Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story 
U.S.A./U.K.
2024
Opening 10 Oct 2024
Directed by:
Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui
Writing credits:
Ian Bonhôte, Otto Burnham, Peter Ettedgui
Christopher Reeve was born September 25, 1952, in NYC. His parents were Franklin Reeve and Barbara Johnson, who divorced when he was quite young. He studied at Cornell University and the Juilliard School of Performing Arts in New York. He started his career in the film industry in 1977 and is well-known for starring in four Superman films between 1978 and 1987; he was the first to make comic books “real.” With his partner Gae Exton he had two children: son Matthew and daughter Alexandra. For his Superman films, he went to London, where he met Dana. They married and had his third child, son Will. His work brought him together with many well-known Hollywood personalities such as Glenn Close, Marlon Brando, Whoopi Goldberg, and especially Robin Williams who was almost like a brother to him, so close was their friendship.
On May 27, 1995, he fell from a horse, was paralyzed from the neck down and could not breathe. His life changed drastically from a participator to an observer as he lay in bed or was pushed in a wheelchair. This did not prevent him from going forward, this time to support victims of disabilities. He spoke at the Democratic National Convention 1996 along with Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, etc. “America does not let its needy citizens fend for themselves.” Dana loyally stood by him, and together they founded the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation which is now supported by their three children. Christopher Reeve died October 10, 2004, and Dana died two years later of cancer in 2006.
This excellent documentary is made up of many films and videos from the past. There are interviews, commentaries, and memories by Reeve’s three now-grown-up children, friends, and co-workers from his days as an actor. Especially interesting are Matthew, Alexandra, and Will whom we see at different ages as the story is remembered in flashbacks over various periods of Reeve’s life. Superman has not left us. We see a hero in the world of films as well as a hero in the world of disabilities. “We need all the heroes we can get.” (Becky Tan)
