"Nowhere' heads straight to Wal-Mart"
The Grand Rapids Press, Oct 18, 2002
by John Douglas

It seems as if there is no end to subcultures that exist in the United States. Sometimes, I am flabbergasted by the nature of some of these groups, and This Is Nowhere presents yet another bizarre subculture that left me with my jaw hanging.

Did you know there are people in this country who live entirely in their motor homes? This probably doesn't surprise anyone, but what if I told you there are people who live in motor homes and just travel from Wal-Mart to Wal-Mart?

That's right.

These people have special maps that show where all the Wal-Mart stores are located in America, and they set their itinerary based on the location of these stores. These folks use the Wal-Mart parking lots as a free place to stay overnight in their motor homes.

This Is Nowhere is a fun documentary, originally made for Montana Public Television, about people whose lives have been Wal- Martized. They are interviewed about their philosophy of life, and sometimes it is amazing. A good day for these folks is when they end up at a Wal-Mart super store because they can shop for food along with other needed items to make their lives complete.

The most telling element of this video is not the spoken word but the visuals of these people sitting in their lawn chairs in the Wal-Mart parking lot as they watch the sun set over their favorite store.

It's very strange and filmmaker Doug Hawes-Davis has done a good job presenting the material. Since I've seen this documentary, I have noticed monster motor homes in our local Wal-Mart parking lots. I am guessing this is a true documentary -- a documentary that is great fun.