Scene summaries

The movie Nomadland by Chloé Zhao lacks a conventional structure and is not divided into distinct acts. However, to give you a more clear and detailed summary, we have split the movie into several parts, depending on the stages of the main character’s journey and the locations she spent time in. 

The storage unit

Fern is standing outside a storage unit where she keeps all her belongings. She walks in and goes through her possessions. She chooses some items that she wants to take with her. She loads these into her van, which is parked outside in the snow.

Then Fern continues looking through her old things. She finds a man’s blue coat. She hugs the coat and holds it close, clearly distressed. Then she pays her storage fee to the storage owner. The two hug each other, and the owner urges Fern to be careful.

On the road

A sequence of scenes shows Fern’s life on the road and the difficulties she experiences. She drives through the snow. She urinates at the side of the road while on the lookout for oncoming cars. Another scene shows Fern driving and singing Christmas carols.

Fern drives through northern Nevada until she reaches the Desert Rose RV Park. She checks in with the manager, Patty, and lets her know that she is starting seasonal work at the Amazon Warehouse. Initially, the manager cannot find her reservation. When she finally does, Fern is relieved.

The Amazon warehouse

Fern starts seasonal work at an Amazon warehouse. She works with Linda May, who is an ambassador. Linda is very friendly towards Fern. The other workers are also friendly and they interact with each other during breaks. 

Fern shows Linda her van. She shows how she has equipped it so she can see to all her needs. Linda asks Fern if she has named her van. Fern answers that her van is called Vanguard. Linda says it is a powerful name, and Fern agrees that it is a powerful van.

One evening, Fern runs into an old acquaintance, Brandy, and her two daughters. Fern used to tutor Brandy’s eldest daughter, Mackenzie in English literature. Brandy and Fern talk, and Brandy tells Fern that she can always come live with them if she finds life difficult. Fern politely declines. Mackenzie stays behind after Brandy and her sister walk away and quotes a scene from Macbeth that Fern has taught her. She then mentions that her mother says Fern is homeless. Fern denies this and says that she ...