Matthew McConaughey (Intersteller, Dallas Buyers Club) delivers a towering performance as Mississippi farmer turned rebellious revolt leader in the action-drama Free State of Jones, a powerful account of an extraordinary uprising against the Confederacy during the civil war. Based on a true, little-known story, the epic film arrives on Digital HD on September 6, 2016 and on Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on September 20, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. From STX Entertainment (The Gift, Bad Moms), Free State of Jones also stars Keri Russell (Planet of the Apes, “The Americans”) and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Concussion, Beyond The Lights).
Oscar® winner Matthew McConaughey stars in this epic, untold true story of defiant Southern farmer, Newt Knight and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy during the Civil War. Despite overwhelming odds, Knight banded together with other small farmers and local slaves and launched an uprising that led Jones County, Mississippi to secede from the Confederacy, creating a Free State of Jones. Written and directed by four-time Oscar® nominee Gary Ross (The Hunger Games, Seabiscuit), critics are hailing Free State of Jones as “riveting” (A.O. Scott, The New York Times).
Now you can win the FREE STATE OF JONES Blu-ray. We Are Movie Geeks has two copies to give away. All you have to do to win is answer the question in the commenst below: What is your favorite Matthew McConaughey movie (Mine is THE LINCOLN LAWYER). It’ so easy. We’ll pick a winner next week. GOOD LUCK!
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No purchase necessary.
Free State of Jones on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital HD include an exclusive look into the history of Jones County, once a battlefield covered by plantations and plagued with class struggle.
This week’s episode of our podcast WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS The Show is up! Hear WAMG’s Jim Batts, and Tom Stockman and their special guest Lynn Venhaus from The Belleville New Democrat talk movies. We’ll discuss the weekend box office and we’ll review THE BFG, NEON DEMON,THE SHALLOWS, INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE, ART BASTARD, FREE STATE OF JONES, and OUR KIND OF TRAITOR. Also, we’ll preview LEGEND OF TARZAN and PURGE ELECTION YEAR. We’ll then discuss the new documentary DEPALMA and choose our favorite Brian DePalma films. We’ll also wish a happy 90th birthday to Mel Brooks!
The historical drama FREE STATE OF JONES is based on a little-known, improbable true event that took place in the American South during the Civil War, when the residents of Jones County, Mississippi, both white and black, seceded from the Confederacy under the leadership of an ex-Confederate soldier and part-time preacher named Newton Knight.
Matthew McConaughey plays Newt Knight, who led an army of fellow white deserters and runaway black slaves who held off Confederate military by hiding out in Jones county’s inaccessible swamp. The film from director Gary Ross (“Seabiscuit”) follows up that dramatic story with another one, a depiction of events in the South following the Civil War, when Knight and his fellow anti-Rebel rebels tried to stand up to the Ku Klux Klan and rising segregation, a period rarely shown in films, and then mostly from the other side in “Gone With The Wind” and the appalling “Birth of a Nation.” The film further continues its theme, by adding the story of one of Knight’s descendants, on trial in the 1930s for violating the South’s race laws by marrying a white woman although he may be partly black.
It is a lot of historical ground to cover, and that is part of the problem with this well-researched, well-meaning drama. All these topics are worthy subjects for a historical film, rich in dramatic potential. While FREE STATE OF JONES does have some strong moments and doubtless will win some fans for the subject matter and its ambitious aims along, the film overall is uneven at best, jumping from Knight’s story in the Civil War and during Reconstruction to another related story in the 20th century, often in disjointed fashion. While the vast amount of history covered might make the film a suitable addition to a classroom unit of the time period, it requires a certain knowledge of the war and post war period. Major battles, such as Vicksburg, and dates, like the end of the war, are given in titles but without noting their significance.
On the plus side, the film is beautifully photographed, starting with the immersive battle scenes that open the film. A little preamble to establish the unique character of Jones County, which was less like the plantation South we think of as the Confederacy and more an isolated, rural place where poor whites and free blacks lived side by side, might have deepened understanding of events to follow, but the film plunges into action without that background. The action is believable, even if our knowledge of the whole situation is limited, and the locations, sets and period costumes are superb, even if accents are sometimes hard to understand. The film’s devotion to historical accuracy is admirable but covering so many historical events sometimes makes everything feel rushed. A more focused script would have helped the flow of the film, although there are still powerful dramatic scenes and moments throughout. It is after all a powerful moment in time.
The biggest obstacle is when the film tries to combing this already epic tale with the story of one of Knight’s descendants. Making the point about the persistence of racial segregation in the South long after the Civil War and placing someone in a category of second-class citizenship based on having one great-grandparent of a certain race, is, again, a worthy topic for a film. But it is a lot of ground to cover in two hours.
The film also often serves more as a star vehicle for Matthew McConaughey, like an old fashioned Hollywood movie. McConaughey is convincingly sincere as the sometime preacher, and suitably rugged looking, although it is a little curious his character seems to age to little. Some viewers will be pleased with that while others may wonder why more of the heroics are not given to other characters, particularly black ones. With the long period of time covered, and jumping back and forth in time to the descendant’s story, there is little room for character development. The other actors, particularly Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Rachel and Mahershala Ali as Moses, do a nice job but there is not enough room in this crowded script for them to fully shine.
FREE STATE OF JONES is an ambitious film, one with a serious respect for history, but perhaps a little too much history to cover in a two-hour film. Still, despite the film’s shortcoming as a piece of cinema, some audience members are likely to embrace it, for its sheer nerve in tackle the subjects. One may still hope FREE STATE OF JONES will spark viewers to delve into the true story behind the dramatic film.
This week’s episode of our podcast WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS The Show is up! Hear WAMG’s Jim Batts, Michael Haffner, and Tom Stockman talk movies. Michelle McCue will call in to discuss the weekend box office and we’ll review FINDING DORY, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE, THERAPY FOR A VAMPIRE, and GENIUS. Also, we’ll preview THE SHALLOWS and FREE STATE OF JONES. We’ll then discuss some local film events here in St. Louis, discuss the year in horror so far, and pay respects to the late Anton Yelchin.
Matthew McConaughey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw star in the first trailer for Gary Ross’s FREE STATE OF JONES. Check it out as well as the first poster and photos from STX Entertainment’s upcoming epic action-drama.
Written and directed by four-time Oscar nominee Gary Ross (The Hunger Games, Seabiscuit, Pleasantville), and starring Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey, FREE STATE OF JONES is set during the Civil War, and tells the story of defiant Southern farmer, Newt Knight, and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy.
Banding together with other small farmers and local slaves, Knight launched an uprising that led Jones County, Mississippi to secede from the Confederacy, creating a Free State of Jones.
Knight continued his struggle into Reconstruction, distinguishing him as a compelling, if controversial, figure of defiance long beyond the War.
Written by Gary Ross, Mahershala Ali and Keri Russell also star.
FREE STATE OF JONES opens in theaters on May 13, 2016.
