Discover WWII hero Jimmy Stewart’s story in the film JIMMY, honoring his service and Hollywood legacy.
I don’t think I’m going out on limb by saying that there are few actors more beloved by Americans than Jimmy Stewart, star of such classics as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story, Harvey, and Rear Window.
And, of course, his turn as George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life makes the movie an annual must-watch for millions of families during the Christmas season.
But there’s another side of Jimmy Stewart’s story that doesn’t get much attention, and that’s his military service. It’s a pretty amazing story, one that deserves to be told.
Just in time for Veterans Day, the new film JIMMY shines a spotlight on Stewart’s remarkable service during World War II, when the Oscar-winning actor walked away from his burgeoning Hollywood career to fight for his country.
I had the opportunity to attend a special screening of JIMMY in Washington, D.C., last Friday, where much of the cast and director Aaron Burns were on hand. The audience was enthusiastic, and it’s not hard to understand why.
At a time when Hollywood seems determined to hammer its woke political messaging into just about everything it produces, JIMMY is a refreshingly old-fashioned celebration of patriotism, duty, sacrifice, and the American spirit.
KJ Apa stars as Stewart, whose Hollywood career was really taking off when the United States entered World War II. Rather than remain safely in California making movies, Stewart enlisted in the Army Air Corps, eventually becoming a combat pilot and commander who flew 20 missions over Europe.
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And the movie doesn’t shy away from what Stewart experienced during his war years. He was flying dangerous bombing missions over enemy territory and risking his life alongside the men under his command. And he saw many of his men die; the movie shows him struggling to write to the parents of the fallen to let them know their son had died.
Don’t expect the gritty realism of something like Band of Brothers. There are moments when the story feels almost too neatly packaged, although that may be the result of trying to squeeze several transformative years into a two-hour film.
But what I found most fascinating wasn’t necessarily Stewart’s time in combat. It was what happened when he came home. The real story here is Stewart’s transition back into civilian life, a process we know many troops still struggle with today.
How do you go from flying combat missions in the European theater back to a Hollywood set, where many of your colleagues experienced the war in a much different way?
Not very easily, as we learn in JIMMY.
That brings us to It’s a Wonderful Life, Stewart’s first film after the war.
After spending some time at home with his family in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Frank Capra convinced Stewart to take role of George Bailey, the family man driven to the brink of despair who ultimately discovers just how much his life has meant to the people around him.
There’s one scene from JIMMY that really stands out, showing Stewart struggling to film the scene in Martini’s bar where George Bailey prays to God for help. The filmmakers used this to show Stewart grappling with his own wartime trauma.
It’s a powerful moment that suggests just how much portraying George Bailey helped Jimmy Stewart somewhat come to terms with the horrific things he’d witnessed during the war.
There is a happy ending, of course, with Stewart going on to get married, have a family, find continued stardom in Hollywood, and continue his military service in the Air Force Reserves (he retired with the rank of Brigadier General).
JIMMY isn’t a perfect movie, but it doesn’t need to because it succeeds in introducing audiences to a side of an American legend that deserves recognition. And, importantly, the film is about as unapologetically all-American as anything you’ll find coming out of Hollywood these days.
On Veterans Day, that’s something worth celebrating.
In a fitting Veterans Day tribute, the filmmakers partnered with the nonprofit Vet Tix to provide more than $1 million in free tickets to veterans, active-duty military personnel, first responders, and their families.
Stewart’s daughter, Kelly Stewart Harcourt, an executive producer of JIMMY, said, “There is no doubt in my mind that nothing would have moved my father more, or made him prouder, than to know that veterans, first responders, and active military and their families could experience the film, JIMMY, through the generosity of others.”
Eligible veterans and service members can visit VetTix.org for ticket availability.
Teri Christoph
Follow @TeriChristoph
10:55 AM on November 11, 2026
