Finders Keepers (2015)
Directed by Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel. World Record Headquarters, Exhibit A, Community Films, Firefly Theater and Films, Different Design
Self-styled entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant thinks the mummified foot he discovered inside a second-hand barbecue is his ticket to fame. Unfortunately for him, the original owner of the foot John Wood wants it back. On the surface, Finders Keepers tells the bizarre tale of the two men’s fight for custody of the foot, which played out in the local media. At heart though, it a reflection on fame, reality television, poverty and ambition and shows empathy for its protagonists, as well as providing plenty of laughs.
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Finders Keepers demonstrates the importance of casting. The men involved in the foot dispute are interesting — Whisnant is a narcissist for our times, a man who believes he deserves fame without achieving anything. Wood a sad middle-aged addict still longing for his dead father’s approval. But they alone would not have been strong enough to hold up a feature-length film. The story’s nuance comes from interviews with their families. Wood’s sister and brother-in-law are able to reflect upon the ridiculous nature of their relative’s predicament, while also offering insight into his troubled relationship with his father. His mother is brittle woman, but ultimately sympathetic, while Whisnant’s wife has a brilliantly expressive face that is able to convey her bemusement and disappointment with her husband without saying a word.
Finders Keepers is a small story, but it’s a good one. It offers an intriguing look at what can lie behind the light stories usually shared for a laugh on Facebook and quickly forgotten.
