Nomadland (film)

[JohnnyM]

Hey Fitter,

Thanks for that interview with Frances McDormand. I would never have caught it, not being a regular Vogue reader. I'm a huge Frances McDormand fan and I loved that piece.

Johnny

 

[Uncle Todo]

Aside from Burn After Reading I've never seen Francis.

 

[abnorm]

^She's Frances..................You've never seen FARGO.....Wonder Boys.....Almost Famous ""Don't do Drugs !""

 

[Uncle Todo]

Sorry, must have been busy twisting one up...
Not that I recall really, I have seen a few of the movies she's in but can't place her.

 

[maki2]

^She's Frances..................You've never seen FARGO.....Wonder Boys.....Almost Famous ""Don't do Drugs !""

Not everyone regularly goes to the movie theaters or rents a lot of movies. I saw Fargo because a friend rented it. Having only seen it once I do not remember who played what role or exactly what they look like.

I have not seen the other three movies and quite possiblly never will. Most especially so as it takes too much data to watch movies online.

 

[Uncle Todo]

it takes too much data to watch movies online.

Exactly! Actually one of the things I'm looking forward to in going off in my van, bye bye Fios!
I have seen, and actually for a while now, in the Prime Video and Netflix apps you can download for offline watching, this may be true of others as well.

 

[MrNoodly]

Here's a link to the trailer:

 

[desert_sailing]

just finished watching this.

I am glad it was free 
The movie feels contrived and very unnatural. I felt like I was watching  a C students final project in cinematography 101 class.
A serious debbie downer.. and I felt the movie had more to do with a person suffering from mental disease and a longing for "normalcy" and a return to her stix and brix married life.
Outside of the comraderie  around a campfire there is no bright future to nomadic life in this depiction.
I was glad to see the "real" nomads have combs and don't wear hospital gowns as the main character tries to portray the most miserable persona possible .despite the terrible acting.

Was telling a good friend the best thing about the movie was the $75k donation to HOWA.  and the honery lady who yelled at Fern. ( my favorite part).

I understand everyone is out there living a different story.. and some do suffer from mental disease and a loss of hope and THAT is trsgic.I just can't imagine this lifestyle is as bleak as this movie  makes it seem.

The only other nomad life movie I've seen was Without Bound.. a masterpiece compared to this.

just my simple unpopular opinion...

ps... use of constant blue filter isn't art... its cliche

 

[crofter]

I agree that the movie did not show enough of the freedom and joy of that first hitting the road time. I surely felt it, didn't we all? Sure I did drop an fbomb or two during that first week, before I started appreciating camping in the rain.

I thought this movie spent too much film on letting go of possessions, and not enough on healing experience of nature, and the kind of resilience most of us have.

 On the positive, it did show 4 jobs that dwellers are especially valued for, but left out remote working online that has become so prevalent.
-crofter

 

[cyndi]

just finished watching this.

I am glad it was free 

Where did you watch it for free? Or anywhere? As far as I can tell it's not available to watch anywhere. Link, please! TIA!!!

 

[Sofisintown]

Where did you watch it for free? Or anywhere? As far as I can tell it's not available to watch anywhere. Link, please! TIA!!!

I watched it too for free.
It was a sad and dreary story. I am sure that nomads go where there is sunshine and warm weather and fun times to be had, a lot more often in their wanderings. It centers on the people who live in vehicles compelled by need and it's a story of sadness, departure, and a general feeling of desolation, with bits of undefined hope.
I'll say too, that most of the nomads I see in Bob's videos at RTRs and interviews, present a much more 'groomed' appearance and they don't run around disheveled just to induce feelings of doom and pity.

The link is gone. The real deal is more like the "Without Bounds" Youtube video, where Bob participates too, and gives all the different aspects of the lifestyle.

 

[crofter]

The Vogue interview was interesting, but they got the garb wrong except for the hoodie part. In the van I wear leggings, boots, and tunic length hoodie, with sunglasses and a hat. Shows off my legs while staying warm and protecting my feet, skin, and eyes.

I do not find dresses to be practical clothing in the van. My dresses are more shapely and are all stashed at the S&B. So I think having the Fern character wearing the shapeless dresses in the film was inaccurate portrayal of a typical female dweller.
-crofter

 

[desert_sailing]

In the van I wear leggings, boots, and tunic length hoodie, with sunglasses and a hat. Shows off my legs while staying warm and protecting my feet, skin, and eyes.

When i read your standard attire... LOL .. 
I always thought of leggings as those leg warmer things from the 80s.... the meaning has changed since then... 

talk about showing your legs off..
you brought up the movie showing a few gigs that are available to nomads. I was glad to see a bit of that... 
I at this time have no guaranteed income.. i do have a job that is home based..but who knows how long.. 
I can't envision myself doing any of those shown... I'd much rather catch brown trout bounties for 25 bux per in AZ. If only catching one trout an hour that's still far more than any of the jobs depicted.

anyone else think it was ridiculous that in the beginning it shows Fern going potty 50yards from her van next to a barbed wire fence along the highway...lol... as if that provided more privacy than near her van... that isn't even instinctually correct... if i were a lady.. i would be using a bucket in the rig long before traipsing into a field hoping wire obscures me... fern lucky someone didn't drive by and steal her rig while she had her pants down..

 

[Cammalu]

I thought the acting was really good especially as most weren’t pros.

But I did find it rather melancholy. There was no sunshine at all even in Quartzsite! Sad movie

 

[arturob]

Very disappointed in this film. I do think McDormand was great as Fern, but the movie failed to really get into the mindset of the nomads I've met in 6+ years on the road. There is a freedom and joy that comes with owning only what you need. There is a welcoming family of nomads full of the most amazing people. There is a spiritual charge that comes from living in intimate contact with nature. none of these things were to be found in Nomadland. Instead the focus was on loss. The loss of meanngful work, of family, of friendship and ultimately of purpose.

 

[desert_sailing]

From what I understand some forum members  were in the movie...??

Would love to know in which roles .
Does anyone know the ratio of actors to genuine nomads in this movie?
I am/ was confused as to how much was "real" vs the "fiction"
Was the story about the lady who chose not to blow herself up real or fiction... is that an actor playing a role?
I was/am confused..lol... was this the nomadic version of Blair witch?....

Does the Jolly Roger mean do not disturb?

 

[Firebuild]

I do not find dresses to be practical clothing in the van. My dresses are more shapely and are all stashed at the S&B. So I think having the Fern character wearing the shapeless dresses in the film was inaccurate portrayal of a typical female dweller.
-crofter

I wear dresses almost exclusively. I don't own any actual pants, though I do have 4 pairs of leggings (to go with dresses). I've been wearing dresses since I was a kid climbing trees, why stop now? Then again I'm in a bus so that's not a van so maybe it doesn't count.

 

[Uncle Todo]

Regardless, we all wear dresses, I dress myself everyday...

I'm curious to check out the movie just for the nomad sake, but definitely sounds like it touches on the darker side vs fadventurous aspect.
Who knows, maybe it'll deter some from jumping on the nomad fad.
But maybe it'll promote further looking down on/feeling sorry for nomads & van dwellers?
Once things are dramatized & popularized it takes some of the fun out of it.

 

[Gypsyjoe#1]

Who knows, maybe it'll deter some from jumping on the nomad fad.

I sure hope being a nomad isn't a fad as I have never been one to go for fads, I'm serious about being a gypsy at heart.
As to the movie it didn't show as much of the upside as it could have, but Fern had opportunities to get out of the van life and she chose it over a sticks and bricks!!!!

 

[LERCA]

I read the book three times I loved it that much. I suggest everyone read the book. It will answer your questions. ;-)
I can’t figure out how to watch the movie it seems it won’t be available till February now?
The author fell in love with the nomadic life and even bought an old RV. She was very sympathetic. Hollywood is simplistic. They pick an angle and go with it. They only get an hour and a half to tell a story no time for nuance.

I know it’s a fad (where I live the streets are becoming clogged with vans and RVs, the old ones and the new crazy expensive ones) and the sooner it’s over the better.

The crowds are going to cause even more closures of parks and camping spots. Then it can go back to those who love and respect nature and those who love the open road.