''Jimmy'' is a 2013 dramatic family film directed by

Mark Freiburger Stephen Mark Freiburger (born July 16, 1983) is an American filmmaker. Early life and education * Graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in 2005. Film work * Writer/Director of the upcoming feature film ''Follow By ...

. It is based on a novel of the same name, by author

Robert Whitlow Robert Whitlow is a film-maker and a best-selling author of fifteen legal thrillers. He is also a contributor to a short story ''The Rescuers'', a story included in the book ''What The Wind Picked Up'' by The ChiLibris Ring. In 2001, he won the ...

. The film adaptation was additionally written by director

, and producer Gary Wheeler.

Plot

The central character of the film is a challenged fourteen-year-old

autistic The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

boy named Jimmy Mitchell (portrayed by Ian Colletti). In the quaint town of Pinery Grove, Georgia, he lives under the loving care of his family, striving to overcome the day-to-day struggles that surface. While deprived of mental normality, he is naturally gifted with a unique capacity to ''see beyond'' what most see. A supernatural element coincides with his natural gift, as angelic beings he calls "Watchers", are seen throughout his everyday experiences. His profound sense of observation leads him into trouble when stumbling onto ''the wrong place at the wrong time'' (which proves an arbitrary habit for Jimmy), as he must testify in a pivotal trial what he bore witness to.

Cast

* Ian Colletti as Jimmy Mitchell *

Ted Levine Frank Theodore Levine (born May 29, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the roles of Buffalo Bill (character), Buffalo Bill in the film ''The Silence of the Lambs (film), The Silence of the Lambs'' (1991) and Leland Stottle ...

as James Lee Mitchell *

Kelly Carlson Kelly Lee Carlson (born February 17, 1976) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Kimber Henry in the FX drama series ''Nip/Tuck''. Career Carlson was raised in Bloomington, Minnesota, and attended the Academy o ...

as Ellen Mitchell *

Patrick Fabian Patrick Fabian (born December 7, 1964) is an American film, stage, and television actor. He is known for his role as attorney Howard Hamlin in ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022). His film roles include '' End Game'' (2006), ''The Last Exorcism' ...

as Lee Mitchell *

Bob Gunton Robert Patrick Gunton Jr. (born November 15, 1945) is an American character actor of stage and screen. He is known for playing strict authoritarian characters, including Warden Samuel Norton in the 1994 prison drama ''The Shawshank Redemption'', ...

as Sheriff Brinson *

Burgess Jenkins Burgess Jenkins (born October 24, 1973) is an American actor. He is known for work in the film ''Remember the Titans'' opposite Academy Award winner Denzel Washington; and as Hilary Swank's husband David Winter in ''The Reaping'' (2007). Ear ...

as Jake Garner *

Jackson Pace Jackson Pace (born February 19, 1999) is an American actor. He was a series regular in the Showtime television series ''Homeland'', playing Chris Brody from 2011 to 2013. He also portrays Gage in the AMC zombie hit series '' The Walking Dead'' ...

as Max Cochran *

Gregory Alan Williams Gregory Alan Williams (born June 12, 1956) sometimes credited as Gregalan Williams, is an American actor and author. He is best known for portraying LAPD Officer Garner Ellerbee in ''Baywatch''. From 2011 until 2013, Williams portrayed the role ...

as Coach Sellers * R. Keith Harris as Brother Fitzgerald *

Stelio Savante Stelio Savante is a South African American actor, filmmaker and producer best known for his roles as a South African journalist and undercover Mossad agent opposite Jim Caviezel and Claudia Karvan in the political thriller ''Infidel'', a Portu ...

as Mr. Laney

Production

Producer Gary Wheeler had adapted two of author Robert Whitlow's novels to film prior to ''Jimmy'', being, '' The List'' (2007) and ''

The Trial ''The Trial'' (german: Der Process, link=no, previously , and ) is a novel written by Franz Kafka in 1914 and 1915 and published posthumously on 26 April 1925. One of his best known works, it tells the story of Josef K., a man arrested and pr ...

''(2010). Having directed both films, he chose to take a backseat from directorial focus to strictly co-write and produce his current film adaptation of one of Whitlow's novels, ''Jimmy'', published in 2005. In (roughly) 2007-2008, long-time collaborator of Wheeler's, Mark Freiburger, who had also collaborated with Wheeler on the past film adaptations of Whitlow's successful novels, was given the ''Jimmy'' novel to read by Wheeler, with the suggestion of his directing the film adaptation. After Whitlow's approval, Freiburger was signed on to direct the film, enthusiastic about working with an actor on developing the portrayal of a mentally disabled character and, ''"making it believable for an audience"''.

Release and reception

The film premiered worldwide on the

Up TV UP TV (stylized as UPtv; formerly GMC TV and originally Gospel Music Channel) is an American basic cable television network that was founded to have a focus on gospel music. It has expanded into family-friendly original movies, series, and special ...

network (formerly GMC) on June 2, and was released to DVD on June 4 in the US. In October 2013, it had a limited theatrical release in 20 cities, 4 months after the DVD release. The film has also played at numerous events and film festivals.

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 1376205 2013 television films 2013 films Films set in Georgia (U.S. state) Films based on American novels Autism in the arts Films about autism Films shot in North Carolina