Tuesday, May 11, 2021

NOMADLAND for the WIN!!!

I was hoping Nomadland would win for Best Picture.  The fact that it was based on a non-fiction title was a nice surprise (yes, another must-read for my collection) and probably accounted for it’s documentary-like feel.  Frances McDormand was wonderful as “Fern.” I’ve been enjoying her on-screen performances since HBO’s “Olive Kitteridge.”  McDormand’s female protagonists typically bring something other than their looks or sex appeal to the story, which is always a plus.


But what I enjoyed most about Nomadland was that it had the audacity to tell a woman’s story without allowing her to be mentally destroyed, physically hurt or killed in the process.  Fern was independent, adventurous, free-spirited and outspoken.  Typically, women like her don’t fare well on the screen.  It’s almost an unspoken or unwritten rule that such a woman will have to be shown having to pay for the crime of operating in the world, like a free woman with agency (you know, like men do most of the time). 


I promise you, I sat through that whole movie waiting for the moment when she’d be made to pay in the form of some sort of assault--whether sexual or physical--for having the gall to be a woman who called the shots in her life without answering to anyone.  At the movie’s end, I was shocked, relieved and to be honest--somewhat overjoyed that she’d survived without being harmed or stripped of her dignity.  I also knew at that moment that a smart, creative and talented woman must have been behind the making of the film.


I’m thrilled for Chole Zhao!  I can’t wait to see her next film and I truly hope she continues to be different and daring in her portrayals of woman.  For me, Nomadland was truly a refreshing and welcome change of pace. 


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