Based on the 2017 reportage literature by Jessica Browder, “No Place to Rely On,” the film tells the story of a woman named Vern who loses her husband and her job when the gypsum plant in a small town in Nevada closes down in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and the town is empty, so she sells off some of her belongings, buys an RV, and embarks on a wandering life that takes her all over the place, working and wandering at the same time.
Along the way, she meets and gets to know many RV owners, who help each other, share their experiences, and forge friendships.
The film focuses on the lives of marginalized people at the bottom of the American society, especially those who are forced to wander for economic reasons. Although these wanderers have lost their fixed abode, they have found a new way of life and meaning in wandering.
2020 / USA / Drama / Zhao Ting / Frances McDormand David Strayzien
Plot Synopsis:
In the financial crisis of 2008, the gypsum factory, an important economic pillar of the small town of Ontpierre, Nevada, USA, closed down, leaving the town empty and the zip code of the place canceled.
After the death of her husband, Vern (Frances McDormand), who has spent almost her entire life in the small town of Umpire, is unable to support her life on her own.
In an effort to minimize the cost of living, she loads her humble belongings into a converted van and begins a life of working part-time while traveling west on the road.
She worked on an Amazon assembly line, in an amusement park cafe, and as a temp in a national forest.
Along the way, she meets and befriends many of the van hosts, helping each other and forging friendships.
