Free State of Jones (2016)
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The story
Newton Knight, a soldier in the Confederate Army, deserts after learning of the Twenty Negro Law and witnessing the death of his nephew Daniel during the Second Battle of Corinth. He returns to his home in Ellisville and reconnects with his wife, Serena. As the war progresses, Knight becomes increasingly disillusioned with the Confederacy's actions against his neighbors. After being forced into hiding by a Confederate officer, he is taken in by a community of abolitionists and others. He eventually organizes a disciplined Southern Unionist militia composed of deserters and slaves to defend their land and property against the Confederate forces.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After deserting the Confederate Army following the death of his nephew, Newton Knight returns home to Ellisville. He befriends Rachel, a slave who has learned to read, and becomes a target of Confederate officers for his refusal to submit to their demands. After being forced into the swamps, he is nursed back to health and eventually organizes a Southern Unionist militia of deserters and slaves. They begin a guerrilla war against the Confederacy, leading to a standoff where they successfully ambush a Confederate force and declare the 'Free State of Jones.' Following the war, Newton continues to fight for racial equality, helping Moses Washington's son and advocating for the rights of freedmen. The film concludes with a jump to 1948, where Newton's great-grandson is arrested under Mississippi's anti-miscegenation laws for his mixed-race heritage, a case that is eventually overturned by the state's supreme court.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 139
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Gary Ross
- Writers
- Gary Ross · screenplay; Gary Ross · story; Leonard Hartman · story
- Cast and characters
- Matthew McConaughey · Knight; Gugu Mbatha-Raw; Mahershala Ali; Keri Russell
- Genres
- historical; war; action; drama; biographical
- Themes
- Civil War; Slavery; Resistance; Racial Inequality
- Tone and mood
- Historical; Dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- Historical Drama; War; Biographical; Action
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Free State of Jones by Victoria E. Bynum and The State of Jones by Sally Jenkins and John Stauffer
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 48% · scale: percentage · review count: 192; Metacritic · score: 53 · scale: 100 · review count: 38
- Production trivia
- Gary Ross spent ten years developing the film.; The film was based on two specific books.; The film was pushed back several times before its June 2016 release.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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