Fern quotes from Nomadland (2021)

Fern

We be the bitches of the badlands.

Fern

Bo never knew his parents, and we never had kids. If I didn't stay, if I left, it would be like he never existed. I couldn't pack up and move on. He loved Empire. He loved his work so much. He loved being there. Everybody loved him. So I stayed. Same town, same house. Just like my dad used to say, "What's remembered lives." I maybe spent too much of my life just remembering, Bob.

My mom says that you're homeless, is that true?

Fern

No, I'm not homeless. I'm just house-less. Not the same thing, right?

You know, when you were growing up, you were eccentric to other people. You maybe seemed weird, but it was just because you were braver and more honest than everybody else. And you could see me when I was hiding from everybody. And sometimes you could see me before I saw myself. I needed that in my life. And you are my sister. I would have loved having you around all these years. You left a big hole by leaving.

Fern

That one's on me.

Fern

I've been thinking a lot about my husband, Bo. When it got really bad at the end, they had him in the hospital on morphine drippin'. I was sitting there at night in the hospital. And... I'd wanna put my thumb down on that morphine drip just a little bit longer. So I could let him go. Maybe I should've tried harder. So he could've gone sooner without all that pain.

Swankie

Maybe he wouldn't have wanted that. Maybe he was trying to stay with you as long as he could. I'm sure you took good care of him, Fern.

Fern

I did.

I see that you have this ring. Are you married?

Fern

I am, but my husband died.

And so...

Fern

I'm not gonna take that off.

That ring is a circle and it never ends. And that means that your love never ends. And you may not be able to take it off, if you tried.

Fern

I don't think I can.

Hey, find anything?

Fern

ROCKS!