Ross has been wanting to make this film for years, maybe even before Bynum wrote her book. Optioning her book prevents her from selling it to someone else. Hollywood inevitably makes two movies simultaneously from the same story (e.g. Capote and Infamous) with the second out of the chute being the loser. Ross no doubt…

He MAY have had children by Georgeanne, long after Rachel died. All that is known about Georgeanne is that her children were fathered by a white guy. Georgeanne was already an adult when her mother became involved with Newt so Newt ain't no Woody Allen!

I'm afraid you are preaching to philistines here! The bit about Newt and Georgeanne also was Bynum's idea based on local gossip (and God, they loved to gossip about Newt). No evidence that he was the father of Georgeanne's kids. And if he was… Rachel was long dead, Georgeanne was already an adult when Newt met her…

This time she's the spurned wife.

If Victoria Bynum were the world's greatest historian, she would not be working in San Marcos, Tx.

Bynum was far too interested in her book as painting Newt Knight as a horny bastard (which he probably was) and her own distinguished ancestors as heroes of the tale.

Newton Knight is a fascinating character, really. He led an armed rebellion against the Confederacy, the Knight Company made up of Confederate deserters and runaway slaves, he murdered a bunch of Confederate Colonels and ended up marrying a slave, having a dozen kids and turning all of Jones County cafe au lait. He…

Actually, his black lady wife, Rachel, converted to Mormonism to make the whole damn thing legal in the eyes of God (and Brigham Young).

Actually, McConaughey dumps Russell for Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Understandable.

Gee, AV Club you pull the race card (and it is always so embarrassing when white people do it) and neglect to mention the female lead, Rachel Knight, is played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Tsk, tsk.