free state of jones who plays the lawyer

What are the reviews of Free State of Jones?

The website's critical consensus reads, " Free State of Jones has the noblest of intentions, but they aren't enough to make up for its stilted treatment of a fascinating real-life story." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 53 out of 100 based on reviews from 38 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Where was the Free State of Jones filmed?

"Mathew McConaughey begins filming 'The Free State of Jones' in Louisiana". On Location Vacations. Retrieved February 26, 2015. ^ Evry, Max (March 9, 2015). "First Look at Matthew McConaughey in The Free State of Jones". ComingSoon.net. Mandatory. Retrieved March 10, 2015. ^ Warren, Stephanie (March 4, 2015).

Is free state of Jones based on a true story?

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. Written and directed by Gary Ross, the film stars Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, and Keri Russell .

What happened in the Free State of Jones?

The ex-Confederates, runaway slaves, and farmers of Jones County start a revolt against the Confederacy. They raid Confederate convoys for food and supplies and capture a piece of southeast Mississippi, organizing it as the " Free State of Jones."

See more

Who plays Rachel in Free State Jones?

Gugu Mbatha-RawFree State of Jones (2016)REEL FACE:REAL FACE:Gugu Mbatha-Raw Born: April 21, 1983 Birthplace: Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UKRachel Knight Born: March 14, 1840 Birthplace: Macon, Bibb County, Georgia, USA Death: February 11, 1889, Soso, Jones County, Mississippi, USAAd7 more rows

How historically accurate is the movie Free State of Jones?

Despite the film's real-life basis and its director's extensive research, Free State Of Jones isn't entirely historically accurate. One major deviation from reality the movie made was in its inclusion of fictional characters.

Who is Davis Knight?

Davis Knight (8 January 1925 – 8 August 1959) was a Mississippi man of distant black descent who, in 1948, was charged with miscegenation for marrying a "white" woman, Junie Lee Spradley.

What is Moses wearing in Free State of Jones?

There are some moments in Free State of Jones dedicated to the black characters' lives, many of which mark the film's strongest moments. Mahershala Ali (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) gives the film's most poignant performance as Moses, a runaway slave wearing a spiked iron collar on his neck.

Was Newton Knight a real person?

Newton Knight (November 10, 1829 – February 16, 1922) was an American farmer, soldier and Southern Unionist in Mississippi, best known as the leader of the Knight Company, a band of Confederate army deserters who resisted the Confederacy during the Civil War.

What does Moses have around his neck?

One of them, Moses (Mahershala Ali), endures a tall, spiked iron collar around his neck, a punishment inflicted by a slave owner for his earlier attempts at escape.

Why did Davis Knight go to jail?

Convicted of miscegenation, the Ellisville Court sentenced him to five years in Mississippi's notorious Parchman prison.

Who are the descendants of Newton Knight?

Thomas Jefferson KnightMolly KnightMat KnightNewton Knight/Descendants

Where is Newt Knight buried?

Newt Knight Family Cemetery, MSNewton Knight / Place of burial

Is Moses Washington a real person?

Moses Washington (died 1865) was the leader of a group of runaway slaves who helped to form the Free State of Jones in 1862. Washington led several slaves into the swamps of Jones County, Mississippi, where they were joined by Confederate deserter Newton Knight.

Where was Free State of Jones filmed?

southern LouisianaInspired by the real-life story of Confederate deserter and activist Newton Knight, the Civil War action movie “The Free State of Jones” is set in Mississippi, but most of the film was shot throughout southern Louisiana in spring 2015.

What did they do to Moses Washington?

Moses Washington's character proactively marches around Jones County after the war registering blacks to vote, resulting in his being lynched and castrated by a white mob.

Storyline

Set during the Civil War, Free State of Jones tells the story of defiant Southern farmer, Newt Knight, and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy.

Did you know

In 2016 a document was discovered in the National Archives which was a request by Newton Knight's company to join the Union Army in 1864. It lends validity to Knight's claims.

Contribute to this page

By what name was Free State of Jones (2016) officially released in India in Hindi?

What is the free state of Jones about?

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. Written and directed by Gary Ross, the film stars Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, ...

How much did the free state of Jones movie cost?

Box office. $25 million. 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. Written and directed by Gary Ross, the film stars Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, ...

What law did Newton Knight follow?

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. Upon returning home, he befriends Rachel, an enslaved woman who has secretly learned to read .

Is the movie Jones County based on a true story?

The story is based on the history of Jones County, Mississippi, during the Civil War and the period immediately after it. The overall story follows the history of Jones County, and some of the events portrayed are true. The film is credited as being "based on the books The Free State of Jones by Victoria E.

Did Ross want Free State of Jones?

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.".

Why was the Free State of Jones named?

Many years after the war, the name “Free State of Jones” came to be associated with the Knight rebellion.

What was the name of the county in the movie Jones?

Many years after the war, the name “Free State of Jones” came to be associated with the Knight rebellion. 2) Jones County Unionism – The essence of the film was that Jones County, as well as a few of the surrounding counties, was a hotbed of unionist, as well as anti-slavery, support since it was sparsely populated with slaves.

How many troops did Jones raise?

Although there was a rebellion in Jones, the county was not nearly as unionist as it is portended to be. Jones raised eight companies of troops for the Confederate army, a sizeable number for a county of just 3323 white souls when the war started.

Who played Newt Knight in Civil War?

The latest episode is an epic by director Gary Ross, “Free State of Jones,” starring Matthew McConaughey as the film’s hero, Newt Knight. “Free State of Jones” tells the story ...

Who brought in freed slaves in the movie?

And secondly, helping this leftwing false narrative, the hero, Newt Knight, also brings in freed slaves as part of his band of freedom fighters and later has children with a former slave in what can be considered a common law marriage, essentially creating a racially mixed community.

Who is the master of the plantation in Ellisville?

And to build up this dramatic, anti-wealth narrative, what we see is a large-scale plantation right in the center of Ellisville, complete with a big house with a cruel and unjust master, named James Eakins, who raises a lot of cotton, enough to fill the cotton market in the small town.

Did the Confederate government send a division into Jones County to defeat Knight?

The Confederate government did not send an entire division into Jones to defeat Knight. A much smaller force under Colonel Robert Lowry came in 1864 and scattered most of the outlaws. And even the Knight Company’s status in the Jones County rebellion is disputed.

What is the Free State of Jones?

The Free State of Jones: Mississippi's Longest Civil War. Victoria Bynum traces the origins and legacy of the Jones County uprising from the American Revolution to the modern civil rights movement. In bridging the gap between the legendary and the real Free State of Jones, she shows how the legend reveals a great deal about ...

Who played Newton Knight in Free State of Jones?

This little-known, counterintuitive episode in American history has now been brought to the screen in Free State of Jones, directed by Gary Ross ( Seabiscuit, The Hunger Games) and starring a grimy, scruffed-up Matthew McConaughey as Newton Knight.

Who is John Cox?

John Cox, a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, is critical of the movie’s historical treatment of Newt. (William Widmer) Cox, an animated 71-year-old radio and television announcer with a long white beard, welcomed me into a small office crammed with video equipment and Confederate memorabilia.

Who was the president of the Confederacy who told Jefferson Davis that Jones County was in open rebellion?

In March 1864, Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk informed Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, that Jones County was in “open rebellion” and that guerrilla fighters were “proclaiming themselves ‘Southern Yankees.’”.

Who is the actor in the movie "An Idea whose Time Has Come"?

For Wyatt Moulds the film is “an idea whose time has come.” (William Widmer) (Guilbert Gates) A fading mural in Ellisville depicts the town's history. (William Widmer) A tattered American flag hangs from a tree in the unincorporated community of Crackers Neck, near Ellisville.

What is the free state of Jones about?

Set during and after the Civil War, ‘Free State of Jones’ follows the story of a man named Newton Knight. Having served in the Confederate army as an army medic, he becomes disenchanted with the cause that he is fighting for. He finds young men, like his nephew, dying on the battlefield, while laws are made to exempt the rich people ...

Who is the protagonist in Free State of Jones?

The protagonist of ‘Free State of Jones’ is Newton Knight who leads the rebellion and fights for African-American rights, completely disregarding the laws of the state about the relationship between whites and blacks. All of it held true for the real Newton Knight as well.

Who wrote the book The State of Jones?

Director Gary Ross spent a decade researching the story and used references from the books like The State of Jones written by Sally Jenkins and John Stauffer, and The Free State of Jones written by Victoria E. Bynum. The director went to great lengths to keep the film as historically accurate as possible.

Is Free State of Jones true?

The True Story Behind ‘Free State of Jones’, Explained. The Civil War has been a topic that Hollywood loves to revisit every once in a while. There always stories of valour and bravery to cruelty and vanity that allow filmmakers to bring out complicated characters on the screen. ‘Free State of Jones’ is one such film.

What is the Free State of Jones?

Varying details of the legend of the Free State of Jones have been passed down since the 1860s. Some retellings focus on the bravery , honor, rebellion and anti-secession sentiments of the band of warriors, while others portray the Knight Company as a band of murderous outlaws. Digging into the history of Jones County and ...

When will the free state of Jones be released?

(After shooting in Louisiana and Mississippi, the film is expected to release March 11, 2016.) Varying details of the legend of the Free ...

Why was Amos McLemore sent to Jones County?

Amos McLemore, Confederate officer of the 27th Mississippi, was sent to Jones County to deal with the deserters. According to local oral tradition, on the night of October 5, McLemore and his men rode through Jones County looking for Knight’s men and their hideout.

Why did Serena help Jones?

She helped him hide when it became too dangerous for him to go back to his wife, Serena, and his children . They had an agreement that she would provide him with food and he would work to secure her freedom. As the group of Jones outlaws grew in number, they attracted the attention of Confederate forces.

What was Jones County forced to secede from?

Not only was Jones County forced to secede against the wishes of its voters, but the Confeder ate conscription mandated the men to join a war they opposed. This would ultimately unite the sons of slaveholders and poor farmers of Jones County in a rebellion against the Confederacy. One Mississippi farmer, Newton “Newt” Knight, ...

Who was chosen to deal with the Scouts?

After reports of a Federalist flag flying over the courthouse, Col. Robert Lowry was chosen to deal with the Scouts.

Who was the governor of Jones County in 1864?

In a letter to Gov. Clark, Col. William Brown , who was in Jones County in May of 1864, also called attention to the strong community support for the deserters. He noted the important role women played in the uprising. In an interview for the New Orleans Item, Newton said, “Those ladies sure helped us a lot.”.