''Nomadland'' is a 2020 American
drama film written, produced, edited and directed by
Chloé Zhao
Chloé Zhao, born Zhao Ting (, born 31 March 1982), is a Chinese filmmaker, known primarily for her work on independent films. Zhao's debut feature film, ''Songs My Brothers Taught Me'' (2015), premiered at Sundance Film Festival to critical a ...
. Based on the 2017 nonfiction book ''
Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century'' by
Jessica Bruder
Jessica Bruder is an American journalist who writes about subcultures and teaches narrative writing at Columbia Journalism School.
Early life
Bruder grew up in Montclair, New Jersey. She graduated from Amherst College in 2000 and received a maste ...
, it stars
Frances McDormand as a widow who leaves to travel around the United States in her van as a
nomad.
David Strathairn also stars in a supporting role. A number of real-life nomads appear as fictionalized versions of themselves, including Linda May, Swankie and
Bob Wells.
''Nomadland'' premiered on September 11, 2020, at the
Venice Film Festival, where it won the
Golden Lion
The Golden Lion ( it, Leone d'oro) is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguishe ...
. It also won the
People's Choice Award at the
Toronto International Film Festival. It had a one-week streaming
limited release
__FORCETOC__
Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few theaters across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...
on December 4, 2020, and was distributed by
Searchlight Pictures in selected
IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating.
Graeme F ...
theaters in the United States on January 29, 2021, and
simultaneously
Simultaneity may refer to:
* Relativity of simultaneity, a concept in special relativity.
* Simultaneity (music), more than one complete musical texture occurring at the same time, rather than in succession
* Simultaneity, a concept in Endogene ...
in theaters, and
streaming digitally on
Hulu
Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
, on February 19, 2021. The film was a box office success, grossing $39 million worldwide against its $5 million budget and received widespread critical acclaim for its direction, editing, screenplay and cinematography, as well as the performances of McDormand and Strathairn. It was the third-highest rated film of 2020 on
Metacritic, which found it to be the most frequently ranked by critics and publications as one of the best films of the year.
At the
93rd Academy Awards, it won
Best Picture,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
, and
Best Actress for McDormand, from a total of six nominations. Zhao became the first Asian woman and the second woman ever to win Best Director; McDormand became the first woman and fourth person to win Academy Awards for both acting and producing, and the first person ever to win Academy Awards as producer and performer for the same film. It is also the first Searchlight release to win Best Picture since the studio's ownership under
Walt Disney Studios, following
Disney's acquisition of the
21st Century Fox
Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., doing business as 21st Century Fox (21CF), was an American multinational mass media corporation that was based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was one of the two companies formed on June 28, 2013, f ...
assets. It also won
Best Motion Picture – Drama and
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
at the
78th Golden Globe Awards,
four awards including
Best Film at the
74th British Academy Film Awards, and four awards including
Best Film at the
36th Independent Spirit Awards
The 36th Film Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best independent films and television series of 2020, were presented by Film Independent on April 22, 2021. Though it was initially intended for the ceremony to air on April 24, 2021, it was ...
.
Plot
In 2011, Fern loses her job after the
US Gypsum
USG Corporation, also known as United States Gypsum Corporation, is an American company which manufactures construction materials, most notably drywall and joint compound. The company is the largest distributor of wallboard in the United States ...
plant in
Empire,
Nevada shuts down; she worked there for years along with her husband, who recently died. Fern sells most of her belongings and purchases a van to live in and travel the country searching for work. She takes a seasonal job at an
Amazon fulfillment center
Fulfillment house and fulfillment center (in British English: fulfilment house and fulfilment centre) are modern terms for a packing warehouse. The terms were coined in the middle of the 1990s, and "fulfillment center" is usually used about an i ...
through the winter.
Linda, a friend and co-worker, invites Fern to visit a
desert rendezvous in
Arizona organized by
Bob Wells, which provides a support system and community for fellow nomads. Fern initially declines, but changes her mind as the weather turns cold and she struggles to find work in the area. There, Fern meets fellow nomads and learns basic survival and self-sufficiency skills for the road.
When Fern's van blows a tire, she visits the van of a nearby nomad, Swankie, to ask for a ride into town to buy a spare. Swankie chastises Fern for not being prepared and invites her to learn road survival skills; they become friends. Swankie tells Fern about her cancer diagnosis and shortened life expectancy and her plan to make good memories on the road rather than waste away in a hospital. They eventually part ways.
Fern takes a job as a camp host at the Cedar Pass Campgrounds in
Badlands National Park in
South Dakota. Also working there is Dave, another nomad she met and danced with at the desert community. When he falls ill with
diverticulitis
Diverticulitis, specifically colonic diverticulitis, is a gastrointestinal disease characterized by inflammation of abnormal pouches—diverticula—which can develop in the wall of the large intestine. Symptoms typically include lower abdominal ...
, Fern visits him at the hospital where he has had emergency surgery. They take restaurant jobs at
Wall Drug
Wall Drug Store, often called simply Wall Drug, is a roadside attraction and tourist stop located in the town of Wall, South Dakota, adjacent to Badlands National Park. Wall Drug consists of a collection of cowboy-themed stores, including a drug ...
in South Dakota. One night, Dave's son visits the restaurant looking for him, telling him that his wife is pregnant and asking him to meet his grandchild. He is hesitant, but Fern encourages him to go. Dave suggests that she come with him, but she declines.
Fern takes a new job at a
sugar beet
A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together wi ...
processing plant, but her van breaks down, and she cannot afford the repairs. Unable to borrow money, she visits her sister's family at their home in
California. Fern's sister lends her the money to get the van fixed. She questions why Fern was never around in their lives and why Fern stayed in Empire after her husband died, but she tells Fern she is brave to be so independent. Fern later visits Dave and his son's family, learning that Dave has decided to stay with them long-term. He admits feelings for her and invites her to stay with him permanently in a guest house, but she decides to leave after only a few days, heading to the ocean.
Fern returns to her seasonal Amazon job and later revisits the Arizona rendezvous. There, she learns that Swankie has died, and she and the other nomads pay tribute to her life by tossing stones into the campfire. Fern opens up to Bob about her loving relationship with her late husband, and he shares the story of his son's suicide. Bob espouses the view that goodbyes are not final in the nomad community as its members always promise to see each other again "down the road".
Fern returns to the nearly abandoned town of Empire to dispose of the belongings she has been keeping in a storage unit. She visits the factory and the home she shared with her husband before returning to the road.
Cast
Production
Frances McDormand and
Peter Spears
Peter Spears (born November 29, 1965) is an American actor and filmmaker. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and raised in Overland Park, Kansas. Spears is best known for winning an Oscar for producing ''Nomadland'' at the 93rd Academy Awards ...
optioned the film rights to the book in 2017. After seeing
Chloé Zhao
Chloé Zhao, born Zhao Ting (, born 31 March 1982), is a Chinese filmmaker, known primarily for her work on independent films. Zhao's debut feature film, ''Songs My Brothers Taught Me'' (2015), premiered at Sundance Film Festival to critical a ...
's film ''
The Rider'' at the
2017 Toronto International Film Festival
The 42nd annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from 7 to 17 September 2017. There were fourteen programmes, with the Vanguard and City to City programmes both being retired from previous years, with the total number of films down b ...
, McDormand decided to approach her about the project. She and Spears met with Zhao at the
33rd Independent Spirit Awards
The 33rd Film Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best independent films of 2017, were presented by Film Independent on March 3, 2018. The nominations were announced on November 21, 2017 by actresses Lily Collins and Tessa Thompson. The ceremo ...
in March 2018, and Zhao agreed to write and direct the film.
Filming for ''Nomadland'' took place over four months in fall 2018, with writer-director Zhao splitting time between the set and pre-production for ''
Eternals'' (2021). McDormand, Zhao, and other crew members lived out of vans over the course of production.
David Strathairn, and real-life nomads Linda May, Swankie, and
Bob Wells, also star. Many other real-life nomads appear throughout the film. McDormand, Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, and Zhao produced the film.
Release
Searchlight Pictures acquired the worldwide distribution rights for ''Nomadland'' in February 2019. The film had its world premiere at the
Venice Film Festival on September 11, 2020, and screened at the
Toronto International Film Festival on the same day. At Venice, the film won several awards, including the festival's top honor, the
Golden Lion
The Golden Lion ( it, Leone d'oro) is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguishe ...
. At Toronto, the film won the
People's Choice Award. It is the first film to win the top prize at both Venice and Toronto.
[Jason Gorber]
"TIFF announces award winning films for 2020"
. ''BlogTO'', September 20, 2020.
In association with Searchlight,
Film at Lincoln Center
Film at Lincoln Center, previously known as the Film Society of Lincoln Center until 2019,Aridi, Sara (April 28, 2019).. ''The New York Times''. nytimes.com. Retrieved April 29, 2019. is a film society based in New York City, United States. Fo ...
held exclusive virtual screenings of the film for one week only beginning on December 4, 2020, the film's initial release date before Searchlight delayed it to February 19, 2021, due to concerns of the
COVID-19 pandemic. It was released in
IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating.
Graeme F ...
theaters on January 29, 2021, with a wide theatrical and drive-in release in the United States on February 19, and streaming on
Hulu
Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
the same day. A two-week preview season in certain regions of Australia and New Zealand began on December 26, 2020, before a wider release on March 4, 2021.
Internationally, the film is also available on
Disney+ and
Disney+ Hotstar
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
. The release date on Disney+ was April 9, 2021 in Canada, and April 30, 2021, in most other countries. Although originally scheduled for a limited release in China starting on April 23, 2021, the film has still not been shown in any theaters there.
''Nomadland'' was released on Blu-ray and digital streaming services on April 27, 2021, by
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.
Reception
Box office
''Nomadland'' grossed $3.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $35.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $39.1 million.
[
Although Searchlight did not publicly release ''Nomadlands grosses, it was released in North America the same day as '' The Little Things'', and sources estimated a gross of $170,000 from its two-week IMAX run, then $503,000 from 1,175 theaters in its wide opening weekend on February 19, for a total of $673,000. Social media monitor RelishMix noted online response was "mixed-to-leaning-positive" among audiences.] In its second wide release weekend, it earned an estimated $330,000 from 1,200 theaters, for a four-week running total of $1.1 million.
Critical response
Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports that of critic reviews were positive, with an average rating of . The website's critics consensus reads, "A poetic character study on the forgotten and downtrodden, ''Nomadland'' beautifully captures the restlessness left in the wake of the Great Recession." According to Metacritic, which assigned it a weighted average score of 93 out of 100 based on 53 critics, the film received "universal acclaim".
Writing for '' The Hollywood Reporter'', David Rooney called the film a "powerful character study", and added, "Like Zhao's earlier work, ''Nomadland'' is an unassuming film, its aptly meandering, unhurried non-narrative layering impressions rather than building a story with the standard markers. But the cumulative effect of its many quiet, seemingly inconsequential encounters and moments of solitary contemplation is a unique portrait of outsider existence." Adrian Horton of '' The Guardian'' gave the film a positive review, stating, "''Nomadland'' has garnered industry praise as a likely frontrunner for the best picture Oscar ... The word of mouth is warranted." A.O. Scott
Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic. He has been chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' since 2004, a title he shares with Manohla Dargis.
Early life
Scott was born on July 10, 1966 in ...
of '' The New York Times'' similarly gave a positive review, writing "It's like discovering a new country, one you may want to visit more than once." Eric Kohn of IndieWire gave the film an "A−" and said, "director Chloé Zhao works magic with McDormand's face and the real world around it, delivering a profound rumination on the impulse to leave society in the dust." Some reviewers felt the film idealized financial despair. Critic Tim Brayton called it "108 minutes of poverty tourism", while WBUR's Sean Burns wrote "Zhao has made '' The Grapes of Wrath'' without the wrath".
IndieWire's poll of 231 critics included ''Nomadland'' in its Best Movies of 2020. According to Metacritic, the film was ranked the best of 2020 by critics more often than any other.
Reaction in China
Zhao and the film's success prior to and leading up to the Golden Globes and the Oscars were initially praised on Chinese social media outlets, as well as official state-controlled news media.
After the Golden Globes, Zhao was scrutinized by Chinese netizens
The term netizen is a portmanteau of the English words ''internet'' and ''citizen'', as in a "citizen of the net" or "net citizen". It describes a person actively involved in online communities or the Internet in general. over her remarks in a 2013 interview for '' Filmmaker'' magazine, in which she described China as "a place where there are lies everywhere". In response to the controversy, ''Nomadland'' was pulled from theatrical release by Disney China, and the 93rd Academy Awards were censored by Chinese media outlets along with all mention of Zhao or the film on social media.
Accolades
''Nomadland'' won the Golden Lion
The Golden Lion ( it, Leone d'oro) is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguishe ...
upon premiering at the Venice Film Festival, and also won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. It received four nominations at the 78th Golden Globe Awards, winning Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
; in winning the latter award, Zhao became the second woman and the first East Asian woman to do so. It received five nominations at the 36th Independent Spirit Awards
The 36th Film Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best independent films and television series of 2020, were presented by Film Independent on April 22, 2021. Though it was initially intended for the ceremony to air on April 24, 2021, it was ...
and six nominations at the 26th Critics’ Choice Awards, winning four awards including Best Picture, Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
and Best Adapted Screenplay
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
. At the 27th Screen Actors Guild Awards
The 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, honoring the best achievements in film and television performances for the year 2020, were presented on April 4, 2021 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was broadcast live ...
, McDormand received a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role.
The film won the BAFTA Award for Best Film in 2021. The film received six nominations at the 93rd Academy Awards, winning Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
(with Zhao becoming the second woman and first non-white woman to do so), Best Picture, and Best Actress awards in 2021. Both the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Leade ...
named ''Nomadland'' as one of the top 10 films of 2020.
See also
* Empire, Nevada
Empire is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Washoe County, Nevada, with a population estimated at 65 (2021). Empire mine bought out by investor and reopened on a smaller scale.
It is part of the Reno– Sparks ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Script
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nomadland (film)
2020 drama films
2020s drama road movies
American drama road movies
BAFTA winners (films)
Best Drama Picture Golden Globe winners
Best Film BAFTA Award winners
Best Picture Academy Award winners
Films about homelessness
Films about vans
Films based on non-fiction books
Films directed by Chloé Zhao
Films featuring a Best Actress Academy Award-winning performance
Films scored by Ludovico Einaudi
Films set in the 2010s
Films set in 2011
Films set in 2012
Films set in 2013
Films set in Arizona
Films set in California
Films set in Nebraska
Films set in Nevada
Films set in South Dakota
Films shot in California
Films shot in Nebraska
Films shot in Nevada
Films shot in South Dakota
Films whose director won the Best Directing Academy Award
Films whose director won the Best Director Golden Globe
Golden Lion winners
Independent Spirit Award for Best Film winners
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Film winners
Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award winners
Searchlight Pictures films
IMAX films
Films about grieving
Films about widowhood
Film controversies in China
Film censorship in China
2020s English-language films
2020s American films
2020 independent films