[2], The story is based on the history of Jones County, Mississippi, during the Civil War and the period immediately after it. |, March 21, 2017 Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". | Rating: 2.5/5 Your AMC Ticket Confirmation# can be found in your order confirmation email. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 53 out of 100 based on reviews from 38 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Forced to flee, he finds refuge with a group of runaway slaves hiding out in the swamps. After his nephew dies in battle, Newt returns home to Jones County to safeguard his family but is soon branded an outlaw deserter. The Free State of Jones: Mississippi's Longest Civil War by Victoria Bynum The Legend of the Free State of Jones by Rudy H. Leverett (a descendant of MacLemore, but it … While it might not be the most engaging film for a lot of people, it's refreshingly atypical. The Unthinkable (Den blomstertid nu kommer), American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally, National Newspaper Publishers Association. Knight starts to question why he's fighting and for whom -- and, frankly, his purpose in a war that, to his eyes, benefits rich plantation owners who want to ensure that … Cinemark The strong areas work so well and the aftermath of the battle for Jones is heartbreaking. The court room snippets didn't work and often left little to the overall film, that battle deserves a film on its own merits. Sometimes you're thrown into battles between Newt's group and the confederacy and you're literally given no context as to what led to this battle. Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali. Violent Content. The Shallows cost less than $20 million, so a fourth place finish wouldn’t be a bad start. "[31], The New Yorker film critic Richard Brody gave it a positive review, saying, "It's tempting to shunt Free State of Jones into the familiar genre of the white-savior tale, but Newton Knight appears as something else—not so much as a savior but as an avatar of a new South. By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. Don't have an account? |, September 26, 2019 However, the storytelling is a bit problematic, as it takes on too much; skipping around a lot and working in a subplot about Newt's great-grandson. McConaughey's charm is one of the positive aspects of the film and it is easy to see how he could command a group of disheartened people and get them to band together to fight back. Written and directed by Gary Ross, the film stars Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, and Keri Russell. 2016 | R | 2h 19m | Dramas. I'm not gonna complain much, however, given that I thought this was still a good movie and I would recommend it if you're into this sort of story. There are moments of brilliance, but while some parts drag out forever, others feel rushed. This deserves an audience. Coming Soon. [13] In preparation, Ross did a "tremendous amount of research", studying not only the Civil War but also the historiography of the war, the latter because he wanted "to debunk a lot of the myths" surrounding the events. They disguised slavery as 'apprenticeship', because that's how low these fucks can get. Co se obsahu a hodnot ve filmu obsažených týče, Free State of Jones nám tu prezentuje ony základní principy, z nichž vyrůstá celá západní (tedy naše) civilizace...o to smutnější je číst si tu některé zdejší komentáře... (06.10.2016) Mahershala Ali is so good that he can make his role memorable, but I just wish they would have explored that friendship, whether Moses himself is a composite character or not. Reviewer A. O. Scott called it "a neglected and fascinating chapter in American history" and said it used "the tools of Hollywood spectacle to restore a measure of clarity to our understanding of the war and its aftermath. and Jack's Powder Keg Company participated in the production with their cannon and black powder.[14]. [23], On Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, the film has an approval rating of 46% based on 184 reviews and an average rating of 5.5/10. From this day forward we declare the land of Pascagoula swamp to be a free state of jones. It's not like this for every battle, but it is like this for some of them. Despite getting little help from the Union, Newton's firm leadership and the rebels' use of the terrain and various deceptions enable them to hold out until 1865, when the Confederacy is dissolved. Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Zack Snyder Wants To Tap Into Your “Inner Gore Child” With Horror-Heist Hybrid, Vote in the Disney Animated Films Showdown – Round 4. It's not gonna be for everybody, particularly piece of shit racists, but I enjoyed this movie and, given that this is only the second good movie of the month, I welcome the bump in quality. It tells of a rebellion against the Confederacy led by an angry farmer named Newton Knight, whose ragtag army of poor whites and escaped slaves declared a portion of southeastern Mississippi, including Jones County, independent and loyal to the Union. IM Global, After helping one family resist such a raid, he is pursued by a Confederate slave patrol and gets bitten by an attack dog. |, October 23, 2018 [8][9] Angelo Piazza III, Marksville, La. All Critics (188) A Mississippi farmer turns outlaw as he leads a ragtag band of fellow Civil War deserters and escaped slaves in a rebellion against the Confederacy. Free State of Jones begins in wartime, and the movie does not allow viewers to forget the awful cost of martial conflict. Hornaday said the film could have avoided the trope by focusing more on Knight's alliance with a former slave or his relationships with his wife and an enslaved house servant. Written and directed by Gary Ross, the film stars Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, and Keri Russell. FREE STATE OF JONES takes place in 1862, in Jones City, Mississippi, where a Confederate soldier named Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey) finds himself demoralized after witnessing a teen boy's death on a blood-soaked battlefield. He helps free Moses' son from an "apprenticeship" to Rachel's former master. I legitimately did like this movie and it's got an incredible true story at its core, it's just a shame that the movie, whether through scripting, pacing or whatever, dulls some of that impact. The group, which starts out very modestly but starts growing in size and power as the film progresses, eventually comes to control three counties in Southeast Mississippi (if I remember correctly). The ex-Confederates, runaway slaves, and farmers of Jones County start a revolt against the Confederacy. You know, I'm gonna repurpose a phrase I attributed to Winston Churchill in my review of The Hatred, a terrible movie. There is just too much information to pack in. I mean I get that what they were going for is that, in spite of what Newton Knight did in the 1860s-70s, in order to help his fellow man secure freedom, in order to protect his friends, former slaves, from being forced back into the same life, except under a new name and legally sanctioned. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. Since he is possibly of one-eighth black descent, the law considers him to be black, and he therefore cannot legally marry his long-time white sweetheart. During the Civil War , the Free State of Jones was established by a man named Newton Knight, who did one of the most unthinkable things a white southern man at that time could do – took on the Confederacy, and won. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. Jones County was not a wealthy area when war broke out in 1861. Free State Of Jones is an American Civil War-era saga that would surely have worked better as a box set TV drama than as a feature film. ‘Free State of Jones’: Film Review. |, February 25, 2021 These are known as Black Codes. But I think that they manage to achieve that with the post-emancipation proclamation stuff, which leads to white unrest in the south that, eventually, leads to the rise of KKK. Forgot your password? The Free State of Jones was not the only southern region that opposed and/or threatened to secede from the Confederacy. 'Oh, they were really fighting for states' rights', 'you know black people fought for the confederacy', as if somehow the latter point makes the fact that these fucks wanted to keep their slaves any less morally reprehensible. The film isn't perfect and some of the supporting cast let the film drag at times. Gary Ross’ “Free State of Jones” is based on one of the most fascinating true stories of the Civil War. Free State Of Jones is an American Civil War-era saga that would surely have worked better as a box set TV drama than as a feature film. and the Terms and Policies, Free State of Jones | Official Trailer | Own It Now on Digital HD, Blu-ray, & DVD - YouTube. They pass laws prettying that are, basically, slavery with a prettier name. “Free State of Jones” begins on the battlefield, with a flurry of the kind of immersive combat action that has long been a staple of American movies. | Rating: C Since they are unable to legally marry, Newton arranges for her to be deeded a parcel of his land for farming. | Fresh (88) | Rating: 2/5 [16] In May 2015 shooting was scheduled for Clinton, with East Feliciana Parish as a filming set. With that said, I do think that there are flaws in the movie that, ultimately, end up dulling the impact of Newton's incredibly worthy story. Another issue I had is that, naturally, real life came rolling through this war with the aforementioned emancipation of slaves, the movie just sort of shifts focus quite abruptly. There is a great film here but its smothered by unneeded influence by the director Ross. Because Free State of Jones concentrates so singularly on making [Matthew] McConaughey the hero of the film, it ends up being a series of missed opportunities. [18][19] The first trailer was released on January 9, 2016. Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password. Free State of Jones Historical drama set during the American Civil War. This is an extraordinary story and, at its best, extraordinarily represented. Opposed to both slavery and secession, Knight launched an uprising of poor white farmers that led Jones County, Mississippi to itself secede from the Confederacy, creating a “Free State of Jones.” His relationship and post-war marriage to a former slave, Rachel Knight, effectively established the region’s first mixed-race community. The film follows the life of Newt Knight, a medic in the Confederate Army who deserted to protect his hometown from looters and ended up leading a rebellion made up of deserters and runaway slaves. |, July 17, 2019 We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. The image is an example of a ticket confirmation email that AMC sent you when you purchased your ticket. war, Huayi Brothers, What I mean by that is that there doesn't seem to be any real rhyme or reason to what they were doing. Coming Soon, Regal By seeing his own interests clearly and considering the economic and social structure of his locale and his nation insightfully, he's able to transcend heritage and history and to forge a community, both during and after the war, that will be fair, inclusive, and—yes—post-racial. The Free State of Jones: Mississippi’s Longest Civil War (University of North Carolina Press, 2003), referred to as “Free State”. This 10-digit number is your confirmation number. |, August 22, 2018 Free State of Jones is a rarer thing: a film that tries to strike sparks of political insight from a well-worn genre template. Sometimes in a enervatingly slowly pace, this film tells a pretty fascinating, untold story. Sign up here. Cinemark Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. The percentage of users who rated this 3.5 stars or higher. With that said, and I know this is gonna upset some of you 'the south will rise again' assholes out there, the fact of the matter is that Newton and his group of people, fight mostly against confederate forces and the confederate soldiers and this lieutenant are treated as the big bad of the movie. Newton's disenchantment with the Confederacy grows after finding out that Confederate troops have been confiscating crops and livestock from his fellow farmers as "taxes" to support the war effort. Bynum, Victoria E., The Long Shadow of the Civil War, Southern Dissent and Its Legacies (University of North Carolina Press, 2010), referred to as “Long Shadow”. "[29], The New York Times selected it as a "critic's pick". Free State of Jones 2016 | 16+ | 2h 19m | Military Movies A Mississippi farmer turns outlaw as he leads a ragtag band of fellow Civil War deserters and escaped slaves in … All rights reserved. News About "Free State of Jones" More About the Movie: Learn more about the real Newton Knight and the rebellion he lead in Jones County, Mississippi. [2], The film was released in the United States and Canada on June 24, 2016, alongside Independence Day: Resurgence and The Shallows and was projected to gross around $10 million in its opening weekend from 2,815 theaters. I get that life can be incredibly abrupt, but this is a film, they could have done a far better job at transitioning to that, instead of doing it so forcefully. With that said, however, I do feel that this is still a fairly good movie with a great cast, headed by a committed performance by Matthew McConaughey. After surviving the 1862 Battle of Corinth and being told of the Twenty Negro Law that allows wealthy men to avoid being conscripted into military service, Newton Knight, a poor farmer from Jones County serving as a battlefield nurse in the Confederate army, deserts and returns home to his wife Serena after seeing his nephew Daniel get shot and killed. “Free State of Jones” tells the story of a Knight-led rebellion against the Confederacy in Jones County, Mississippi, whereby the county allegedly seceded and declared itself a free state. The film ends with Newton's great-grandson, Davis Knight, being arrested under Mississippi's anti-miscegenation laws in 1948. As she writes: “The assistance of women and slaves became ever more crucial to the Knight Company in 1864, when the Confederacy sent special troops into the Piney Woods region. [26][27], Film critic Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post said, "[Director] Ross has insisted that he didn't want 'Free State of Jones' to become another white savior movie, but that's precisely what it is, especially during scenes when the murderous injustice of slavery is refracted through Knight’s frustrated tears." Perhaps one of the issues I had with how this revolt of Newt's followers against the confederacy was portrayed was how it felt like they were just pranking each other. | Rating: B+ I can't see why this was released in summer, the film died horribly when other films successfully limped along. According to the book The Free State of Jones by Victoria Bynum, the number of slave owners had grown since the county was settled during the turn of the 19th century, but poor farmers heavily outnumbered wealthy planters. McConaughey gives an excellent performance and brings a lot of charisma to the film. Several Jones … At first you're like 'what's the point of all this?' Read critic reviews. I get the need to show that racism is being felt generations after Newt's passing, but the scenes with Davis Knight (his grandson) didn't amount to much to me. |, November 8, 2016 Newton continues to fight racial inequality after the war. and, really, by the end of the movie, you're also like 'what's the point of all of this?' We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future. Coming Soon. There is just too much information to pack in. [13] Speaking to Slash Film about the research for the film, Ross remarked, "I don’t think I did anything but read for a couple of years" [13], Ross finished writing the film prior to working on The Hunger Games, although he struggled to find much in way of financing: he felt that working on The Hunger Games would help him, and thus declined to work on the sequels. [13], Matthew McConaughey's casting was announced in November 2014 [5] with other casting announcements made in early 2015. There's also a legal proceeding where Newton's grandson, who's 1/8th black, being threatened jail time as his marriage, given that he is considered a colored person (despite being whiter than Donny Osmond) is illegal under Mississippi law. | Rating: 1/5 He was initially drawn to make the movie out of a desire to examine the Reconstruction era south, an era that, according to him, is poorly represented in film, quoting Gone with the Wind and The Birth of a Nation as examples of "the last movies that did it". Significant, Obscure in Civil War History [full disclosure: main character, Newt Knight, is my first cousin, 4 times removed] short ad for movie released today 6/24 from Smithsonian mag: Matthew McConaughey thought the Free State of Jones script was the most exciting Civil War story he had ever read, and knew immediately that he wanted to play Newt Knight. and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. I will admit that the best parts of the film are those in which Newton rallies his fellow followers in taking the fight to the confederacy and how his leadership, mostly, unites everybody. Racism is as rampant as ever, thanks to the current dumbfuck troglodyte the US calls its president. Please reference “Error Code 2121” when contacting customer service. In the movie we see slaves join his rebellion, but was Knight a supporter of abolition? Overall a decent attempt that could have had even more of an emotional impact with a more condensed script. His great-grandfather had been Cap’n Newt Knight, who deserted the Confederate Army and set up “The Free State of Jones” in Jones County. [3][4][5][6][7] The film is credited as being "based on the books The Free State of Jones by Victoria E. Bynum and The State of Jones by Sally Jenkins and John Stauffer."[4]. | Rating: 3/5 Free State of Jones is a 2016 American historical war film inspired by the life of Newton Knight and his armed revolt against the Confederacy in Jones County, Mississippi, throughout the American Civil War. [21] The film grossed $365,000 from its Thursday previews and $2.7 million on its first day. 3 books cover Knight pretty well. Forging an alliance with the slaves and other farmers, Knight leads a rebellion that would forever change history. It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $25 million against its $50 million production budget. In the backwoods of Mississippi, there lies a tiny plot of land called Jones County, better known as the Free State of Jones. Free State of Jones | Official Trailer | Own It Now on Digital HD, Blu-ray, & DVD. As it stands, the film isn't a complete mess, but with its slow pace and lack of cohesion, it does leave a lot to be desired. However, the production values are especially good, giving an authentic look and feel for the time period. I suppose that's neither here nor there, my political leanings are irrelevant when it comes to this movie. You're almost there! Matthew McConaughey stars as Newton Knight, the Mississippi farmer who led a rebellion against the Confederacy from … Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! Hell, sometimes prank videos on YouTube have more context to explain this prank than this movie did, at times. It was released in the United States by STXfilms on June 24, 2016. |, April 1, 2020 Well, like I said, I'd like to repurpose that to fit this movie in saying that the only good confederate soldier is a dead confederate soldier. What had first been a, mostly, historical 'war' movie, if I can say that, turns to a more political drama exploring the aftermath and how freedmen were, after a while, forbidden to own land and slave owners were allowed back in business if they swore allegiance to the union.