Nomadland

Nomadland is the reason I got Hulu. The highly anticipated film went there as its streaming venue. It's sure to appeal the most to much older folks. But there's some stuff I found intriguing.

Chloe Zhao (The Rider, and eventually, Eternals) directed, wrote and edited this adaptation of Jessica Bruder's nonfiction book. Her story revolves around the fictional Fern (Frances McDormand), a "houseless" woman in 2011. Her city of Empire, Nevada went away along with her husband and the Gypsum plant where she worked. So Fern packs up everything into her van, "Vanguard," and hits the road as a nomad.

She finds work and fellow nomad Linda May (as herself) at Amazon. Linda May gets Fern connected to Bob Wells' (as himself) nomad community. Wells essentially wrote the book on vandwelling. He and the other nomads help her get used to life on the road. Fern's travels help her deal with her life. 

We follow Fern on her travels across the country. After Amazon, she gets work at the Badlands camp ground and as a frycook at Wall Drug. She also meets people in outdoor sales. Her relationship with another nomad, Dave (David Strathairn, not as himself), helps thread the plot. It's also connected by Joshua James Richards' impressive cinematography of rural America and Ludovico Einaudi's mellow score. 

Let's not forget the star. McDormand is eerily believable as the nomadic Fern. We see her pack up her Vanguard in her first scene. Her world-weary appearance says all why she'd go nomad instead of planting roots elsewhere, as she nearly does with Dave and his son. Her time on the road isn't easy especially when she suffers van trouble. But she finds ways to overcome it. It's pleasing to see her finally find peace and fulfillment on the open road.

The other nomads essentially play themselves. We, and Fern, get to hear why they took to the road. We get to see how they prepare for the road, too. The real life nomads are a likable bunch of people. Another featured nomad, Charlene Swankie, has a memorable scene with Fern as she helps her fix a flat. Overall, the nomads are the film's most captivating part.

Nomadland intrigued me enough to want to read the book. Fern is fictional but her times are not. What else was kept from page to screen? There's plenty to see in this cinematic road trip. It moves along strongly at 108 minutes. It's ready for a Hulu home matinee anytime. It's worth the price.