"Jimmy" Review: KJ Apa Uncovers the Heartbreaking True Story Behind "It's a Wonderful Life"
Riverdale’s KJ Apa stuns in his lifelike portrayal of beloved American actor Jimmy Stewart. But what stays with you is his ability to capture Stewart’s postwar struggles and the renewed faith that helped him find his way through them.
This month, the biopic Jimmy debuted in theaters across America ahead of Veterans Day and the 80th anniversary of the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life. Jimmy is a sentimental retelling of the life of the classic aw-shucks, all-American actor, Jimmy Stewart. The film follows a Hollywood titan who sets aside his fame and fortune to serve his country as a bomber pilot in World War II. When he returns home, emotionally exhausted by the horrors of war, he is thrust into what would become arguably his most memorable role: George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life. Before our eyes, we realize Jimmy Stewart wasn’t simply playing a character; he was drawing on the darkness of his own past and rediscovering the power of faith.