'Jimmy' Brings Jimmy Stewart's Untold War Years and Quiet Faith to the Big Screen, Opening in the Top 10

Long before he became George Bailey, the beloved small-town hero of "It's a Wonderful Life," Jimmy Stewart left Hollywood at the height of his fame to fight a war. A new film now tells that story, and audiences are turning out.

"Jimmy," a dramatized biopic starring KJ Apa as Stewart, debuted at No. 10 at the box office with about $2.2 million, CBN News reported. It opened in theaters on Nov. 6 and is distributed by Fathom Entertainment, according to The Christian Post, following a red-carpet premiere in Texas on Nov. 4, EWTN News reported.

The film is directed by Aaron Burns, whose earlier credits include work on the faith-based films "War Room" and "The Forge," CBN reported. It was produced by Papaian Studios. Neal McDonough plays Stewart's father, Alexander, and the cast also includes Rob Riggle, Sarah Drew, Jen Lilley, Kara Killmer, Christopher McDonald and Max Casella, The Christian Post reported.

Burns told CBN he became interested in the project after reading an article Stewart wrote for Guideposts magazine about making "It's a Wonderful Life," and that he had not known about the actor's war service.

That service was remarkable. Stewart served from 1941 to 1945 and deployed to England in 1943 as a heavy bomber pilot with the Eighth Air Force, flying 20 combat missions over occupied Europe, including over Berlin, EWTN reported. He rose to the rank of colonel during the war and later became a brigadier general in the Air Force Reserve, according to The Christian Post.

The film depicts his decision to leave Hollywood at the peak of his career, the psychological toll of combat and his struggle to return to acting, The Christian Post reported. It also explores his bond with his father and how his upbringing shaped his faith and his sense of duty.

Stewart's daughter, Kelly Stewart Harcourt, served as an executive producer. She told The Christian Post that her father rarely talked about the war or the fears he carried, and that the film showed her a side of him she had never seen. After his death, her sister found a wartime diary that revealed doubts and struggles he had kept to himself.

Harcourt told EWTN she had first assumed a movie about her father would be dull, because he led a life without scandal, but changed her mind when she learned it would focus on his war years. She described his faith as important but quiet: church every Sunday and prayers every night. The film, she said, "doesn't glorify war, it tells a really true story".

Apa told CBN that playing a man remembered for his goodness is an honor, and that the challenge is living up to what audiences expect of such a familiar figure.

The filmmakers are offering free tickets to veterans, active-duty service members, first responders and their families through a giving-back program, EWTN reported.

Hollywood has made plenty of war movies, but it rarely tells the story of a famous man who gave up everything to serve, came home carrying wounds no one could see and leaned on his faith and family to find his way back. That is the story of a generation, and Jimmy Stewart lived it.

It also changes the way you watch "It's a Wonderful Life." George Bailey's despair on that bridge, and his joy at rediscovering what truly matters, were played by a man who had seen the worst of war and chose gratitude anyway. For families looking for something wholesome to watch this season, and for a way to honor the veterans in their own lives, "Jimmy" offers a reminder that real heroes are often the quiet ones.

"Jimmy" is in theaters now, just as "It's a Wonderful Life" begins its annual return to living rooms across the country. Seeing them back to back may be the best way to understand the man behind both stories.