JIMMY
(director: Aaron Burns; screenwriter: Justin Strawhand; cinematographer: James Mather; editor: Stephen O’Connell; music: Grant Fonda; cast: KJ Apa (Jimmy Stewart), Max Casella (Frank Capra), Sarah Drew (Hedda Hopper), Christopher McDonald (Lionel Barrymore), Jason Alexander (Louis B Mayer), Rob Riggle (Volonel Terrill), Neal McDonough (Lionel, Jimmy’s father), Courtney D’Angelo (Rita Hayworth), Marc Malkin (Glenn Miller), Julian Works (2nd Lt. Martinez), Kara Killmer (Lady Julia), Jen Lilley (Gloria Stewart), Jemma Donovan (Ginger Rogers); Runtime: 120; MPAA Rating: PG-13; producers: Aaron Burns, David C. Cook, Angela Gaigani Sullivan, Jack McClintock, John Norton, Justin Strawhand; Fathom Entertainment; 2026)
“A safe, dull and uninspiring biopic about the popular actor Jimmy Stewart.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
A safe, dull and uninspiring biopic about the popular actor Jimmy Stewart (1908-1997), who starred in the 1946 X-mas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It’s a drama about Jimmy as a great actor, decent person, a true patriot and a man of the Christian faith. It shows him during WW2 as a pilot and up to 1951 when in Hollywood, trying to figure out his life. It’s directed by Aaron Burns (“Legacy Peak”/”Birthright Outlaw”), a Christian faith-based filmmaker, in a sincere but corny way. The screenplay is by Justin Strawhand.
The New Zealand actor KJ Apa, from Riverdale fame, plays Jimmy, and does a decent job imitating his voice and gestures. Neal McDonough plays Jimmy’s devout Christian father, a hardware store owner from a small town in Pennsylvania.
When drafted in 1941, after winning an Oscar for the Best Actor in 1941 for “The Philadelphia Story,” Jimmy’s studio boss Louis B Mayer (Jason Alexander) gets him a deferment. Upset that Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Sarah Drew) calls him in print a coward, he decides to enlist to become an Air Force bomber pilot and gains the rank of a captain. Overcome with PTSD after the war, his director friend Frank Capra (Max Casella) gets him to star in his inspirational film “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The film became his favorite role, in his long and legendary career, a part where he could confront his inner demons and strive for hope in an imperfect world.
Jimmy’s life, his relationships and views on acting are presented with no critique. I could never get into this biopic. I wanted a stronger film and not just an over-flattering tribute film that makes him out to be a saint without a closer examination.
REVIEWED ON 11/10/2026 GRADE: C
dennisschwartzreviews.com