The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia

I first scanned by this movie while staying at a hotel. At first while channel flipping I thought it was a bad episode of cops. Only after further viewing did I realize it was much much worse.... and better.

Although the documentary format leaves something to be desired, the subjects fill the time with their crazy lifestyles. No real way to describe the documentary.

One strange phenomenon is that the young kids are much smarter than the adults. The adults have fried their brains on drugs for so many years that some of them can barely talk.

Check it out.

"They took her baby. Prolly cause they found drugs in it."

You really can't imagine anyone doing a much better job depicting this scourge on society. I've watched this three times and showed it to friends. No one seems to be able to turn away from the Whites.

Being born into that family is an incredible handicap. Life really isn't fair for some people from the git-go, especially those who are addicted to drugs in the womb.

Also, we all aren't created equal, because although crafty, the Whites are completely dim and dysfunctional in their outlook towards life. The sad thing is that there are many people like the Whites in America; leeches on the rest of us, sucking the lifeblood out of this country.

This documentary is like a train wreck...it's awful, it's ugly...but you can't stop watching. It really is mesmerizing....and I've never seen anything like it and it's sad that it's apparently true and the people in the film are so happy, proud and open about their completely sick and crazy lives. The movie follows the White family in West Virginia, an extended family that is about as trashy and worthless as any in the world...and a wonderful argument for retroactive euthanasia. I know that's horrible to say that, but watching this inter-generational family on their BEST behavior on camera is like the very, very worst families on "The Jerry Springer Show"---on crack. The White family's prison records, drug use, violence and ignorance is overwhelming to watch--it's just hard to imagine a clan like this being proud of themselves--and I could imagine this film being shown in various countries where they hate Americans so they could 'prove' how evil and decadent we really are!

While the film is awful to watch, it has several qualities that I would consider important to a truly excellent documentary. First, the narration is minimal and lets the subjects themselves just talk...and talk...and talk. Second, the subjects are allowed to do or say whatever they want....and this seeming lack of direction is what makes it so compelling. Sad, sick and provocative...this is one to see.

By the way, my timing for watching this film was amazing. I'd just watched "Idiocracy"--a film that warns us that this sort of family IS our future--especially as the ignorance and irresponsible seem to breed at a VERY high rate. Sad...very, very sad.

Some of these folks seem chill, some seem a little off, some I wouldn't let myself get caught alone with.

Basically, like any family, except they do illegal things and have mountain folk accents so its shocking I guess.

I won't make a case here for drug dealing, violent crimes against creepy uncles, or sex work, only because most here don't come here because they care about this but rather because they want to laugh.

Well from the technical standpoint, its OK. It gets the job done. We all know films like this are made for those sleazy types that like to watch poor people go through hell so they can hate them, so there isn't much more to say.

If you been through sh-t and like to see people who go through sh-t talk about their lives, this film is quite a ride.

If you have never had to do sketchy sh-t to survive because you had no other options, and are proud of it, don't bother, go watch catfish or something as reprehensible.

It is a candid and intimate documentation of what can easily be termed a hillbilly family. If many families look deep enough into their ancestry right now, they will see that many have roots back into those very hills, however many families moved on to bigger and better pastures.

The whites have stayed and have made a name for themselves in town and the surrounding areas. You are immediately pulled in to watch what happens next to each family member, and it helps that the movie provides a family tree so you can see who is connected to the next branch. A little upsetting to see such extensive drug use by certain family members at specific time periods.

This movie allows you to laugh and point fingers without feeling much guilt. And on another level it allows you to clearly see how dysfunction and addiction moves from one generation to the next. Kind of makes you think the only way to break that cycle is to completely up and move a person to a whole other area breaking ties.

A very real family shown with warts and all, it also includes tender moments and fun times.