QUARTZSITE, Ariz. 鈥� 鈥淣omadland鈥� was partly filmed in the Western town of Quartzsite and won the Academy Award for Best Picture this year, but it鈥檚 still unclear if that will translate into more tourists.
Regardless, Phil Bates, owner of the Main Trading Post, told the Arizona Republic that he plans to be ready to sell 鈥淣omadland鈥�-related T-shirts and tchotchkes to any of the newly curious who decide to make a pit stop in the small Arizona town near the California border.
鈥淚 saw that it won,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was like, son of a gun, that movie really took off.鈥�
Frances McDormand won the best actress award for her portrayal in 鈥淣omadland鈥� of Fern, a widow who moves from a company town where the company has closed.
She turns her van into her house and begins her nomadic life in Quartzsite.
The filming of the movie in late 2018 did not seem to draw much attention from residents or disrupt daily activities, according to the Republic. The newspaper reported that most of McDormand鈥檚 scenes were filmed where the nomadic
The town proper lies north of the freeway, though two Quartzsite businesses are shown in the film.
In one scene, McDormand dances with co-star David Strathairn inside the Quartzsite Yacht Club, a bar and grill on Main Street that features live music.
But those wanting to visit the Quartzsite Yacht Club have to wait until at least October. The bar closed for the season in February because of staffing issues, according to its Facebook page.
MeMe Selleck, the Yacht Club鈥檚 owner since 2015, said the bar will reopen in October along with what she anticipates will be 鈥淣omadland鈥� merchandise for sale.
She no doubt will sell more memberships to the Quartzsite Yacht Club, each priced at $49.99.
Donald Miller, who sings his 鈥淨uartzsite Vendor Blues鈥� in the film, will be back at the club.
鈥淲ith the movie and the big hype, I鈥檝e been getting a lot of messages,鈥� Selleck told the Republic. 鈥淚 think it will be a positive for everybody in this town.鈥�
In the movie, McDormand also takes in a performance by Paul Winer, who plays a melancholy boogie-woogie piano song in tribute to dead friends.
That piano sits in a small music hall adjoining the Reader鈥檚 Oasis bookstore, also along Main Street.
A location scout for the film heard Winer playing and sent a video to the film鈥檚 director, Chlo茅 Zhao, who decided to include him in the film, said Joanne Winer, Paul鈥檚 wife.
In the scene at the piano, Paul Winer offers a musical toast to, as he sings it, 鈥渢he friends who had to depart. The friends in our heart,鈥� concluding, 鈥淗elp me smile away the tears.鈥�
Paul Winer died in November at 75 after an illness that started to hit him around the time of filming, Joanne Winer said.
Paul Winer didn鈥檛 get to see himself in the movie, but he figured he would make the final cut after he received a check for $1,000, Joanne Winer told the Republic.
She also received an advance royalty check of another $1,000 as Winer鈥檚 song, 鈥淣ext To The Track Blues,鈥� was put on the film鈥檚 soundtrack.
Joanne Winer said she鈥檚 hoping for a 鈥淣omadland鈥� bump in business.
She said that with the pandemic keeping away tourists this winter, particularly Canadians, her business is off 80% compared to last year.
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This story has been updated to correct that McDormand's first name is Frances, not Francis.
The Associated Press
