Oftentimes when a biopic of someone is released, it is usually Oscar bait in one form or another. That is not the case with the new film about legendary actor, Jimmy Stewart, simply titled Jimmy. Riverdale alum, KJ Apa is quite the leading man, which comes as quite a pleasant surprise. Apa could very well be on his way to A-list stardom. Jimmy Stewart was an exceptional man and his story makes for an exceptional film. This film was made for a measly fourteen million dollars. Though, it really might struggle to make back its budget. There more than likely is not much of an audience for this film. But that hardly takes away from its charm.

The script for this film really draws the audience in. It starts with Jimmy being pitched the greatest Christmas film ever, It’s a Wonderful Life. He is trying to get his career back on track post-military. But it was harder than it seemed all these years later. After his stint in the military in World War II, Stewart had been forgotten by Hollywood. So, what does he do? He tries again. Trying again and again is sort of an underlying theme of this film. Jimmy never gives up. He always tries his hardest to motivate others and be a good man that can look himself in the mirror at night. In fact, he joined the military during the war because he felt like he’d never be able to forgive himself if he did not do his part. One of the best parts of this film was seeing how serious Jimmy took his job in the military. He did not have to serve. He could have snapped his fingers and made his drafting go away. Jimmy could have just returned to making movies and nobody would have thought the lesser of him for it.

While this film is not exactly Oscar bait, it still could get a few well earned nominations. The cinematography is creative and beautiful. The script is very well written. The direction is so refreshing that we feel like we are actually there with Jimmy throughout his story. This could go down as a sleeper hit of the year.

KJ Apa’s (the actor playing Jimmy Stewart) performance reminds me of Robert Pattinson’s turn to A-List stardom. Both were in young adult projects that did not exactly wow audiences and give them much praise. For Apa, it was Riverdale. For Pattinson, it was the Twilight series. Neither exactly were looked at favorably after their performances in both. However, with Jimmy, Apa could perhaps be on his way to becoming an A-list star. Or, maybe, this is just lightning in a bottle. Either way, this is career defining work for Apa. It is not easy to emulate the mannerisms and voice of someone as unique and iconic as Jimmy Stewart.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Jimmy Stewart was known by many as an A-List actor in Hollywood who just so happened to enlist in the military, as the film shows. What was a surprise is how quickly he climbed the ladder in the ranks of the Air Force. His story is both inspiring and motivational. It does not matter who we are, when we feel something is our duty, we owe it to ourselves and everyone else to fulfill it.

This film was inspired, creative, and a beautiful tribute to a wonderful man. He did, indeed, live a wonderful life.