REVIEW: Finders Keepers

Courtesy of The Orchard

Simply put, this documentary is one of the craziest movies I’ve ever seen. I could tell you what it’s about, but a brief description of the plot – essentially a Flannery O’Connor short story come to life – doesn’t do it justice. In fact, knowing all of the oddball, redneck details takes away from the magic of watching the hilarious, morbid and unexpectedly emotional tale unfold.

Directors Bryan Carberry and J. Clay Tweel chronicle the fascinating, interconnected lives of John Wood and Shannon Whisnant, specifically how the rural North Carolina men squared off in a bizarre custody battle over a mummified leg. The two guys became local media superstars thanks to the circus sideshow nature of their fight, but none of the many news stories covered the deeply personal reasons both men had for wanting the leg.

For Wood, the leg represented a traumatic connection to his late father. For Whisnant, it became a symbol for the stardom he always desired but never obtained. Over the course of the remarkably deep story, audiences learn about the two men and how something as disgusting as a severed leg can still represent something important.

For the first 10 minutes or so, I was nervous that Finders Keepers would be an insulting example of “hicksploitation cinema” – a way to laugh at Southern stereotypes for 82 minutes. The filmmakers definitely play up the yokel angle when interviewing Wood, Whisnant and their families. But I quickly realized that was a trapdoor into the deeper territory they were interested in mining, a story that ultimately uses those clichés to show the foolishness of trusting our first impressions.

Almost everyone involved in the story realize how preposterous it is, rolling their eyes and sighing with exasperation while recounting their interpretations of events. Wood’s sister even coins a beautifully perfect (although extremely unprintable) aphorism to describe it, which made me laugh harder than anything else in the movie.

However, a darker side of the situation rears its head when Whisnant and his wife discuss how his battle for the leg (a phrase I still can’t believe I’m typing) is simply the latest in a series of P.T. Barnum-style exploits to achieve fame at any cost. Although Carberry and Tweel clearly see him as the story’s antagonist, he’s a much more tragic figure by the end.

The peculiar narrative and cast of characters mean Finders Keepers isn’t for everyone (my wife downright loathed it), but I thought it was fascinating, funny and ultimately a complex look at the nature of humanity. Just maybe don’t watch it while you’re eating BBQ. 

Finders Keepers is rated R for language.

Grade: A-