Frances McDormand hits the road in a van in new trailer for Chloe Zhao-directed drama Nomadland

Frances McDormand is sure feeling the Oscar buzz.

The 63-year-old actress was featured in the highly-anticipated Nomadland trailer released on Monday. 

The film is helmed by Songs My Brothers Taught Me director Chloe Zhao, who is also finishing production on the upcoming Marvel film Eternals; Frances McDormand stars in the picture.

The trailer begins with McDormand’s character Fern waking up early in the morning before driving her van through a number of landscapes; another character refers to her as: ‘one of those lucky people that can travel anywhere.’  

That same character then refers to people similar to McDormand as: ‘nomads.’  

The Fargo actress then speaks to a character and answers a question about her living situation, nothing that, in contrast to being homeless, she is simply, as she describes it, ‘houseless.’

In a voiceover, McDormand can be heard giving some insight into her background as a substitute teacher before she is seen at an employment office, where she is encouraged to take early retirement.

After being seen working in an Amazon fulfillment center, a number of the character’s adventures are seen, including setting up a makeshift spa in the desert and hanging out at a camp with some friends. 

Another character notes that, ‘what the nomads are doing is not that different than what the pioneers did…I think Fern’s part of an American tradition.’ 

A montage of images from McDormand’s travels are then shown, including a shot of her sharing a cigarette at a campfire, burning a cardboard camper van, and waving to a departing traveler.

One of her friends can be heard opining that, ‘One of the things I love most about this life is that there’s no final goodbye…it’s just say I’ll, “I’ll see you down the road.”‘ 

After being seen dancing at a yacht club, walking through a redwood forest, and holding a baby, her friend also states: ‘And I can be certain in my heart…I’ll see you again.’

Nomadland is based off of the 2017 non-fiction book by Jessica Bruder, who wrote the novel based on her experiences with older people who were still dealing with the effects of the 2007-2009 recession.

After McDormand and Zhao met in 2018, they quickly began work on the picture, with filming for the project taking place in the fall of that year.

The movie had its initial premiere in September at the Venice Film Festival, and received much praise for its direction and for McDormand’s performance.

Nomadland’s wide release is set for February 19, 2021.