In the classic Hollywood era (which in my mind stretches from the end of the silent era to the introduction of the MPAA ratings, being the late 1920s to the late 1960s), there are very few stars who have managed to penetrate the souls of multiple generations like James Stewart.
This, of course, is largely due to the 80-year-old It’s a Wonderful Life, one of the truly rare films I would consider immortal (and easily the best Christmas movie ever, sorry fans of Elf and Die Hard), but also because of his pure naturalism as an actor (not to mention his reputation as one of the nicest celebrities of his era, or any, for that matter). I’ve always been a fan of his, and always will be. I feel the need to state this since his biopic, Jimmy, feels almost like a betrayal.
This is (from what I could see) only the third film directed by Aaron Burns. While I am sure he is talented, he is biting off way more than he can chew here (he has produced Christian-based films in the past as well). The film takes us right after the aftermath of 1941’s Oscar night, where Stewart (KJ Apa) has won his first (and only) competitive Oscar (Best Actor for The Philadelphia Story). The next day, he is called by his dad (Neal McDonough), who will eventually put the Oscar in the front of the family’s hardware store, one of the few things the film does get right from his life. He is then immediately given his draft notice (the timeline is changed in the film). Despite the pressure of Louis B. Mayer (Jason Alexander), Stewart volunteers.
I would venture that no less than 80-85% of the film is Stewart serving during the war (stationed in England), in which he reports to his commander (Rob Riggle), flies his missions, and has a budding romance with the (fictional) Lady Julia (Kara Kilmer).
Riggles’ character basically pleads out:
“The world can’t afford to lose Jimmy Stewart!”
In my mind, I was like, “True, but what about Clark Gable, Henry Fonda, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and other celebrities of the day?”
My knowledge of Stewart’s life is not extensive (despite the fact that I am pretty sure I did a report on his biography in either middle school or high school), but I do know he rarely spoke about the war in his later years (at least publicly). So I can be a little forgiving to the filmmakers for taking liberties with what happens to him in the war scenes.
There are, however, moments in the film I can’t overlook. These include the likes of referring to Queen Elizabeth before she was even Queen, Lionel Barrymore (Christopher McDonald) being able to get out of his wheelchair and walk (he was very confined to the wheelchair at this time in his life), never seeing James Stewart swear (just because he did not swear in his movies does not mean he didn’t in real life, especially in a war situation), or having his famous prayer scene at the bar for It’s a Wonderful Life be filmed without the extras we see in the original film (and from the wrong angle).
From the trailer, it was clear to see that Apa had Stewart’s voice down, and there was a moment in the film (with help from hair and makeup) where, as he is walking by on the beach with Lady Julia, I saw flashes of the real Stewart, thinking he had come back from the dead. Sadly, there are also moments where I felt the accent in his voice falter at times (mainly when he is yelling, or muffled by his mask in the cockpit during battle). I do give credit to Apa for doing what he can with the material, especially those speeches that are rife with trite.
Parents, I would find it weird to bring a child to this movie if they never saw any of the original films from Stewart. The PG-13 rating is rather mild, as I don’t remember much swearing, no sexual content/nudity, and war violence that was honestly a little mild.
This is basically a film for people who remember him for It’s a Wonderful Life and nothing else. While that film is unquestionably a classic in every sense (as well as Stewart’s and director Frank Capra’s favorite of their individual careers), Stewart (as well as Capra) has other films of equal quality like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or Rear Window. I’ve only seen 17 films so far of Stewart’s, but I relish the chance I get to discover new ones of his.
While he is truly an American icon and war hero, Jimmy manages to have all the heart it can muster but nowhere near enough brain or grit. Most of the credits show footage of the real Stewart, which was more rewarding than the film.
I can’t remember the last time a film’s credits were the most rewarding part.
Overall:
