THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
I have seen many people discuss their favorite film of 2020. A common answer was Nomadland, another festival hit that didn’t get a theatric release in the US until the following year, while also getting streamed on Hulu. Although my answer would be either Tenet or Promising Young Woman, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t check it out. And I couldn’t be anymore glad that I did.
PLOT
Based on the novel by Jessica Bruder, the film takes place in 2011 and follows Fern, who loses her job at the US Gypsum plant shut down. With the recent death of her husband, she decides to travel the country to search for work, while living in a van. She first goes to a desert rendevous in Arizona, hosted by vandweller Bob Wells, where a nomad community is provided support. As the weather gets colder and Fern struggles to find work in the area, she chooses to move forward as a nomad and learn self sufficiency skills along the way. She meets Swankie, who chooses to travel instead of staying in a hospital due to her cancer diagnosis. They part ways after Swankie helped Fern put a new tire in her van. The protagonist would than head to South Dakota, to temporarily work as a camp host in the campground of Badlands National Park. There, she befriends another nomad named Dave, who also worked at the park until falling ill. She visits him after he recovered from an emergency surgery. When both take restaurant jobs at Wall Drug, Dave is visited by his son who shares that he is going to be a grandfather. When sharing this to Fern, she encourages to be with his family and promises to visit. Before leaving, Dave leaves her the address where he would reside. When she cannot afford repairs for her van, she travels by bus to visit her sister in California, who gives her the money she needs. Back on the road, she visits Dave and his son's family. Dave informs her that he intends to stay long term and confesses his feelings for her, hoping for her to stay with him. She turns down the offer and sees the ocean instead after leaving the house. When revisiting the Arizona rendezvous, she pays tribute to Swankie who died from her cancer, with the rest of the nomads. She gets to talk to Bob Wells about her husband. Based on the experience of losing his son, he gives her comfort that death is not the last goodbye as a nomad. Sometime after that, the film ends with Fern revisiting the abandoned town of Empire, Nevada, where she once lived with her husband, before hitting the road again.
THOUGHTS
I heard about this film since early 2020 before it eventually came out, knowing that this one was gonna be special. Getting around to it, it feels good being right. I don't think anyone knew the name of Chloé Zhao when it came to talking about movies, but we do now because that is how good this one is. She was right choice to be in the director's chair because it is she that made this one feel so real. She is sharing that the life of a nomad is not perfect but worth experiencing because as one, you are able to take a step back and appreciate the beautiful world around you. Thanks to Joshua James Richard's cinematography, the world couldn't look anymore so. I have to admit I laughed seeing Fern pass by the theater playing Marvel’s The Avengers. It was funny because of the irony that Zhao would later direct a film from Marvel Studios named The Eternals. Speaking of Fern, The always great Frances McDormand holds it down in her Oscar winning performance as the main character. With this role, she shows her to be someone who is does her best to find joy with nothing left. She's been adventurous since youth and without her husband, it feels hard for her to keep it going. This journey she has is reflecting the universal struggle of finding joy and in her case, she got it back when the story ended. I thought it was a wise move to have actual nomads in this movie to bring much needed sincerity. I love the separate scenes with Swankie and Bob Wells as they share their wisdom to Fern. Because of them, she accepts that losing a loved one or knowing you'll die does not mean you can't be happy. With the words of wisdom and the chance to reminiscence at Empire, I hope she is able to remain happy for the rest of her adventurous life. I also enjoyed the addition of David Strathairn as Dave. He is someone who chose to be a nomad because he felt that he failed in life. When his son found him, he found his second chance. He chose to confess he had a crush on Fern because that was his equivalent of living it to the fullest. Even though he didn't win her heart, I hope he remains to be happy with his second chance. The only thing that bothered me was not explaining why he was sick and what was the surgery for. It was cute seeing Fern visit him at the hospital because it shows that she cares for him as a friend, but I felt like we could've got that message from something other than that. However, I still enjoy the journey that we follow in this film. In conclusion, Nomadland will be looked at as the best of the decade for having such a big heart, earning the Best Picture Oscar. If you are into contemporary westerns, check this one out now.
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
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