Directors: Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui
Writers: Ian Bonhôte, Otto Burnham, Peter Ettedgui
Stars: Christopher Reeve
Synopsis: Reeve’s rise to becoming a film star, follows with a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After which he became an activist for spinal cord injury treatments and disability rights.
Superman: The Movie has been canonized for years now. Going beyond the realm of cinema, the 1978 Superman has been permanently frozen into the annals of pop culture legend. It, of course, helps that Superman is one of the most iconic characters to ever be written. But the character had existed for decades prior to the adaptation, so what about that film elevated the hero to newfound heights? At the time, it was a landmark film in terms of visual effects, and, in retrospect, began the cascading effect of where contemporary cinema has currently found itself. But, having recently watched it for the first time, the reason for its transcendence is incredibly apparent: Christopher Reeve simply embodies the very essence of a superhero. It’s an all-time movie star performance, which captures the very essence of heroism in incredibly natural ways. And this documentary, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, truly capitalizes on that natural charisma and moral compass. After all, the story of Reeve and his family is more inspiring than any fictional superhero comic that’s been written.
One would think that living up to the mythos of Superman would be an insurmountable task. But Reeve, with all his charisma and resiliency, proved it possible. The documentary, directed by Peter Ettedgui and Ian Bonhôte, is really not about Superman. It’s about Reeve, the man who embodied the chance to be super. But importantly, and it’s what truly elevates this documentary, it also focuses on those around him who did the same. After the tragic accident that left Reeve paralyzed from the neck down, an unfathomable amount of responsibility was placed on the shoulders of his wife, Dana Reeve. The biggest strength of this documentary is just how powerfully the love Dana and Christopher had for one another comes across. One sequence in particular details the first conversation the two had after the accident, and with three words, it will cause any audience member to sob.
There’s a quote from Reeve in the film wherein he describes his understanding of what it means to be a hero. In his eyes, an ordinary person who endures great hardship and maintains hope is more heroic than any superpowered individual. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is not only a perfect encapsulation of one person, but several individuals, who fit this definition of what it means to be a hero. Furthermore, it confirms the essential nature of surrounding oneself with love. Between Dana, his three children, Matthew, Alexandra, and Will, Robin Williams (of which he is heavily featured in the documentary, and it is as devastating as you could expect), and more, it’s clear Christopher Reeve had a rock solid support system. And it’s with that support, and his clearly innate resiliency, that he decided to let his accident only be a hurdle in life.
Just like Superman, Christopher Reeve used his persona as both a symbol for hope and a vehicle for change. A major advocate for disability rights and care, the foundation created in his and his wife’s name has become the story of a foundation that has helped countless lives. His determination to change the accessibility of Hollywood is immensely admirable. One segment of the documentary follows the steps that were taken for Christopher to appear at the Oscars in 1996. It’s a deeply powerful moment when he finally takes the stage, and leaves you with a sense of overwhelming awe. It’s a truly marvelous moment wherein you fully believe him to be a superhero. It’s transcendent, until the first sentence out of his mouth is a joke. He immediately reminds the world on a massive stage that he, and anybody with a disability, does not want to be pitied. Instead, he’s just a person. The same Christopher Reeve we have always known and loved.
Again, the idea of anybody living up to the stature of Superman seems impossible. But even before his accident, it appeared that Christopher Reeve had achieved it. Perhaps the greatest moment in any comic book film is in the 1978 Superman and solely rests on the shoulders of Christopher Reeve. In the original film, Clark meets Lois Lane in her apartment. He has his typical sheepish demeanor. But as Lois leaves the room, he removes his glasses and his entire body language changes. But before admitting he is Superman, he puts the glasses back on and reverts back to the nervous Clark. It’s only about 30 seconds or so, but it’s a stunning example of a subtle physical performance that will forever move me. For me, it’s not his performance of Superman that sets him apart from the rest, but his performance of Clark Kent. In it, there is such an innate love for humanity, and Christopher Reeve brings a deep and necessary humility to his performance. It’s in that humility that Christopher Reeve becomes a truly iconic figure in history. May we all hope to inspire even a fraction of the people he has in our lives, and may we be so lucky as to have a love as deep as his and his wife.
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story celebrated its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in the Premieres section and is currently seeking distribution.
