By John Seager
Despite its title and story, Nomadland is not a film about running from something. It is about finding peace. Its story navigates a winding path for characters who are forging ahead in the American west. This is a story that has been told before, albeit in a less contemporary context.
Starring Frances McDormand as Fern, the movie takes place after an industrial town closes in the aftermath of the Great Recession. With a deceased husband and tumbleweeds in the rearview mirror, Fern takes her van through small towns and takes odd jobs.
It’s a story that has been told hundreds of times on the big and small screen. A loner drifts through North America’s vast western landscape, leaving marks on a community while discovering themselves. Unlike a movie like Shane, McDormand isn’t the tall gunslinger who rides into town while trying to hide a dark past.
Along the way, she interacts with other people who also embrace the nomadic lifestyle and broaden her perspective. Her fellow nomads are often portraying versions of their real-life selves, adding authenticity to the story. It is in their story, rather than a concocted aside with veteran actor David Strathairn, where Nomadland finds its distinction.
These interactions are reminiscent of Philadelphia songwriter Steve Gunn’s song “Vagabond.” One of its characters ties into a recurring theme of Nomadland. Gunn sings,
“His artwork remains unsold
He holds such a heavy load
You know it’s so far gone
He tells me he can hack it
In his old black leather jacket
Keep a hold on to your strangeness
We’re rollin’ home”
The heavy emotional load remains a driving force as they scrape for a buck on a transient journey. Each of the Nomadland characters has a past that is driving them away from society. Whether is a Vietnam veteran with PTSD or a woman with medical conditions, their stories create sympathy and relatability.
The portion of the film with Straithrn, who joins McDormand as an actor portraying a nomad, is where the film loses its more endearing qualities. This is by no means a critique of Straithrn, who is great in the roll, but his storyline provides an excess to the picture that didn’t need to be there. His role in Nomadland distracts from the peak value of the film’s immersive ideal. McDormand on her own would have been a more streamlined story.
With that in mind, Nomadland is doing fine as is. It has been mentioned in several pre-Oscar predictions as a frontrunner for best picture. As the only film to ever win the top award at the Venice and Toronto film festivals, it trends as a critical darling that could get serious consideration for Hollywood’s top honor.
While it lacks the historical power of One Night In Miami and the chemistry of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, it does cast one of the more romantic cinematic ideals to occur since the last Oscar ceremonies. The backdrop of the open highway and abandoning society have an evergreen appeal.
Societal abandonment was also recently explored in Robin Wright’s Land. The film has a similar vagabond appeal, although with a more isolationist character. Both films have a way of showing that this type of independence can be a very dependent trait. Their two characters both have moments where their lonesome nature requires the assistant of others.
Nomadland may be the more Oscarworthy project. There is something missing that is not making it feel like a true Best Picture frontrunner. It is a compelling story worth watching, but it feels like more of a good piece of adventurous filmmaking than the hype which rose in advance of the movie.
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