As the mournful tunes played over the closing credits of The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia on Saturday night, audience members didn't know exactly how they were supposed to feel. The documentary, about a renegade hillbiilly family in Boone County, West Virginia, causes a range of reactions, from laughter to horror to sympathy to what-the-hell? See, the Whites are a family that inspire conflicting emotions: shockingly unfettered by others' reactions to their antics, their judgment-be-damned attitude is at once inspiring and frustrating. (This was definitely one of the most-talked-about films among Tribeca staff pre-Festival, and we couldn't wait to see how it played.) While their constant drug use, foul language, and criminal behavior is often hilarious, the real-life implications of how their actions affect the children in their care is haunting. And sad.

When asked what he "wanted mainstream America to get from the film," director Julien Nitzberg replied, "Who cares what mainstream America thinks? Do you?" The questioner persisted, desperately wanting to know, "But what message should we get from it?" Nitzberg replied, "Life is short and stupid. I don't know." Producer Storm Taylor chimed in, "Entitlement issues are a big concern. There are many messages in this movie, but ultimately, it's not a message movie." Hmmm. Sounds like one of those things you need to see for yourself.

The conversation shifted gears when someone else asked about whether the Whites could get arrested for what they are seen doing on screen. Taylor deadpanned, "From what I understand, they were smoking [tobacco], drinking spring water, and snorting aspirin." Someone else asked about the fate of one of the subjects, who is last seen on screen after months of successful rehab. Nitzberg explained, "She's still clean. She wasn't for a while, and she was in jail, but she's clean again. She's in AA. The weird thing is that, in all of Boone County—which is a big county—only eighteen people are in AA." See? Sad.

Producer Johnny Knoxville was on hand, and when asked how much of a role he played in the production, he explained that his involvement was mostly in post-production. They didn't want to tell the Whites he was involved, because they didn't want him to be a distraction. "We worried that if I came to the shoot, it would change the movie." Nitzberg agreed, "We wanted them to do the crazy stuff they always do, not the stuff they would do to impress Johnny Knoxville." Funny.

Taylor acknowledged the inherent conflicting emotions the movie inspires. "We just finished the final cut four days ago, so this is the first screening we've had. I liked watching the reactions [tonight]. It's heavy and intense, and people don't know whether to laugh, or what reaction to have. You'll think about it on the way home." (One audience member told us the next day, "My friends and I definitely talked about it afterwards, and that doesn't always happen. Was it exploitative? Was it funny? Was it both? Still thinking about it.")

One last question: How did they get the Whites to agree to be in the movie? Nitzberg met the family 18 years ago (funny story recounted here), and he explained, "I'm friendly. And surprisingly, a lot of people like to be videotaped." Taylor shook his head and muttered, "Moonshine."
 

The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia has a few more screenings. Tickets are still available, so see it and join the conversation.
 
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