The excellent documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story reminds us that before being Superman, Christopher Reeve was a man.
Will Reeve has his father’s smile. He speaks to the cameras of directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui. He reels off the memories and the story of Christopher Reeve unfolds.
We go back to his youth, to his beginnings on the stage when he met Robin Williams, who remained his great friend until his death, Jeff Daniels and William Hurt. We also meet Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon, Glen Close, all her friends.
The role of his career is coming. Christopher Reeve flies to London to audition and William Hurt tries to dissuade him. As the documentary comes from Warner studios, owners of the adaptation rights to DC Comics, we are entitled to a host of details and archive videos from the filming, anecdotes make us relive the success of the feature films ($300 million in worldwide box office receipts), the way in which Christopher Reeve worked the dual role of Clark Kent and Superman.
The professional mixes with the personal. We learn that the actor’s father did not hold his son in high esteem. Christopher Reeve’s two other children also testify, those he had with Gae Exton, his first partner. We relive his meeting with Dana Morosini, Reeve’s fear of marriage, their love, their wedding.
And the accident. The interview footage brings us back Christopher Reeve describing his emergence from a coma, his memories colliding in his mind. His pain of being bedridden, crippled, paralyzed. The words of Dana and the three children, now adults, follow one another. His eldest, Matthew, pointing out that he was his father’s age at the time of the horse accident.
It’s impossible not to be amazed by the courage of the actor who succeeds in directing a film (In the Gloaming with Glenn Close and Bridget Fonda), gives a speech on the Oscars stage, campaigns tirelessly for research, particularly on stem cells, better medical coverage for people with disabilities and the creation of his foundation which today also supports Dana’s name. Because Dana died less than two years after her husband from lung cancer when Will was only 14 years old.
The testimonies are moving and make us realize that it was the strength of the love that surrounded Christopher Reeve that allowed him to overcome the tragedy that struck him.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story hits theaters October 11.
