Finders Keepers
This was the official website for the 2015 documentary film, Finders Keepers written and directed by Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel.
Content is from the site's archived pages and other sources including Rotten Tomatoes reviews.
A few years back, tabloids across the world were thrilled to report how the mummified leg of amputee John Wood was found in a barbecue grill purchased at an auction by flea marketer Shannon Whisnant. Naturally they were ecstatic to then report how Shannon subsequently sued John in a bizarre custody battle over the leg.
But a few things never made the papers: like how John had been keeping the leg as a painful memorial to his late father – or how Shannon had simply viewed the now-famous leg as a way out of a life of hardship.
Nor did the news mention how the ever-intensifying media frenzy, and an inexplicable chain of events sparked by the leg’s discovery, pushed John past the brink of addiction and very nearly to the grave, before ultimately offering him a second chance at life… and it was never known how the story really ended.
Set in rural North Carolina, Finders Keepers is an oftentimes hilarious, at turns tragic narrative that delves into the very real lives that created - and were forever changed by - the fantastical headlines.
RottenTomatoes
TOMATOMETER CRITCS 98% | AUDIENCE 72%
CRITICS REVIEWS
October 1, 2015
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune Top Critic
Wild, weird battle over mummified leg propels documentary 'Finders Keepers'
If you’re in the mood for a tragicomic documentary, the startlingly original “Finders Keepers” fills the bill. It is a rambling real-life farce dealing with the legal, moral and personal clash of two men in North Carolina.
They enter a long-running dispute over property ownership. One of the men bought a collection of household belongings at a 2007 storage unit auction. The goods included an outdoor grill. When he opened the smoker the new owner discovered that it contained a mummified human leg. The limb’s former owner wanted it returned; after all, he walked on it for four decades. One thing leads to another.
Remember: This is nonfiction.
Directors Clay Tweel and Bryan Carberry have turned an unwarranted battle of wills over personal remains into a report on pigheaded life in America. It may well leave you curled up in the corner sobbing, while howling with laughter. It is a weird tale and they have nailed it.
The main characters are two middle-aged men, each disadvantaged in his own way. Amputee John Wood came from a prosperous family. He lost his left leg in 2004 while flying in their private plane with his father, who lost his life. Painkillers pushed Wood to addiction, which pushed him away from his mother, who cut him out of the family’s fortune. He intended to use his mummified appendage to build a graveyard shrine to his late father. But he didn’t pay the monthly charges at the storage locker, which brought Shannon Whisnant into the story.
Whisnant, a poor junk vendor with ambitions to be an entrepreneur, reality TV star and movie actor, saw owning Wood’s missing part as the key to fame and fortune. Add to that the fact that since childhood he disliked Wood, whom he considered an uppity snob, and Whisnant’s reasons for returning the AWOL piece shrunk further. “If you didn’t have your birthday party at John Wood’s house, then you were nobody,” Whisnant recalls. “I guess I’m a nobody.” Revenge! And his dreams of glory seemed to be coming true as the story of their offbeat battle begins to draw worldwide media attention.
The film is not just incredibly funny, it is unusually poignant, gut-wrenchingly sad and admirably observant of human nature. Whatever preconceptions we have about these indignant misfits at the opening, we view them with clearer eyes as the story progresses. Tweel and Carberry spell out everything with impressive enterprise, gathering up all the threads and building to an ending that is not the chaos you might have feared. Everyone seems to get just what they deserved.
I was pleased, and I think you will be, too. Please see it.
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AUDIENCE REVIEWS
**** Nir E
September30, 2016
An in-depth study of the struggle to find purpose and a severed leg
jasonsellers23 Jason S September 14, 2016
It's so strange you can't help but be swept up in its story.
Allison C July 9, 2016
Hilarious and unique. These regular people make for some of the best story telling you have ever heard.
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**** Raymond B
July 3, 2016
2 stars for a documentary about country folk and mummified lower leg.
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**** Josh A
June 19, 2016
Although some of its entertainment value comes from the bizarre story alone, it succeeds in telling it in an unbiased way, while also humanizing its subjects
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**** ½ Michael D
June 16, 2016
Fascinating documentary of two very unique individuals. Hard to watch the guy who found the leg in the BBQ he comes off looking like a white trash "entrepreneur." Crazy life situation with a want-to-be reality tv star and a drug addict. It was a bit like watching a jerry springer episode mixed with a judge show and sprinkled with a little Oprah.
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***** Peter W
May 19, 2016
Must see if you watch docs
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**** Tim G
May 16, 2016
A 30-second news segment setup on the surface that becomes an interesting and strangely compelling study of two individuals.
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**** seth c
May 8, 2016
Finder's Keepers is surprisingly touching and equal parts fascinating and funny.
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** ½ W. Jonathan
May 7, 2016
More like reality TV than a documentary, this odd "only in america" story is at least honest as it tells a story that doesn't really pace itself well enough to leave you anything but grossed out by the end.
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*** David J
May 7, 2016
"Finders Keepers" is an oddball, backwoods, too-crazy-to-be-untrue documentary about two rednecks who fight for custody over an embalmed amputated human leg, foot attached. What's crazier is how directors Carberry and Tweel find a bigger, deeper story in this... But, I must admit, I only ever found this story amusing on the surface. This documentary is definitely not for everyone, but it's likely to appeal to a niche audience... perhaps one that consists only of Shannon Whisnants.
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**** Lilth A
May 1, 2016
This is a documentary that is fascinating with rich, fascinating subjects, atmosphere, fantastic dialogue. I happened to catch it on Netflix last night after spending a long day at my vape shop here in Oregon. With the change in our marijuana laws, business has been booming. I spent part of the late afternoon looking for a new vapor products wholesaler. They have great prices and all the newest products. So I switched - felt like celebrating and ended up watching "Finders Keepers" while eating takeout sushi. Oh, and the film was poignant, some what gut-wrenchingly sad and even funny. I have to say it did an admirable job of observing human nature with all its warts and flaws.
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**** Matt G
April 30, 2016
Much like the nearly perfect "King of Kong", "Finders Keepers" gives us a good-vs-evil documentary that plays like a fiction narrative, only with some more natural complexities in its people and story. It's a weird, hilarious, ethically interesting and oddly heartbreaking film about flailing manhood and rampant daddy-issues. Morbid yet completely sweet-natured.
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***** Kim M
April 27, 2016
This is a damn near perfect documentary. Funny, tragic, and thoroughly entertaining.
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***** Freeson W
April 19, 2016
It's not the idea, but the execution. While the subject matter is silly and ridiculous, Carberry and Tweel are able to extract and distill such a human story. The dichotomy makes it that much more enjoyable.
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Super Reviewer
**** John B
March 29, 2016
A strange tale about two individuals from the fringes of society who debate ownership over a severed leg. The two are so unbelievable that they just breathe life into one of the strangest documentaries that I have come across.
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From rogerebert.com
Documentary
Rated R for language
82 minutes
| Nick Allen
September 25, 2015 |
“Finders Keepers” is the odyssey of a rogue amputated leg, as found in a grill that was left for months in an abandoned storage locker. After its discovery, two men from Maiden, North Carolina fought for custody of it. John Wood—small, sunny-eyed and low-key—was the biological owner of the leg; it was removed from his body after a plane crash, and months later, after his own ways of trying to preserve it (as a memorial for his father who died in that crash) he ditched the leg in that infamous smoker. However, Shannon Whisnant, towering and with a melodic drawl, was the one who technically bought the grill, and the leg that came with it; he used the public’s curiosity about the event, the grill, and the foot to become a bit of a local celebrity. (In pure poetry, Shannon has a bum left leg, the same side as the amputated limb). The two took their odd but straight-faced quarrel to international media, eventually leaving the foot’s fate up to an appearance on reality TV court show “Judge Mathis.”
Needless to say, this is a story that tells itself. If some documentary filmmakers are like gold miners, scouring to find a phenomenal nonfictional story within heaps and heaps of less-interesting ones, “Finders Keepers” is that piece of gold which directors Bryan Carberry and J. Clay Tweel were lucky to find before anyone else did. This is a story that comes with rich, fascinating subjects, atmosphere, fantastic dialogue, (“He thought he was gonna be, y’know, the next Billy Bob Thornton!”) insatiable costume design, and a bizarre chain of events, all waiting for a documentarian’s vision (as is often the case, fiction film could never do this justice). At one time, this was the type of pursuit that led to Errol Morris’ “Gates of Heaven.” Now, in the spirit of that albeit untouchable film we have “Finders Keepers,” a fantastic story that touches upon all-American notions of celebrity, redemption, family, justice, class, meme culture—all which came together with a kooky news segment.
This Sundance 2015 selection and winner of “Best Comedy” at the 2015 Traverse City Film Festival is a ridiculous story indeed, as John’s mother Peg will state herself, or the grin on his brother-in-law Tom will nudge, as he shares his talking head offerings like he were about to finish telling a joke. But “Finders Keepers” succeeds with a staggering amount of empathy when its narrative focuses on more than a prized foot, and centers on two men experiencing life phenomenons bigger than them. The film invests a lot of time in talking head reflections of John's addictions, and the apex of self-destruction he hit because of the money and attention given to him by the foot fiasco. Meanwhile, Shannon tries to understand his degree of celebrity, boasting big dreams of becoming a beloved, wealthy entertainer through his reality show appearances; a fantastic but crushing moment in the third act shows Shannon experiencing first-hand a reality show audience’s attention span for him as “The Foot Man."
Inserted news reports label these eccentric events as a “freak show” but “Finders Keepers” unquestionably resists a mean spirit. This doc doesn’t get into the type of designation of heroes and villains, as previously chosen previously by one of its producers, Seth Gordon, who broke into filmmaking with 2007’s “King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.” (Although that doc’s nemesis Billy Mitchell does get an “Awesome Thanks” in this film’s closing credits). “Finders Keepers” wisely and warmly treats John and Shannon, both Davids to society as a Goliath, with a caring touch, expressing their very human nature defined by the comedy and tragedy within each. Their story is immensely entertaining, but the lunacy of these events is never out of their own understanding.
Carberry & Tweel are pretty sharp as to how much the story tells itself, and often don’t mess with its natural order. On the other hand, aside from some driving score choices, or some select, pretty shots of B-roll, it’s as if the filmmaking loses personality to the eccentricities of everyone on screen. And in terms of assembly, “Finders Keepers” is a tad messy—we know that reenactments were filmed earlier than the leads’ dominating interviews (per Shannon’s haircut as a time mark), but we aren’t sure where the filming exactly takes place in the overall foot saga, especially as the impressions John and Shannon have on each other seem to change throughout. It’s an unnecessary distraction that overcomplicates a story that proves to have a beautiful, simple grace.
In a very rare reflex even for the movies I already treasure, I was moved to watch "Finders Keepers" again immediately after the first viewing. This documentary is just so welcoming—and for events that defy believability—that I wanted more time in its atmosphere (the 83-minute running time is still just right). Sometimes you just find something that grabs ahold of you.
In one of "Finders Keepers'" greatest gifts, it is inspiring how clear and clean the filmmaker's intentions are, especially against public opinion's regular impulse to quantify unusual headline subjects as memes from a 15-minute circus (the film wonderfully continues the ideas from the end of "Amy," which is also one of the best documentaries of the year). "Finders Keepers" is able to pack in all of this bizarre tale's inherently kooky colors—and have a great deal of fun with them—but its heart is always in the right place.
More Background On FindersKeepers-Movie.com
FindersKeepers-Movie.com was the official website for the acclaimed 2015 documentary Finders Keepers, a film that turned one of the strangest true stories in modern American history into a profoundly human tale. Written and directed by Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel, the film chronicles the bizarre real-life feud between two men in Maiden, North Carolina—a wealthy amputee named John Wood and a flea-market entrepreneur named Shannon Whisnant—who became entangled in a surreal custody battle over a mummified human leg.
While tabloid headlines reduced the event to a freakish curiosity, the documentary—and its companion website—brought depth, empathy, and unexpected humor to a story that touched on grief, addiction, fame, and the pursuit of identity in small-town America.
The Real-Life Story That Inspired the Film
In 2004, John Wood survived a plane crash that killed his father but cost him his left leg. Traumatized and overwhelmed by grief, Wood decided to preserve the amputated limb as a memorial to his father. He had it professionally mummified and stored it in a barbecue smoker, intending to one day use it in a personal shrine.
Years later, struggling with addiction and estranged from his family, Wood stopped paying rent on his storage locker. Its contents—including the smoker—were sold at auction. The buyer, Shannon Whisnant, was a local junk dealer with big dreams and a flair for self-promotion. When he opened the grill, he made a horrifying discovery: the preserved leg of another man.
What might have been an awkward misunderstanding spiraled into an astonishing public feud. Wood demanded his leg back, calling it a sacred memorial. Whisnant refused, arguing that “finders keepers” applied, since he had purchased the grill legally. Before long, the argument made national and international headlines, and both men found themselves swept into a media circus that neither could fully control.
The Custody Battle and Media Frenzy
As journalists, talk-show hosts, and reality-TV producers caught wind of the story, Whisnant and Wood became reluctant celebrities. Whisnant—charismatic, ambitious, and convinced the leg could make him famous—began calling himself “The Foot Man.” He tried to turn the strange find into a brand, appearing on local news segments and pursuing television opportunities.
Wood, by contrast, wanted nothing more than privacy. He saw the attention as humiliating and the loss of the leg as a spiritual wound. Yet the media’s fascination with the “leg battle” forced him to engage, culminating in a televised showdown on Judge Mathis, where the dispute was presented as a legal case.
The absurdity of two men fighting over a severed limb was irresistible to the public. But beneath the surface, the story revealed deeper truths about human pain and the American obsession with fame.
The Film’s Approach and Tone
In the hands of directors Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel, Finders Keepers became far more than a quirky headline brought to life. The film combines absurd comedy with heartfelt tragedy, drawing viewers into the lives of two men whose fates were intertwined by chance.
The documentary refuses to ridicule its subjects. Instead, it portrays them as complex individuals shaped by hardship and longing. John Wood’s journey toward sobriety and reconciliation with his family stands in contrast to Shannon Whisnant’s increasingly desperate pursuit of notoriety.
Critics praised the film’s ability to find humor in heartbreak without cruelty. Its editing, pacing, and interviews evoke both the surreal nature of small-town life and the universal human struggle to be seen, understood, and valued.
Production and Filmmakers
Finders Keepers was produced by Seth Gordon, who previously made the hit documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. Like that film, this one explores the collision of ego, identity, and public spectacle—but in an even stranger context.
Carberry and Tweel began working on the project after reading early news reports about the custody battle. Intrigued by its mix of dark humor and human drama, they spent years in North Carolina interviewing family members, neighbors, and the two men themselves. The filmmakers’ patient approach allowed them to document real emotional growth—particularly Wood’s recovery from addiction and his effort to reclaim dignity after years of self-destruction.
Cinematically, the film balances talking-head interviews with stylized reenactments and local footage. The result is a portrait of America’s cultural contradictions: faith and fame, tragedy and spectacle, poverty and privilege.
Reception and Critical Acclaim
When Finders Keepers premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2015, it quickly became one of the most talked-about documentaries of the year. It went on to win Best Comedy at the Traverse City Film Festival and received nominations from numerous critics’ associations.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film boasts a 98% critic rating and a 72% audience score—a rare combination that highlights its ability to charm both critics and casual viewers. Reviewers described it as “tragicomic,” “astonishingly original,” and “a documentary that could only happen in America.”
RogerEbert.com’s Nick Allen called it “a fantastic story that touches upon all-American notions of celebrity, redemption, family, and justice.” He praised its empathy, writing that the filmmakers “resist a mean spirit” and instead capture the deep humanity behind the absurdity.
Other critics echoed similar sentiments. The Minneapolis Star Tribune called it “a weird tale nailed perfectly,” while Variety lauded its “staggering empathy and narrative precision.” The consensus was clear: Finders Keepers transformed an outrageous incident into something oddly uplifting and universally relatable.
Audience Reactions
Audience reviews reflect the same blend of fascination and emotional connection. Many viewers expected a one-note comedy about rural eccentricity but discovered a story of resilience, pain, and redemption.
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“An in-depth study of the struggle to find purpose—and a severed leg.”
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“Hilarious and unique. These regular people make for some of the best storytelling you’ve ever heard.”
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“It’s like watching Jerry Springer collide with Oprah—sad, funny, and strangely uplifting.”
Others compared it to King of Kong and Tiger King for its combination of humor, pathos, and moral ambiguity. Viewers were drawn to the strange sincerity of both men: Wood’s quiet introspection and Whisnant’s flamboyant desperation.
Themes and Deeper Meaning
Beneath its tabloid-ready premise, Finders Keepers explores enduring human themes:
Grief and Redemption
John Wood’s decision to preserve his leg was rooted in loss. The limb became a physical reminder of his father’s death and his own survival. The struggle to reclaim it mirrored his journey toward emotional healing.
Class and Ambition
The film juxtaposes Wood’s privileged upbringing with Whisnant’s working-class background. Their conflict becomes a microcosm of American class tension—how entitlement, resentment, and the dream of upward mobility collide in unpredictable ways.
Fame and Exploitation
Whisnant’s obsession with fame captures the darker side of modern celebrity culture. His belief that the leg could make him rich and loved illustrates how ordinary people are often seduced and consumed by the media’s appetite for spectacle.
Forgiveness and Self-Awareness
By the film’s conclusion, both men confront uncomfortable truths about themselves. Wood emerges sober and reconciled with his family. Whisnant’s dreams of stardom fade, leaving behind a poignant sense of lost opportunity.
In the end, Finders Keepers is less about a leg and more about two men trying to make peace with who they are.
Press Coverage and Cultural Impact
The story attracted significant media coverage even before the documentary was made. It appeared in major outlets including The Associated Press, The Charlotte Observer, and television segments across the U.S. and abroad.
After the film’s release, it became a favorite topic of podcasts, film festivals, and late-night talk shows. Many critics cited it as an example of how documentary filmmaking had evolved beyond traditional journalism into an art form capable of balancing irony and empathy.
The film also inspired essays about the ethics of storytelling—how filmmakers, journalists, and audiences can consume real people’s pain as entertainment, yet still find redemption through understanding.
The Website’s Role
The official website, FindersKeepers-Movie.com, served as a central hub for the film’s promotion. It featured:
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A detailed synopsis of the film and its characters.
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Press excerpts highlighting critical acclaim.
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Festival screening dates and award listings.
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A gallery of stills and behind-the-scenes photos.
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Biographical notes about the filmmakers and producers.
The tone of the site mirrored the film’s quirky charm—visually simple, rustic, and authentic, evoking small-town Americana while presenting the story with wit and respect.
After the film completed its theatrical and streaming run, the website became an archival space, preserving reviews and summaries that continue to attract interest from documentary enthusiasts.
Legacy and Lasting Relevance
Even years after its release, Finders Keepers remains a cult favorite among documentary lovers. Its mix of absurd comedy and emotional honesty has earned it comparisons to Grey Gardens and American Movie, two other classics about eccentric Americans whose lives reflect universal struggles.
The story of John Wood and Shannon Whisnant also serves as a time capsule of early 21st-century media culture—an era when viral stories and reality TV could transform ordinary people into fleeting celebrities.
In academic circles, the film has been discussed in courses on media ethics, documentary filmmaking, and sociology for its nuanced portrayal of class, trauma, and fame.
Perhaps most importantly, Finders Keepers endures because it tells a deeply human story about redemption through absurdity. Its humor doesn’t diminish its heart; instead, it makes its lessons more accessible.
What began as a morbid headline about a man’s lost leg became, through Finders Keepers and its official website, a touching exploration of humanity’s contradictions. Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel’s documentary proves that truth really can be stranger—and more meaningful—than fiction.
At its core, Finders Keepers is about two men searching for significance in a world eager to laugh at them. One finds it through healing and self-acceptance; the other through the fleeting taste of fame. Together, they remind us that even the most outlandish stories can reveal profound truths about resilience, compassion, and the complicated beauty of being human.