Produced by Johnny Knoxville and Jeff Tremaine for MTV and Dickhouse Productions, The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia is a documentary about the renowned West Virginia outlaw Jesco White and his eccentric backwoods family. In addition to getting in trouble with the law, the Whites, who live deep within Appalachia, uphold a time-honored dancing style, even as they contend with poverty, drugs and other issues. Alternately humorous and sad, the movie is an unflinching look at life on the criminal margins of rural mountain culture.
Direction
Nitzberg walks the razor's edge between exploitation and empathy
Sound
Jesco's tap dancing on plywood is the rawest soundtrack you'll hear
Production
Knoxville's Dickhouse imprint brings Jackass energy to actual tragedy
Director
Julien Nitzberg
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jesco White appeared in Hank Williams III's music video for 'Redneck Rave' and became a minor cult celebrity in Japan.
The film sparked debates about 'poverty porn' in documentary filmmaking—Appalachian scholars criticized it for reinforcing harmful stereotypes while defenders noted the White family's enthusiastic participation.
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