Christopher Reeve got me out of jury duty. Long story short, I had interviewed Reeve by phone a few years after he was paralyzed in a freak horse-riding accident. He spoke (pausing as a ventilator helped him breathe) of the need for more spinal cord injury research, and he advocated passionately for people with disabilities who didn’t have the support and resources of a Hollywood star. Fast forward to voir dire in an LA courtroom where a paraplegic defendant was suing a hospital for a lack of proper communication and care. I mentioned my Reeve interview when asked if there was anything in my personal or professional experience that could taint my objectivity. DISMISSED!
Reeve was my generation’s Superman. His portrayal of Superman/Clark Kent in 1978 and again in Superman II in 1980 set a high bar for all the superhero movies that followed (we won’t talk about III and IV). His 1995 accident and his death in 2004 at the age of 54 seemed inconceivable. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story brings it all back: his massive appeal, versatility, charm, activism, and strength in the face of adversity. The documentary features a mix of archival footage (home movies, etc.), interviews with his three children, and fascinating insights from actors who knew him best. It’s moving, inspirational, sad, tragic, and uplifting all at once. And it serves as a fitting tribute to Reeve, as well as to his wife Dana, who died of lung cancer in 2006 at age 44. Their legacy lives on with the work of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
It’s hard to know how the documentary might play for those who never saw Reeve on stage or screen or in his enduring role as activist and advocate. Hopefully it will get suitable traction, if not in theaters, then when it hits the streamers. And I wouldn’t be surprised to see it make the short list for best documentary this coming awards season.
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story had two successful Fathom event screenings in September. It opens wide in theaters across the U.S. on October 11 and internationally throughout the Fall.