When I sat down with my husband to watch Nomadland, released last week on Hulu, I expected a bleak portrait of near-homeless Americans disadvantaged by an ever-widening economic disparity. Co-produced by and starring the brilliant Frances McDormand, I was willing to go on the journey, and connect to the pain of a disenfranchised population.
The film is a multi-layered work with plenty to say. Some will see it as a paean to independent spirit, and the primal appeal of the open road to those who refuse to be settled. And while it’s true that economic hardship creates the underlying conditions of struggle, a few intriguing scenes suggest deeper layers.
