GRANTS - The movie Nomadland was introduced by Cibola Arts Council volunteer C.L Peterson by sharing the plot and members of the cast. The film is based on the book about a true event that took place in 2011 in Empire, Nevada. The town was owned by US Gypsum, a company that manufactured gypsumbased construction sheetrock. In that year, the company closed its operation in Empire, forcing all the workers to leave their company-owned homes. The workers were given five months to leave, the town became a ghost town, and the zip code was eventually discontinued.
The film stars Frances McDormand as one of Empire’s displaced resident workers, and David Straitharn as a fellow nomad she meets in a camp.
Though the people are called nomads, this reflects their economic lifestyle, not a culture as we are used to seeing the term used. You might call these nomads a sub-culture, as they appear to have chosen this lifestyle, or remain in it by choice. They are not exactly homeless, they live in their vans or mobile homes, nor do they suffer mental illness or drug addiction. They express their preference for open spaces and the freedom to travel when and where they choose to. The nomads have friends they stay in touch with, they help one another, they hold jobs, meet socially, and obey laws.
Frances McDormand, Fern in the movie, has lost her husband and her home in Empire. But she had a couple of opportunities to settle into a normal home and lifestyle, as we would call it. Her sister invited her to stay with her family, and David Straitharn’s character, David, also invited her to stay with his family when he made the choice to live with his son’s family.
At one moment in the film Fern describes herself as “houseless” not “homeless”, making the distinction between her own condition and those who truly have few options in life.
If you enjoy serious, thought-provoking, contemporary drama then you might find Nomadland worthy of your time. A few of the Cibola Arts Council viewers found the movie depressing. A little more than halfway through, when Fern was offered homes with friends it became more relatable and hopeful. The fact that her lifestyle was a choice, not a predicament, also gave the film a lighter ambience.