The holidays are fast approaching, and for many of us, so is our annual viewing of It’s a Wonderful Life.

But do you know the real-life war story that inspired Jimmy Stewart to take on what would become his most iconic role and a Christmas staple spanning generations?

The new film Jimmy is a biopic in theaters Friday detailing Stewart’s service in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Already an established actor, Stewart rose through the officer ranks as a combat pilot, flying 20 missions across Europe and earning two Distinguished Flying Crosses.

You can see the movie for free: Vet Tix and Fathom Entertainment are giving away $1 million in tickets to the film to active duty servicemembers, veterans, and first responders. Secure your seats at the Vet Tix website; a verified Vet Tix account is required to access event tickets.

The film contrasts the Hollywood glitz of the day with aerial combat scenes, highlighting both Stewart’s stardom and his internal struggles following the war.

KJ Apa, who played Archie in the Riverdale TV series, stars as Stewart. Marine veteran Rob Riggle, Seinfeld alum Jason Alexander, and “Hey, where do I know that guy from?” character actor Neil McDonough (Tulsa King, The Last Rodeo) co-star.

As the premier approached, director Aaron Burns sat down with MOAA to discuss the film.   

Interview excerpts, edited for space and clarity.

Q. What inspired you to make this film?

A. I’d always been a fan of Jimmy Stewart and his movies as a kid. I watched It’s a Wonderful Life and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. And he seemed like a man of character. But I just assumed like everybody else in Hollywood that he was probably just pretending. And it’s not until four or five years ago, I read an article he wrote for Guideposts magazine about the making of It’s A Wonderful Life in which he laid out that his journey to get there came through active duty service flying bombers above the skies of Germany in World War II. When he came back home, It’s a Wonderful Life was his spiritual healing. And I just had no idea. And that led me down this hole to study his service and his courage and his sacrifice.

Col. Terrill (Rob Riggle, left) and Jimmy Stewart (KJ Apa) in “Jimmy,” a new biopic directed by Aaron Burns. (Burns & Co. photo)

Q. It almost feels like a movie Jimmy Stewart would have starred in.

A. So, Frank Capra is the director of It’s A Wonderful Life. My creative goal in the way we told the story was to do it as if it was Frank and Jimmy’s last collaboration together.

Q. Jimmy Stewart’s daughter is a producer on the film. Can you talk a little bit about how she informed filming?

A. She came in and worked on the script and the story with us, and she had access to his flight logbook.

There’s something [during World War II] called Big Week, which was these big hammering campaigns that the Eighth Air Force flew to soften up Germany to prep for the Normandy invasions. And they flew mission after mission after mission. And in one of them, Jimmy lost 130 guys. And you can see it in the logbook. And it says the names and missions and estimated time of arrival and then little asterisks. And it says across the bottom, scrolled in pencil, “asterisks did not return.”

He also kept a journal during the war, which his daughters found after he passed away, tucked right next to his bed in the nightstand. And it chronicled this era.

Then-Maj. Jimmy Stewart confers with a B-24 crew member. (Air Force photo)

Q. What was it like to cast the role? It seems like a huge challenge.

A. The only thing more bullheaded than saying we’re going to make a movie about Jimmy Stewart is that we’re going to find somebody who could fill those gigantic shoes.

What I was looking for is someone who would be willing to embrace what Jimmy loved, would have Jimmy’s heart, and would have the passion to do the very best.

KJ was already a trim guy, but he lost like 15 pounds to create the wartime silhouette that Jimmy had as he was barely eating. He really came in not impersonating Jimmy, but embodying Jimmy’s heart and bringing that to the table.

Q. How did you approach getting military culture correct?

A. I really enjoyed getting to do the research with the Eighth Air Force, with the missions, and getting up in the air in these B-24s. But I didn’t want to trust myself and our research.

So it was meticulously integrating subject-matter experts into all the different departments we have. We realized the importance of the details of where the patches and the buttons and all of those things go. They were teaching the boys how to salute, how to stand, how to move. A guy who’s flown a lot of hours in a B-24 came out to set and taught the guys.

[RELATED: Wings of World War II]

Q. What message do you hope the currently serving audience takes away from this movie?

A. I hope that when they watch it, they feel seen. They’ll know that there are millions of other Americans who are watching this story and knowing just a little tiny taste of what it’s like to be in combat and what it’s like to serve. They would feel seen, and they would hear a thank you.

And then, not everyone struggles with PTSD or reintegrating back home, but I know that some do, like Jimmy did. Jimmy struggled, but he found hope.