Living up the old idiom, truth is stranger than fiction, Bryan Carberry & J. Clay Tweel's Finders Keepers is a stunning documentary that is funny, engaging, and heartfelt, as the filmmakers show such impressive empathy for their subjects as they document the outlandish events which took place in a small town in North Carolina. The story begins when self-proclaimed "entrepreneur" Shannon Whisnant purchases a smoker from a foreclosed storage unit. The surprise comes when Shannon first opens the grill, discovering a severed human foot inside, one that has been mummified and preserved. The foot belonged to John Wood, a South Carolina man who lost the foot in a tragic plane accident back in 2004, one responsible for the death of his father. In this severed foot, the always hustling Shannon finds potential business opportunity, taking advantage of the buzz around town and charging admission to see the grill in which a foot had been found. Strangely enough, Shannon didn't have the foot his possession at this point, as a police officer, on the day of discovery, had taken it to a local funeral home. What ensues in Bryan Carberry & J. Clay Tweel's Finders Keepers is the astonishing and bizarre custody battle which took place between Shannon Whisnant and John Wood, with the documentary offering up a beautiful and transfixing portrait of two men in the process. Finders Keepers is a impressively designed documentary that lulls the viewer into this strange story with a playful tone, revealing its colorful characters and absurd story-line in a very comedic way, only to eventually rip the carpet out from under the viewer as it reveals its true poignancy, being a haunting and intricate examination of two flawed, hurt men. The strange story-line is just the juicy logline to what is nuanced and intricate character study of two men, each of which have ultimately been shaped by their past, most notably through their respective relationships with their fathers. What becomes clear as this film progresses is that the foot isn't just a body part to John Woods but something way more, being a symbol of John's grief and guilt centered around the death of his father. Finders and Keepers is as much a study of grief, regret, despair, and forgiveness, as anything else through its portrait of John, a man who struggled with alcoholism and drug abuse for many years after the death of his father, unable to forgive himself for his perceived failures as a co-pilot during the tragic accident. Considering John's suffering and troubles he becomes the clear protagonist of this bizarre story, as the viewer finds themselves rooting for a man's attempt to find some sense of closure. With that being said, Shannon Whisnant could definitely be described as the antagonist of this story, a man who bullishly refuses to give up ownership of the severed leg to John. He is a colorful character with a very high opinion of himself, who instantly grows ire from the audience due to his fixation of using another man's foot for his own financial gains. While this character may not be the most likable of sots, Finders Keepers greatest accomplishment is how even Shannon eventually becomes a sympathetic character, as the film slowly reveals nuanced aspects of his life that explain him as a man. Finders Keepers paints a portrait of a man in Shannon who had a tough time growing up with a stern father who neglected him, never giving him the attention or confidence he craved. While subtle, one could argue this relationship with father is what shaped Shannon as the man he would become, a man who has essentially becomes transfixed with the idea of being famous or somebody important, with John's severed foot being what he perceives is his ticket to success. The end of Finders Keepers reveals how this bizarre, dragged out custody battle was the thing that ultimately saved John's life, as he is now able to find some semblance of happiness and peace. We learn that John Wood has been sober and drug free for many years after getting the severed foot back and finding some sense of closure, yet unfortunately for Shannon he becomes what could be described as a tragic anti-hero, finding himself still intoxicated by the allure of fame, desperately needing to be someone important as he still seeks closure centered around his strained childhood relationship with his father.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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