‘Jimmy’ Review: Cornball James Stewart Biopic Gets the Manner, but Not the Man

As one of Hollywood’s staunchest Republicans, the late James Stewart perhaps wouldn’t be rolling in his grave in response to “Jimmy,” a biopic that — in focusing rather less on his artistry than on his military service — paints him in a glowingly conservative light. But either way, he deserves better than this hokey, superficial […]

As one of Hollywood’s staunchest Republicans, the late James Stewart perhaps wouldn’t be rolling in his grave in response to “Jimmy,” a biopic that — in focusing rather less on his artistry than on his military service — paints him in a glowingly conservative light. But either way, he deserves better than this hokey, superficial […] KJ Apa does a passable James Stewart impression in director Aaron Burns' one-note, semi-faith-based biopic 'Jimmy.' KJ Apa does a passable Stewart impression in this one-note, semi-faith-based portrait, which mainly portrays the beloved Hollywood star as a vessel for patriotic values. As one of Hollywood’s staunchest Republicans, the late James Stewart perhaps wouldn’t be rolling in his grave in response to “Jimmy,” a biopic that — in focusing rather less on his artistry than on his military service — paints him in a glowingly conservative light.

But either way, he deserves better than this hokey, superficial portrait, which lives up to the popular conception of Stewart as an all-American mensch and everyman hero, while finding precious little of interest to actually say about him, either as a human or as an icon. It’s buoyed by “Riverdale” star KJ Apa‘s enthusiastic but thin portrayal, which mostly captures the star’s signature