Cinephile № 869 “Nomadland”

Recommendation: 5/5 SHOWTIME

Plot: “After losing everything in the Great Recession, a woman embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.” -IMDB

Review: Much like Fern (Frances McDormand), I am from one of those towns that are slowly disappearing from the map. As agriculture becomes more industrialized and people leave for a better life in bigger cities, my hometown of Frederick, Oklahoma continues its slow march toward death. Before I know it or fully understand the consequences, my hometown will be gone. Knowing I escaped this collapse in an effort to create a new version of myself, I approached “Nomadland.”

During the Great Recession, Fern’s home in the company town of Empire, Nevada had its heart ripped out with the closing of a mine. Following this catastrophe, Fern loses the love of her life. These seismic events give birth to a nomadic lifestyle of seasonal work throughout the American west. Because of the way in which this film is structured, we are made to feel tremendous pain for the plight of the working poor, living in vans or mobile homes, traveling throughout the country without a community of their own. At times, the loneliness Fern expresses is heartbreakingly sad. This is true until we discover there is more to the story.