McConaughey As A Civil War Soldier Isn't So Hot

I have a lot of questions for Matthew McConaughey. Number one: why do I love you so much? And numbers two through ten: what the hell is up with him in this new photo for The Free State Of Jones? On Monday, the first shot of McConaughey as farmer Newton Knight in Gary Ross' civil war drama was released. The true story is based on Knight, who was "a soldier for the Confederacy during the Civil War who became disillusioned with the South's cause, fled the battlefield, rallied supporters and declared a safe haven in Jones County, an area of southeastern Mississippi in opposition to the Confederacy." That's all well and good, but the promo picture makes McConaughey look less like a Civil War hero and more of a goon.

Because isn't he at heart just a big ol' goon?! Look at that beard! It's so scraggly and reminiscent of Shia LaBeouf. This is not something I'm comfortable with. I honestly think that Matty looks better as old disillusioned Rust Cohle than he does as Newton. Even though he's a great actor, he just does NOT look at home in those Confederate fatigues. And how does he manage to finagle exclusively roles that let him keep his Southern accent?

A few more queries: will Newton Knight be as philosophical as Rust Cohle or Matthew in those Lincoln ads? Is this film actually a guerilla marketing campaign for Lincoln Motors, beginning all the way back... in the days of Lincoln? If time is a flat circle, why didn't present McConaughey warn past McConaughey that that beard was a horrible idea? Is it a good idea to focus a Civil War drama on a white soldier with the last name Knight... like White Knight? The world may never know, man.

Image: STX Entertainment.