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frances mcdormand in nomadland

March 2, 2021 by Jeannie Ralston · Personal Development

The Genius of Frances McDormand and Nomadland

The award-winning film Nomadland offers fascinating older female characters, with a lead actress who is as refreshingly authentic as the role she plays.

My favorite scene in Nomadland, which just won the Golden Globe for best picture, is when Frances McDormand as the main character Fern, is floating naked in a beautiful river, with her face tilted in serene ecstasy toward the sky. The camera lingers on her bare body, her patch of pubes and her breasts sliding to their respective sides. It's pure joy to see a body like ours on screen, without apologies or snickers or any hint of sexual voyeurism.

A fascinating older female lead is certainly a rare treat, but Nomadland offers more than that.

That kind of unflinching openness is what I love about the movie in general and Frances McDormand, specifically. The movie shows the world a real woman over 45 who has a complicated history and a strong spine. She isn't fretting about the lines on her face or the man who got away or how the world hasn't been fair to her. Even though she is in a fragile economic position--uh, homeless, some, though not her, would say--she is capable and in the process of figuring out her life, how she wants to live it from here on out. Sound familiar?

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NextTribe is a travel and events company for women 45+. We believe that now—at midlife—is our shaken-Etch-A-Sketch moment, when the slate is once again blank. Today, our conversations question which direction we are headed in and how to get there. How to drink it all in and how to give back. We’d like your voices and humor to be heard, your ideas to be shared, and for you to hear ours. This tribe is one of contemplation, inspiration, wit, and action. Though we may have men in our lives, we believe it’s invigorating to touch base at a time like this with people who have the same sagging parts and swinging moods. Now that we have more time for adventure, more experience for new life paths, more wisdom to connect the dots in our histories, and less care about what people think, we’re sure these coming years can be a glorious stretch. Spiritual and irreverent, creative and courageous, this site, these postings, will serve as our cave drawings and warrior paint. Please join us on our walkabout.