There is a difference, I have learned, between being homeless and houseless; both situations are frightening. But does one offer freedom?
Nomadland
Nomadland was a film that I accidentally came across one night during a thunderstorm. Written, produced, and directed by Chloe Zhao, Nomadland is based on the nonfiction book by Jessica Bruder called Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century. Chloe Zhao won an Academy Award for best director, and honestly…she should have received three. This is how engrossing the film is, starring one of my favourite actresses, Frances McDormand, who won an Academy Award for her performance in Nomadland.
The plot, which is simple, follows Fern (Frances McDormand), who not only lost her job after the closure of the US Gypsum plant in Empire, Nevada, but her husband also dies, and the town of Empire goes belly up. Fern does the only thing she can to survive on her own: sell her belongings, fix her van to double as a microscopic RV, and travel across the country looking for work. She has a sister, but Fern has gotten so used to living on the road that she finds it almost unbearable to stay in a house.
As I watched the film, I realized that Fern was living the life of a hobo. Back in the 50s and 60s, we kids knew where the travelling group of men would normally hang out while they waited for the next Merchant ship to show up at the docks or a train to head south to warmer weather and field work. The hobos kept to themselves and never bothered people. They had their own social group, which sometimes gathered under sections of the Ben Franklyn Bridge, and later, the Walt Whitman Bridge. Some travelled in decorated Volkswagen Vans. They weren’t homeless. Some stayed in boarding houses or campers, and they all worked for their money. I am pretty sure that the neighbour who owned the house next to my family’s grocery store often rented rooms to travelling nomads. Most of those men only stayed a few weeks. Back then, we didn’t see women like Fern, but times have changed, and not for the better.
Fern joins a group of fellow travellers in Arizona organized by Bob Wells, an American YouTuber and author who advocates nomadic van dwelling. The film features several real-life nomads, including Linda May as Linda and Charlene Swankie as Swankie. Fern becomes close to one particular nomad, Dave (David Strathairn), who invites her to go back to his son’s house to live.
Conclusion
Fern is dealing with grief and solitude, but as I watched the film, I realized that Fern, Bob Wells, and Swankie are on an expedition of a lifetime and that they are truly free spirits. They’re not only enjoying their freedom but also the desert beauty and vast seaside scenery.
Watching Nomadland got me thinking about healing and freedom, and if I didn’t have such a bad sense of direction (honestly… I am surprised that I found my way out of the womb), I might be tempted to buy a camper or an RV and live off the grid. The film is on Netflix. Watch it!
