Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, 2024.
Directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui.
Featuring Christopher Reeve, Amanda Reeve, Matthew Reeve, Will Reeve. Gae Sexton, Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Whoopi Goldberg, John Kerry, Brooke Ellison, Steven Kirshblum, Richard Donner, Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams, Bill Clinton, Johnny Carson, Jane Seymour, Barack Obama, and Alexandra Reeve Givens.
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.
On May 27th, 1995, Superman actor Christopher Reeve was paralyzed in a horse riding accident. If he had landed on his head half an inch to the left, he would have died on impact, half an inch to the right, and he would have gotten up and walked away with a somewhat embarrassing story to tell. It’s a startling reminder of how finicky the human body can be, that mere inches can mark the difference between lives that are led. Instead, Christopher Reeve survived a spinal cord injury and was confined to a wheelchair and ventilator for the remaining nine years of his life, leaving behind a legacy of resistance, activism, and heroism. Documentary filmmakers Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui are here to tell that story, or as it’s called, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.
Complete with archival footage of Christopher Reeve and new interviews with his three adult children (Matthew Reeve, Will Reeve, and Alexandra Reeve Givens), the documentary is also told through shifting timelines, with one of which following an ascendance to Hollywood fame and a more familiar, literal interpretation of embodying Superman, whereas post-injury follows a battle of the mind and what it really means to be superhuman. From an editing standpoint, it seems tricky to pull off on paper, but these filmmakers keep up dramatic intrigue and allow each juxtaposition to inform the next.
Even Christopher Reeve admits that, upon playing a disabled character once, he wasn’t fully absorbing the experiences of those he was trying to imitate. He went home without thinking about them until it was time to prepare for the role again. Understandably, it’s one of the first regrets that comes to mind upon realizing that he would be paralyzed for life. Such contrasts are the perks of the nonlinear storytelling on display here while also charting an evolutionary thought process of what being Superman meant to Christopher Reeve.
Also on hand are several additional interviews with noteworthy friends such as Glenn Close and Susan Sarandon, as well as footage of Robin Williams. A deeply kind and empathetic person, Robin Williams also found himself using his distinct sense of humor to do whatever he could to keep Christopher Reeve in high spirits, going as far as throwing a party each year on the anniversary of the injury. There is a secondary emotionally draining narrative arc here digging into how strong their friendship was and how, in some ways, their fates may have been intertwined.
Naturally, any interview with Christopher Reeve’s children is equally devastating as they discuss life before and after the accident. The film also digs into Christopher Reeve’s personal life and multiple relationships, mainly focusing on his time with Dana Reeve, who would go on to be a critical part of the paralysis research foundation started in his name. In a slight source of controversy, Christopher Reeve also became fixated on a determination to walk again one day rather than funneling those resources into ways to make life easier for the disabled. Friend and disability advocate Brooke Ellison offers insight on that touchy subject for the disabled community. Not only did they remain friends, but Christopher Reeve directed a film about her life, which showed that he still had more to give to the world of movies (he also appeared in more TV movies).
Even though Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is beautifully inspirational, it succeeds as a touching study of an incredible person because it doesn’t force that aspect. Above all else, it’s a documentary about transformation, real-world superhuman strength, unwavering love, towering friendship, what Superman represents, and what type of good he can bring out within people, analyzed through several moving anecdotes and powerful memories of Christopher Reeve. In that regard, it is a super and emotionally absorbing triumph that should reshape the perspectives of viewers alike.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
