Source
r/movies•
FiveWithNineIsIn

Jimmy Stewart biopic

I just finished reading Marc Eliot's biography of Jimmy Stewart, and I'm surprised there hasn't been a movie made of Jimmy's story yet.

I know biopics are kind of a tired genre. But even if the movie just focuses on the making of It's A Wonderful Life, it'd be an incredibly engrossing film. A former Hollywood heartthrob turned war hero who is struggling to find his place in his former home post-war. Add in the PTSD aspect, I think it'd be great with the right creative team. Jimmy pretty much was George Bailey, in an emotional sense, during filming.

Jimmy Stewart gave so many memorable performances under so many legendary directors, I just feel like his story deserves the big screen treatment.

Would you all see this hypothetical movie? Does is sound too sanguine to you?

EDIT: I'll admit upfront that I may be a bit biased. Jimmy grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania not far from where I'm from. But my original pitch still stands.

Posted Jul 24, 2018, 7:26 AM UTC

49
liontrap•

I can't see any actor cast not being ridiculed for their Jimmy Stewart voice.

9
DecaDickDude•

Yeah Jimmy Stewart is the only person who could ever play Jimmy Stewart.

9
FiveWithNineIsInOP•

That's a fair point. He has such a distinct voice.

4
VidyaFan•

Get John Mulaney to play him :)

4
OpticalVortex•

20 years ago, this would have been Tom Hanks. Hell, I think Hanks is the Jimmy Stewart of his generation. I could see Hanks as George Bailey or Stewart as Forest Gump.

3
KelMHill•

No one I have met who is under 40 who is not a film afficianado has heard of Jimmy Stewart. Or any of our other idols, for that matter. If they don't have Instagram accounts, they don't exist.

I also believe that, like Katharine Hepburn., no one - not even Cate Blanchett - can do the Jimmy Stewart voice justice!

2
FiveWithNineIsInOP•

Interesting perspective regarding the age gap. I honestly never considered the Instagram crowd when I dreamed up this movie. But then again, how many Best Picture movies were dreamed up with the Instagram crowd in mind?

5
KelMHill•

True. If it's a fun story, it can fly with a younger crowd, I think. Lots of younger people seem to have enjoyed Feud, even if some of them had not (yet) seen a Bette Davis or Joan Crawford film. I'm probably under-estimating the number who know him, since It's A Wonderful Life is still going strong as a holiday season staple, I believe. It just shocks me how often I come across younger people who have never heard of some icons from the past.

4
FiveWithNineIsInOP•

Fair. I wouldn't call Jimmy's story a "fun" story, but it could play to younger audiences as Hollywood history like, what you cited, Feud.

3