Home | Message in the Movies

MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

As long as there are movies and books, there will be movies that are based on books. I confess that I am one of those guys who prefers to read the book before watching the movie based on the book.

I wish that I had not read Nomadland by Jessica Bruder for a library reading group about a month ago. I am sure that I would have enjoyed this movie more. Bruder’s book is a work of journalism exploring the many ways mostly older adults adapt to loss of home and livelihood by downsizing and hitting the road as a mobile work force. The people in the book are overworked, underpaid, and exploited. Still, due to personal fortitude and community building, something beautiful often is created in the direst of circumstances. It was a moving, powerful story.

That is not the film version of Nomadland, which I would like to call “OK Boomer: The Movie”. Instead of hard-hitting reporting, Writer-director Chloé Zhao has created a picaresque road trip with the character of Fern (beautifully played by the exceptional actor Frances McDormand) as our traveling companion. Fern is a recent widow who decides to leave her home in Empire, Nevada (which is pretty much a ghost town after all of the gypsum was mined) to travel about in a customized van, working a variety of jobs and making friends along the way. With just a few exceptions, the colorful folks that Fern interacts with are the real people who populate the nonfiction book. It is to McDormand’s credit that she is able to have interesting conversations with so many distinctive voices. The cinematography is stunning, showing us widescreen vistas of open country and the open road, accompanied by a spare and lovely musical score.

Nomadland is such a likeable movie, I can see why it wins people over as fans. However, I was saddened by how this film seemed to pull all of its punches whenever it had a chance to make any kind of commentary for social justice. While the book was upfront about the ways in which Amazon distribution created a “CamperForce” to gather RVs for seasonal work and overworking older adults, the version of Amazon that is shown in the film is a place where people are well paid, work slow, and enjoy good times in the company dining hall. Instead of depicting desperate folks exploited in low-paying temporary employment, we are treated to gatherings of ageing hippies who keep running into one another along the way. The film develops an easy going pace that seems to be designed just to keep Fern moving across America to the West Coast.

Nomadland does not present itself as a documentary and it is not required to be the film version of the book. It is a compassionate and empathetic movie with a big heart. Most viewers should enjoy it.

Speaking for myself, I was hoping to be a bit more troubled by Nomadland. Perhaps you will be. Traveling along this colorful depiction of life on the open road, your mileage may vary.

Halo and Pitchfork Rating:

Three halos: A beautiful and evocative film about part-time workers, community, grief recovery, and aging that refuses to settle for simple answers – or any answers.
One pitchfork: Naked swimming; portable pooping.

Comment:

Do you have comments about this movie or movie review? E-mail your comments. (Your name and UM affiliation must be supplied in order for your comments to be posted.)