Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story not only tells the iconic actor’s story but will elicit tears from audiences throughout the film.

When I watched the film on Monday morning, I could not stop sobbing. Maybe it was watching a Holocaust movie and two October 7 documentaries in the preceding 38 hours. I don’t know. What I do know is that it’s the sort of film that requires Kleenex while watching. In case you didn’t know, Christopher Reeve roomed with Robin Williams while attending Julliard. As such, they were close friends and Robin was very supportive while Reeve was recovering. Glenn Close made the comment that had Reeve lived, Robin would probably still be alive. If that doesn’t get you sobbing–if you aren’t already sobbing throughout the film–I don’t know what will. What adds to the tragedy is that Dana Reeve–a non-smoker–died of lung cancer seventeen months after Christopher died in October 2004.

Reeve was an unknown actor when he was cast in 1978’s Superman–the first of four movies starring the superhero. He had come from a background on stage and some of his fellow actors tried talking him out of taking a screen test. And yet, it was his performance as Clark Kent/Superman (Kal-El) that would establish the benchmark for superhero films that followed. Obviously, the third and fourth films were not that great. Reeve even admitted that the fourth film was a disaster. But anyway, the actor was more than just a superhero as he took on other roles throughout his career–one in which he learned how to ride so that he could do his own stunts on camera. Tragically, a horse-riding accident left him paralyzed in 1995. He eventually made his return to the screen but for a while, he was fighting for his life.

After his accident and recovery, Reeve formed a foundation and became a leader with wife Dana Reeve in trying to find a cure for spinal cord injuries. His fame enabled him to advocate for disability rights even as he directed a pair of live-action TV movies. One was about Brooke Ellison, a quadriplegic who graduated from Harvard. In 1996, Reeve was asked to address the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago. It came a few months after he brought attendees to tears at the Oscars.

I was late to watching the Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve. However, I was more than familiar with him while growing up because of his story being all over the news. Not to mention later appearances during the second and third seasons of Smallville. Unfortunately, his Smallville appearances do not appear in the documentary. It’s a shame but I’m sure I would have been sobbing even more. In case you couldn’t tell, this film emotionally wrecked me.

Like many celebrity documentaries, Super/Man features never-before-seen home movies (both before and after the accident) and no shortage of material from Reeve’s archives. Reeve wrote two memoirs–Still Me and Nothing is Impossible–during his lifetime, likely the source of the narration in the film. Additionally, all three of Reeve’s children discuss the late actor. These are their first extensive interviews about their father. They waited for the right filmmakers to share their father’s story nearly 20 years after his passing. It isn’t just a focus on Reeve’s fame alone but his whole story, including his relationship with his father, Franklin Reeve. They also touch on his relationship with his earlier partner Gae Exton. Exton opens up about the relationship in the doc.

A number of actor friends make appearances throughout the film. Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, and Whoopi Goldberg are among them. Robin Williams appears by way of archive footage. Dr. Stephen Kirshblum discusses Reeve and his injury. Finally, former Secretary of State John Kerry is on hand to discuss the Reeve family. Shortly after Christopher’s death, Dana Reeve, went on the campaign trail to discuss science. I personally could have done without one person being interviewed but that’s just me. Their appearance in the documentary kept taking me out of the film. Alas, it is what it is.

Christopher Reeve may have played a superhero but as Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story shows, he personified what it meant to be a hero during the final years of his life. This film will serve to ensure that his legacy will never be forgotten.

DIRECTORS: Ian Bonhôte & Peter Ettedgui
SCREENWRITER: Peter Ettedgui
CO-SCREENWRITERS: Ian Bonhôte & Otto Burnham
FEATURING: Matthew Reeve, Alexandra Reeve Givens, Will Reeve

DC Studios and Fathom Events will screen Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story on September 21 and September 25, 2024. Grade: 4.5/5

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