Neighbor News
Movie Review - Finders Keepers
Morbidly amusing documentary delivers more layers of meaning than expected
Finders Keepers **½ (out of 5) (R) As documentaries go, this one ranks among the quirkiest. Shannon Whisnant wheels and deals the “treasures” he can pick up at yard sales and other re-sale options, seeking fame and fortune, or at least profit in rural North Carolina. When he buys the contents of a storage shed after the owner’s default on the rental, one of his p[rizes is a meat smoker. When he gets it home, he finds the “bonus” of a man’s somewhat preserved lower leg and foot.
That limb had been attached to a local fellow named John Wood until a car crash several years earlier. Whisnant thought he could make some big bucks charging folks to see it. Wood wanted it back. This film documents their clash of wills, fleshing out (so to speak) the backstories of the men and their families with emphasis on the ripple effects of John’s tragic accident that started this dust-up that eventually became a media circus with national exposure.
Rather than spoil the experience with details, just know that this account is often Monty-Python funny, but also serious in several respects. At first blush, it seems to mock the principals as rubes for fighting over this body part. Southern accents in a small-town setting will fuel that snob-appeal perspective for many. But the next layer is the fact that if we weren’t in an era of media frenzy over such bizarre little slices of life and “colorful” characters, none of this would have happened.
Aye, there’s the rub. The media wouldn’t swarm all over these folks with all their cameras and mikes if WE weren’t buying what they’re calling news these days. We’d rather boost our egos on the unravelings of celebs, or the foibles of others than think about issues that really matter. Look at any slate of politicians at any level, starting with the mob running for President. If we weren’t so easily distracted by all things Kardashian, and busy voting for our favorites on TV talent shows, wouldn’t we have better choices on our ballots? When you watch this story, you’re ultimately looking in the mirror, and that may not be so pretty...or funny. (10/2/15)