Off the Rails 2016
Distributed by Tugg, Inc., 855-321-8844
Produced by The Film Collaborative / MSK
Directed by Adam Irving
DVD, color, 80 min.
General Adult
Asperger's Syndrome, Social Problems, Sociology, Criminal Justice
Date Entered: 01/17/2017
Reviewed by James Gordon, University at Buffalo LibrariesDarius McCollum is a man without a place in society. The criminal justice system doesn’t know what to do except incarcerate him. He received little to no counseling until recently. He has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Darius has been arrested about 30 times and has spent a large portion of his life in jail for his propensity to impersonate transit workers and for commandeering buses and trains, which he likes to operate safely.
This is Darius’ life story with all its starts, stops, turns and straight-a-ways. Our ride begins with childhood. As he speeds through puberty, Darius encounters a bump and his ride is interrupted when he first gets arrested for driving a subway train illegally. Now 50 years of age, Darius is awaiting trial for yet another illicit ride and faces 15 more years in prison.
Near the end of the movie an exasperated television news reporter sums up Darius’ escapades wonderfully. Having made the news so many times, Darius has become a folk hero of sorts, particularly for Asperger’s Syndrome children. Countless newspaper, television, and magazine articles have been written about Darius. There’s even a play and a CBC radio documentary about Darius, and some songs, too. His notoriety has earned him a page in Wikipedia.
This movie is appropriate for scholars interested in how society deals with the eccentricities of Asperger’s Syndrome patients, particularly from sociological and criminal justice perspectives. Is spending a lifetime in prison going to be the end of the line for Darius?