not be able to do it ever again. After watching this I felt sad and happy, I felt sad because he might not live till 20 years of age, and happy because now I know that people are helping people with muscular dystrophy. My favourite part is when there was a praying chiwawa it was funny because the owner said “Im not done yet” when the dog stoped praying! I think that mtv chose the wrong descition because if they had put the show on they would be able to raise money fo Darius and other children. Darius taught me that you should never give up even if you have a phisical diffuculty.
I agree as well. MTV did drop the ball on this one.
in the movie Darius Goes west i think that the message was the you should do what you want and let anyone get in your way. After waching the video i felt bad for people that have Muscular Dystrophy and that people should help cure that disease. My favourite part is when Darius and his freinds started to go on their journey. For MTV’s decision not to participate in his dream of Pimp my Wheelchair i felt bad because Darius took a very long journey to see the people of Pimp my Ride and they dident help Darius. Darius tot me that i should help people that have Muscular Dystrophy.
I think we should all help people with muscular dystrophy and those reaeaching a cure too.
when Mr.purdon played the movie darius goes west i tought it was going to be a fast movie.
so after the movie Mr. purdon tolled us how do you feel about darius?
so i feel about darius.I thought that darius was a older kid?
I think that the message is that even if you have have a disability that you can do every thing if you belive in yourself if you don’t belive then you might not try and you will not be happy, like if you have Muscular Dystrophy as long as you belive in your self you can achieve anything. I learned that if you have Muscular Dystrophy that you will only live to around 20 to 30 years old bot when you fist get it your around 10. after watching Dariusn Goes West I felt said for him because every living thing deserves to live. My favorite part of Darius Goes West is when Darius gets his ride pimped by the lamborgini salesman. That was my favorite part because he was very happy that he got what he wanted even though Darius did not get to go on pimp my ride he was still very happy. I think that mtv’s choice was not very exceptable because they costomise cars and ether stuff, but no a weelchair they said it was to Dangerous to costomise a weelchair. Darius tought me that even if you have Muscular Dystrophy or other problems with your body you can do anything if you try.
darius tought me to “live life to the fullest” even when road blocks get in you’r way. After watching the video I felt sad for darius and wish there was a cure. My favorite part of the video was when his friends dumped him in the pool and he started laughing hustaricly. I dont really think what whas on the reply letter from MTV was really why thay didnt do it and I still dont under stand why. the machanics on Pimp My Ride said thay would.
After seeing Darius goes west I think the maid idea is that Darius is living his life be for he dies form muscular dystrophy. After seeing Darius goes west I am feeling sad and happy I am feeling happy because he got to pimp his wheelchair and I am feeling sad because Darius can die when he is 20 years old and because he has muscular dystrophy. I would say my favorite part was when he got to go swimming in the ocean for the first time and all the other things he got to do for the first time. Darius teach me just live my life as long as you can
I feel really bad for Darius because he has muscular dystrophy. 😦 I think the message Darius was trying to tell us is that your body is not keeping you from having an adventure,because you can still
explore if you have muscular dystrophy.He proved it by traveling west. “Darius goes west” 🙂
I learned that if you have some kind of bad disiese,your friends are always there to help. Darius’s
friends were there to help when he had muscular dystrophy. After I watched this movie, I felt proud of Darius.My favorite part was when he got to go in the water.It was a happy moment.
Well, this is my perspective of the main idea in this documentary; Darius is living his life to the fullest before he dies of muscular dystrophy. I will say this is a brave kid. He is not afraid to die. He’s living in the moment; the present. Not the future or past. After watching this documentary, I felt sad. Because I felt sad for the people diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. But I also felt good because Darius, was brave he didn’t want to die but he wasn’t afraid to. My favorite part in this video was seeing the little praying Chihuahua. It was so cute!!! But there are some of the other parts I enjoyed like when he said that he is going to live his life to the fullest. MTV should have said yes to putting him on the chanel. Because then every one would see the bad in this and donate for him and others to get better.
You are right Jessica, he is brave.
I think the message of the text of Darius Goes West is if you have a dream go and make it happen and never give up and keep going and make your dream happen and Darius never gave up and wanted to fight and live the dream before he dies. After seeing this movie i feel very bad for the people that are diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy and hope they will find a cure very soon. My favorite part of the movie was the part that he was on the phone with his mom and swore and then his mom said that she would walk all the way over there to give him heck ( haha it was so funny )
That was funny!
Yeah it was
I think the message is that he is tiring to put the message for muscular dystrophy. I learnd that if you have muscular dystrophy
You can die at the age of 20 years old and if you are a baby you have to go in a wheelchair. I felt said because he can die at 20 years old and can not move by him self that is so so so said. My favorite part is when he goes swimming.