Has there ever been a film that I liked better than the book? I can’t think of one, and the film Nomadland didn’t change my mind. As friends remind me, books and films shouldn’t really be compared since they are different media. In this particular case, the two also present different stories. The book is a documentary focusing loosely around Linda May, who dreams of building a sustainable house in the Arizona desert. The film introduces a fictional character, Fern (played by the marvelous Frances McDormond), who embraces the nomad lifestyle and rejects two offers to put down roots. As she says in the film, she is houseless, not homeless.
The words matter a lot. Nomadland the film is stunningly beautiful, showing the gorgeous open spaces of the American West. Many of the characters pursue the nomad life in search of that beauty, making this a kind of geezer road trip film. The brief moments of hard work are shown as a small price to pay for the liberating moments in the midst of stunning landscapes.
The book is considerably less romantic. Most of the nomads are on the road because they have to be, not because they want to free themselves from the rat race of late industrial capitalism. The work they do is hard, demeaning, and sometimes outright dangerous. To my eyes, none of that was conveyed by Fern’s work experience in the film.
That’s not to say that Fern’s life is rosy. Her van is cramped and prone to breakdowns. She has to struggle to keep herself and her clothes clean. She needs temporary loans from a generous sister to stay on the road. And yet the films proposes that the beauty and comradery of a nomad life more than compensates for these inconveniences. It wouldn’t work for me. And is this really a solution to the high cost of aging in America?
The book was so incredibly depressing. I see the point of living in a van over giving up, and certainly i would choose to do so before living on the street. (Which, as a throwaway teenager, i have done.)
What depressed me was the state of America. This is the best we can offer. Campsites in California are $45 or more and are booked up a year in advance- im an advid camper. In fact, im building out a van so that i dont have to keep my little RV in a storage lot. A van i can park in front of my house, or in my driveway. And, in the back of my mind, lurks the thought…what if something happens? At least i will have somewhere safe to sleep.
None of these thoughts diminish the pluck, the grit, or the bravery of the Nomads. But they are only inspiring because they have to be. Theres something really wrong with how this country works that these folks are the lucky ones.
I’ve been putting off watching the film. Haven’t read the book. There are times when everything online bores me. I have no idea why I threw away more than four hours on Justice League, as I’m hardly the target audience. I get dozing off.
I KEPT dozing off.
Thanks for this concise but multi-faceted thought-provoking review. I haven’t read the book or seen the film. Now I want to do both so I can think comparatively & critically about these chronicles (plus see Frances D). And one reply has me thinking I should consider equipping a van for safekeeping or a safety valve. Except as I age I find even driving 2 hours leaves me tired. Reality & even more as we age. Thanks.