Jimmy is a 2026 biopic based on one of the greatest actors ever to grace the silver screen: the one, the only ... Mr. James Stewart.
Directed by Aaron Burns and written by Justin Strawhand, the movie focuses on Stewart's life from 1941 - 1946, placing more emphasis on his WWII, Army Air Force years than his movie career, with his Oscar win for The Philadelphia Story and the making of Frank Capra's perennial It's a Wonderful Life parenthesizing the tumultuous husk.
KJ Apa (Archie Andrews in CW's Riverdale) portrays Stewart and resembles him, though not so much on the surface, but rather through distinct intonations and gestures, to the point that Apa's performance becomes nothing short of astounding.
The supporting cast bounces off him with precision and consists of Jen Lilly as Gloria Stewart, Neal McDonough as Alexander Stewart, Christopher McDonald as Lionel Barrymore, Max Casella as Mr. Capra, Jason Alexander as Louis B. Mayer, Courtney DeAngelo as Rita Hayworth, Sarah Drew as Hedda Hopper, Jemma Donovan as Ginger Rogers, Kara Killmer as Lady Julia Tyndall, Bob Riggle as U.S. Army Colonel Terrill and Julian Works as Second Lieutenant Martinez.
Stewart's participation as a bomber pilot takes center stage. Through such, his staunch sense of duty prevails, as well as his deep lament for the men who've perished under his command. The latter defines Stewart survivor's guilt, and in that regard, he questions his worth in a way that foreshadows George Bailey.
The movie's execution builds a strong composite of one who went the extra mile for a paramount cause (distinguished for having completed twenty missions striking German targets). In essence, we see Stewart become not only a decorated colonel but a complex, multidimensional individual, plagued by sadness, though uplifted by hope: a path that all biopics dare to achieve, but few do as well as this.
Only jaded cretins would come away disliking this movie, and so if you're not of the sentimental, contemplative or patriotic ilk, look elsewhere. For those of broader minds and larger hearts, Jimmy is a gift to relish.
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