Oscar nominations won’t be announced until March 15 but “Nomadland” is collecting a slew of high-profile accolades in the meantime. After winning major honors from the Boston Society of Film Critics, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, The New York Film Critics Circle, and The Chicago Film Critics Association, Chloé Zhao’s latest has been named 2020’s Best Picture by The National Society of Film Critics (NSFC). Frances McDormand won Best Actress for her leading role in the drama and Zhao Best Director.
Written by Zhao, “Nomadland” is set in the aftermath of the Great Recession and tells the story of Fern (McDormand), a 60-something woman who begins traveling across the American West in her camping van, picking up odd jobs along the way.
Zhao’s other credits include “The Rider” and “Songs My Brothers Taught Me.”
NSFC named “First Cow,” Kelly Reichardt’s drama about friends who start a business in Oregon Territory in the early 19th century, and “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” Eliza Hittman’s coming-of-age story about a teenage girl seeking an abortion, Runners Up for Best Picture. The latter claimed the prize for Best Screenplay.
Comprised of 60 prominent film critics from publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Los Angeles Times, NSFC was founded in 1966. Check out all of NSFC’s winners over at The Hollywood Reporter.
