6.9/10
50,062
164 user 182 critic

Free State of Jones (2016)

Trailer
1:08 | Trailer
A disillusioned Confederate army deserter returns to Mississippi and leads a militia of fellow deserters and women in an uprising against the corrupt local Confederate government.

Director:

Gary Ross

Writers:

Gary Ross (screenplay by), Leonard Hartman (story) | 1 more credit »
Reviews
Popularity
4,070 ( 517)
3 wins & 4 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew McConaughey ... Newton Knight
Gugu Mbatha-Raw ... Rachel
Mahershala Ali ... Moses
Keri Russell ... Serena
Christopher Berry ... Jasper Collins
Sean Bridgers ... Will Sumrall
Jacob Lofland ... Daniel
Thomas Francis Murphy ... Elias Hood
Bill Tangradi ... Lt. Barbour
Brian Lee Franklin ... Davis Knight
Kerry Cahill ... Mary / Yeoman Farmer
Joe Chrest ... James Eakins
Jessica Collins ... Annie
Donald Elise Watkins ... Wilson (as Donald Watkins)
Jill Jane Clements ... Aunt Sally
Edit

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. 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 STX Entertainment

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Fight for freedom. See more »


Certificate:

14A | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Veteran actor Gary Grubbs lives in Hattiesburg, MS, a few minutes drive from Jones County. See more »

Goofs

The sergeant that drops into the trench that Newt and his nephew are hiding in orders everybody to "fix bayonets". Before this order and just in shot, you will see that he has no bayonet fixed then when the scene cuts back to him he does then after another scene switch comes back to him the bayonet is gone again. See more »

Quotes

Newton Knight: Take my hand!
See more »


Soundtracks

Rodney Prepares For Fight
Composed by Dickon Hinchliffe
Courtesy of Relativity Media
See more »

User Reviews

 
A very good movie that is extremely important and shows how little the country has actually advanced since the 1860's.
19 September 2016 | by cosmo_tigerSee all my reviews

"It ain't my fight you know. Don't own no slaves. Ain't gonna die so they can get rich selling cotton." Newton Knight (McConaughey) lives in Mississippi and enlisted in the Civil War like everyone else did. His feelings about the fight begin to conflict with those of his superiors and when it reaches a breaking point he finally deserts, and joins a group of runaway slaves. More and more soldiers begin to join him until Knight decides enough is enough and him and his own army begin to stand up for what they believe in, against the Confederates. This is first off a very good movie. The story is true, interesting and important. On the other hand you have to look past what is on the surface to find the real important aspect and true meaning of the film. Yes, its about a man not believing in the cause of the war, but the real meaning and message deals with what happens after the war and what Knight did to advance the cause of the newly freed slaves. The movie is a type of Civil War Patriot, but to me this movie does more to show and describe the problems with reconstruction than any movie I have seen. The reconstruction issue is the real message of the movie and because of that I highly recommend this. Overall, a very good movie that is extremely important and shows how little the country has actually advanced since the 1860's. I give this a B+.


18 of 25 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 164 user reviews »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook | Official Site | See more »

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 June 2016 (Canada) See more »

Also Known As:

L'état libre de Jones See more »

Filming Locations:

Jones County, Mississippi, USA See more »

Edit

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,572,206, 26 June 2016

Gross USA:

$20,810,036

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,035,950
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »

Contribute to This Page

We've Got Your Streaming Picks Covered

Looking for some great streaming picks? Check out some of the IMDb editors' favorites movies and shows to round out your Watchlist.

Visit our What to Watch page



Recently Viewed