''The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia'' is a 2009 documentary film directed by

Julien Nitzberg Julien Nitzberg (born 1965) is an American screenwriter, stage writer, lyricist, theater director and film director, best known in the film world as the director of the documentary ''The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia''. In the theat ...

, chronicling the White family of

Boone County, West Virginia Boone County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,809. Its county seat is Madison. Boone County is part of the Charleston, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Leading industries and chief a ...

Synopsis

The film follows the White family over the course of a year in their daily life through first-person interviews. The film mentions the details of the death of patriarch Donald Ray "D. Ray" White, as well as his rise to stardom as one of the most famous mountain dancers of his time. The illness of his widow, Bertie Mae White, is documented throughout the course of the film. Locals consider Bertie Mae "The Miracle Woman" because of her lifelong dedication to raising abandoned children. Throughout the film, Bertie is seen supporting her family despite her intolerance of their dangerous and reckless behavior. The younger generations of Whites are followed to drug deals, criminal trials, hospital beds, and jail cells to recount the wild and outlandish events in their lives. A group of local professionals in Boone County act as a

Greek chorus A Greek chorus, or simply chorus ( grc-gre, χορός, chorós), in the context of ancient Greek tragedy, comedy, satyr plays, and modern works inspired by them, is a homogeneous, non-individualised group of performers, who comment with a collect ...

as they speak about the Whites, mostly criticizing their negative influence on the community. Stemming from generations of

coal miners People have worked as coal miners for centuries, but they became increasingly important during the Industrial revolution when coal was burnt on a large scale to fuel stationary and locomotive engines and heat buildings. Owing to coal's strategic ro ...

working in risky job conditions, most of the White family possesses a fatalistic attitude and a lack of fear of death. Various members recall violent fights with neighbors, family members, and other locals. Other legal troubles include larceny, prescription fraud, shootings, armed robbery, forgery, stabbings, and child custody battles. D. Ray worked in the coal mines during the

scrip A scrip (or ''chit'' in India) is any substitute for legal tender. It is often a form of credit. Scrips have been created and used for a variety of reasons, including exploitive payment of employees under truck systems; or for use in local comme ...

payment era; Mamie explains how D. Ray's frustration with his employers' corrupt practices led him to "outsmarting the system." D. Ray legally signed each of his children up for "crazy checks" during their early adolescence. Mamie discloses to the audience that each month, she (and all the other offspring of D. Ray and Bertie Mae) receive social security checks monthly from the government due to their inability to hold employment because of alleged psychiatric disability.

The Whites

Six of D. Ray and Bertie's 13 children are featured in the film.

D. Ray and Bertie's children

Jesco White Jesco White, also known as the "Dancing Outlaw" (born July 30, 1956) is an American folk dancer and entertainer. He is best known as the subject of three American documentary films that detail his desire to follow in his famous father's footstep ...

(born 1956) – son of D. Ray and Bertie; a well-known

mountain dancer A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...

, he was previously the subject of the documentary film ''Dancing Outlaw''. * Mamie White – oldest daughter of D. Ray and Bertie; girlfriend of Billy Hastings; she introduces the family at the start of the film. Mamie tells of her brother Dorsey White, who was shot in the face during a dispute with neighbors and lost an eye; he later died of an unintentional self-inflicted gunshot wound. Mamie's boyfriend Billy Hastings is a central figure in the family's past and present. His involvement in a dispute led to the shooting death of D. Ray White by Steve Roe. His altercation with Brandon Poe is described in detail in the film. * Ona Fontaine White - 1951-1971 - daughter of D. Ray and Bertie; murdered by ex-husband Clyde Davis. * Bo White – daughter of D. Ray and Bertie; mother of Kirk White and Derek Castle. * Poney White – the only one of D. Ray and Bertie's children to have left Boone County at the time the documentary was produced. He moved to

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

and is a house painter. Poney states he felt he needed to leave West Virginia to improve his life, a decision he made after a prescription fraud conviction. Despite leaving the public-school system in seventh grade, Poney is one of the few employed members of the family. His daughter Virginia recounts her inability to obtain employment due to her last name before they relocated. His son Jerry rehashes mistreatment from educators in the local school just because of his lineage. * Sue Bob White – the youngest of D. Ray and Bertie's children; she is a former

stripper A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at a bachelor party or other private event. M ...

and the mother of Brandon and Ashley Poe.

Grandchildren/cousins

* Kirk White – daughter of Bo White; and sister of Derek Castle. Kirk's children, Monica and Tylor, are featured in the film. During the film she gives birth to Monica, who is taken away by Child Protective Services. Kirk checks herself into an alcohol and drug rehab facility in order to regain custody. Kirk later relinquished her rights to Monica in hopes for a better life for her. * Derek Castle – son of Bo White; brother of Kirk White. Currently lives in WV and is working to better his life. * Brandon Poe – son of Sue Bob White; he is currently serving a sentence of 50 years at the Huntsville Correctional Center for the attempted murder of Billy Hastings. * Mousie White – eldest daughter of Mamie White; she is shown being released from prison, locating her estranged husband. *Donald Maris White Jr. "Little Man"- Son of Mark White. Lives in Minnesota. Does well for himself as a painter. Married and has 3 children.

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

it has an approval rating of 60% based on reviews from 10 critics.Rotten Tomatoes: The Wonderful Whites of West Virginia
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Soundtrack

References

External links

* offline May 2018 * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wild And Wonderful Whites Of West Virginia 2009 documentary films American documentary films West Virginia culture Documentary films about Appalachia Films set in West Virginia Films shot in West Virginia Documentary films about families 2009 films Dickhouse Productions films Documentary films about West Virginia 2000s English-language films 2000s American films