ReelBob: ‘Nomadland’ ★★★★

By Bob Bloom

Writer-director Chloe Zhao is drawn to people who are not so much loners as self-sustainers. They exist on the fringes of society, going through life on their own terms.

In “The Rider,” her injured former rodeo rider, Brady, searches for a new purpose in life, deciding if he should give up the life he loves — and which defines him.

Zhao’s latest movie, “Nomadland,” casts Frances McDormand as Fern who, after losing her job and home during the recession, embarks on an odyssey through the West, living out of her van.

Fern is a widow who dearly misses her husband. She stores mementos of their life together in her van to comfort herself.

Fern is a soft-spoken woman with pride and determination. She refuses help from friends and neighbors, explaining to a friend’s daughter, whom she once tutored, and who is worried about her, “I am houseless, not homeless.”

Fern wants to be self-sufficient, taking temporary jobs at places such as an Amazon distribution center and fast-food restaurants to make ends meet.

Fern is a conflicted soul. She enjoys her solitary life while, at times, feeling lonely. She makes connections, seeing people with similar lifestyles she knows and likes at various trailer parks and campgrounds.

McDormand as Fern, whose face is as weathered as the cold and stark region where we first meet her, is a friendly, helpful and caring person. But she is reserved, not allowing others too far inside.

A harsh winter forces Fern to drive to a nomad community in the Arizona desert, which she embraces, enjoying the people and its communal atmosphere.

“Nomadland” is a physical and emotional journey as Fern ponders her choices. Though always moving forward, she also seems to be looking back at her old home and life.

Others, including her friends Linda and Swankie, attempt to ease her burden by inviting her to join them on their travels. Fern always offers noncommittal responses.

The closest she comes to planting new roots involves a fellow nomad named David (the wonderful David Strathairn), who slowly builds a close friendship with Fern. It’s a relationship based on companionship, not sex.

David, who has returned to his family, invites Fern to join them for Thanksgiving. There, he offers her a new home — a guest house on his son’s property, if she so desires.

Fern contemplates the offer, but her love for the freedom of the road is too strong. First, though, she must purge herself of her old life. She returns home, gives away everything in storage she does not want; then goes through her empty and abandoned tract house and its adjoining property.

Fern returns to the road. She has come to terms with her losses and old life, putting them in the rearview mirror. And, like her fellow nomads, she does not say goodbye, but rather, “I’ll see you down the road.”

“Nomadland” is, like “The Rider,” a sparse film. But Zhao, adapting a book by Jessica Bruder, relies on expressions, glimpses and physical movement rather than dialogue to advance the story.

At the end, you do not fret for Fern. You realize she has the confidence and wherewithal to live the life she wants without compromise or regret.

“Nomadland” is a paean to the independence of modern pioneers. It’s a memorable feature, one of the best of the year, worthy of Academy Award consideration.

The movie opens Friday, Feb. 19, in theaters and also will be available on Hulu.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.

NOMADLAND
4 stars out of 4
(R), full nudity