Page One: “Nomadland” (2020)

Screenplay by Chloé Zhao, based on the book by Jessica Bruder

The movie version of the opening:

You were right. In the movie, a cold open with the storage unit. I do seem to recall the images from the past showed up at some point in the movie. As discussed in a week-long analysis of the script, there were some subtle, but important changes between the script and the final produce on screen, most notably an final image of Vanguard heading off down the highway. In the script, the story ends with Fern opening the back door of the house she used to live in, turn left, then out. Perhaps Zhao was going for a kind of bookend: Start with the storage unit as Fern takes off on her journey. End with Fern continuing the journey.

You may download the script here.

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

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