Review of The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia (2009) by Aaron A — 30 Mar 2011

Synopsis: Hailing from Boone County, W. Va., mountain dancer Jesco White may be the most famous member of the White clan -- but he's hardly the most colorful.

The movie is essentially a small peek into the lives of a family with a devil may care attitude towards the law and life itself. The Whites do just about every drug known (except for angel-dust apparently) they threaten to kill anyone they dislike (and sometimes do) and are just about as big a hill-billy family as one is ever likely to meet. Basically, they are the hicks that I (living in TN) see on a regular basis while filling up my gas tank.

That is pretty much all The Wild and Wonderful Whites has to offer (other than some badass tunes from Hank Williams III), an inside look into a rather unpleasant and homely family who prides themselves on their strict redneck upbringing. The direction is rather mediocre (knowing when to queue appropriate music at the appropriate time) and the editing is likewise nothing too memorable, though that such faults may be more attributable to budget and governmental access restrictions than the filmmaker's passion for the film.

Ultimately, the film's weight and entertainment value is carried wholly by those being filmed, The Whites themselves. Luckily, the Whites are an intriguing (if unpleasant) family to watch.