Jimmy Stewart was one of Hollywood’s leading actors from the 1940s to the 1970s, but many people do not know his wartime story. “Jimmy,” which opens worldwide Nov. 6, follows Stewart from Academy Award-winning leading man to Army Air Corps pilot in World War II. It then traces his return and his role as George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture will hold a preview screening on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Loreto Theater. Through a “buy one, get one” program with Vet Tix, every ticket purchased will provide a veteran with a free ticket to see the film. The screening will be followed by a conversation with director Aaron Burns; producer Jack McClintock; and actress Jen Lilley, who portrays Stewart’s wife, Gloria.
“Tunnel to Towers has spent more than two decades caring for veterans, first responders, and their families, and their work to end veteran homelessness speaks directly to what this film is about,” said Kieran Maelia, deputy executive director of the Sheen Center, about the center’s partnership with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and Roberts & Ryan for the screening. “Jimmy Stewart came home from the war carrying wounds no one could see. Many veterans still do. Partnering with Tunnel to Towers and with Roberts & Ryan, a veteran-owned company, lets us connect the story on screen with an organization that is helping veterans rebuild their lives today.”
Maelia also spoke about how Catholics in particular can connect with the story.
“At its heart, this is a story about a man who came home broken and found his way back to hope. That is a story Catholics know well,” he said. “Blessed Fulton Sheen taught that suffering is never wasted when it is joined to something greater. Jimmy Stewart lived that.”
Tickets are available on the Sheen Center’s website.