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Director: Chloé Zhao  

Lead Cast: Frances McDormand 

Supporting Cast: David Strathairn, Linda May, Bob Wells, Charlene Swankie 

Writer(s): Chloé Zhao 

Producer(s): Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Chloé Zhao 

Genre: Drama, Western, Road Movie 

Language: English 

Date of Release: 2020 

Major Awards Wins/Nominations: 

2021 Academy Awards 

  • Winner, Best Picture (Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Chloé Zhao Producers) 

  • Winner, Best Actress (Francess McDormand, “Fern”) 

  • Winner, Best Director (Chloé Zhao) 

2021 Golden Globe Awards 

  • Winner, Best Motion Picture, Drama 

  • Winner, Best Director – Motion Picture (Chloé Zhao) 

Setting (Place and Time) : Western United States, primarily Arizona, Nevada, and South Dakota; 2011. Read more about the setting here.  

Major Conflict: Fern wrestles with whether or not to let go of her past. 

Rising Action: Fern decides to join a nomad gathering in Arizona which introduces her to Bob Wells, Dave, and Swankie.  

Climax: Returning to the same nomad gathering the following year, Fern comes to the realization with Bob that she has spent far too long dwelling on her memories and grief.  

Falling Action: Fern forfeits her storage unit in Empire and leaves the town behind permanently.  

Foreshadowing 

  • Fern retrieves a box of prized dishes from her storage unit and shows them off to Linda May. This foreshadows a scene later in the story where Dave accidentally breaks the same set of dishes.  

  • Swankie expresses to Fern that she would like people to toss rocks into a fire in her memory once she’s gone, and this is exactly what happens once she passes away later in the film.  

  • The opening shot of Fern’s van driving away from Empire foreshadows the end of the film where she drives down the same road in her van, this time leaving Empire for good. 

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