Nomadland

For the nonfiction book, see Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century.

Nomadland
Theatrical release poster
Directed byChloé Zhao
Screenplay byChloé Zhao
Based onNomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century
by Jessica Bruder
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJoshua James Richards
Edited byChloé Zhao
Music byLudovico Einaudi
Production
companies
  • Highwayman
  • Hear/Say Productions
  • Cor Cordium Productions
Distributed bySearchlight Pictures[1]
Release dates
  • September 11, 2020 (2020-09-11) (Venice)
  • February 19, 2021 (2021-02-19) (United States)
Running time
108 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5 million[3][4]
Box office$39.5 million[5][6]

Nomadland is a 2020 American drama film written, produced, edited and directed by Chloé Zhao. Based on the 2017 nonfiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder, it stars Frances McDormand as a widow who leaves her life in Nevada to travel around the United States in her van as a nomad. A number of real-life nomads appear as fictionalized versions of themselves, including Linda May, Swankie, and Bob Wells. David Strathairn also stars in a supporting role.

Nomadland premiered on September 11, 2020, at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion. It also won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. It had a one-week streaming limited release on December 4, 2020, and was distributed by Searchlight Pictures in selected IMAX theaters in the United States on January 29, 2021, and simultaneously in theaters, and streaming digitally on Hulu, on February 19, 2021. The film received widespread critical acclaim and was a box office success, grossing $39 million worldwide against its $5 million budget.

At the 93rd Academy Awards, the film won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for McDormand, from a total of six nominations.[7] Zhao became the first Asian woman and the second woman ever to win Best Director; McDormand became the first woman and fourth person to win Academy Awards for both acting and producing, and the first person to win Academy Awards as producer and performer for the same film.[8] It is also the first Searchlight release to win Best Picture since the studio's ownership under Walt Disney Studios, following Disney's acquisition of the 21st Century Fox assets. It also won Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director at the 78th Golden Globe Awards,[9] four awards including Best Film at the 74th British Academy Film Awards,[10] and four awards including Best Film at the 36th Independent Spirit Awards.[11] It has since been cited as one of the best films of the 2020s and the 21st century.[12][13][14][15]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference THRreview was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Nomadland". Venice Film Festival. July 17, 2020. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  3. ^ Keegan, Rebecca (September 2, 2020). "Director Chloe Zhao Arrives With Early Oscar Contender 'Nomadland' and Next Year's 'Eternals': "It's a Bit Surreal"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  4. ^ Buchanan, Kyle (February 10, 2021). "It Could Be the Most Diverse Oscars Ever, but the Problem Isn't Solved". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  5. ^ "Nomadland (2021)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  6. ^ "Nomadland (2021) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on July 20, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  7. ^ CNN Staff (April 25, 2021). "See all the Oscar winners". CNN. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  8. ^ "2021". Oscars.org. Archived from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  9. ^ "Golden Globes: 'Tears' as Chloe Zhao becomes first Asian woman to win best director". BBC News. March 1, 2021. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  10. ^ "Bafta Film Awards 2021: The winners and nominees in full". BBC News. April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  11. ^ Zemler, Emily (April 23, 2021). "'Nomadland,' Riz Ahmed Win at Independent Spirit Awards". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  12. ^ "The 100 best films of the 21st century (so far)". Time Out Worldwide. February 6, 2022.
  13. ^ Hughes, Mark. "The Top 150 Greatest Films Of The 21st Century". Forbes.
  14. ^ "The 10 Best Drama Movies of the 2020s So Far, Ranked". Collider. August 24, 2023.
  15. ^ "Best Movies for 2020". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2021.