FREE STATE OF JONES:
139 minutes
Friday, July 15 – 7 pm,
Saturday, July 16– 4 & 8 pm,
Sunday, July 17 – 4 & 8 pm,
Wednesday, July 20 – 7 pm,
and Thursday, July 21 – 7 pm.
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.
Insider’s tip: “Mr. Ross [director] consulted some of the leading experts in the era . . . and has done a good job of balancing the factual record with the demands of dramatic storytelling. The result is a riveting visual history lesson, whose occasional didacticism is integral to its power” (A.O. Scott, The New York Times). Richard Roeper of The Chicago Sun-Times adds: “. . . it is primarily an immensely gripping tale rooted in historical fact and filled with unforgettable images and, yes, lessons that ring hard and true a century and a half later.” An incredibly crafted and well-acted film.