This documentary on Christopher Reeve uses never-seen-before home movie and personal archival footage to reveal to us how he went from unknown actor to iconic movie star
Still from Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Film- Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Cast: Christopher Reeve
Director: Peter Ettedgui, Ian Bonhôte
Rating: 3/5
Runtime: 104m
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Christopher Reeve became the ultimate screen superhero with ‘Superman,’ went on to star in three sequels and a few other remarkable dramas and then the tragic accident that left him quadriplegic and dependent on a ventilator, happened. The irony that Superman couldn’t fly anymore, is lost on no one.
This documentary uses never-seen-before home movie and personal archival footage to reveal to us how Christopher Reeve went from unknown actor to iconic movie star. His life after the accident has largely been public knowledge. The near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995, that left him paralyzed from the neck down, allowed him little moment yet his indomitable spirit did not allow him to say die, and for the next 20 years he became one of the foremost activists for spinal cord injury treatments and disability rights.
Chris was a normal active person before the accident so adjusting to the new normal was a challenge that he and his family had to face and overcome. His attempts to retain a sense of self was a challenge that most people in his position would not have managed to scale. Yet he did it with unstinting support from his devoted wife/caregiver Dana, and his children Matthew, Alexandra, and Will .
Directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, this biodoc is a compelling recant of the tragedy that befell the actor and how he gained redemption from his post accident pursuits. The creation of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, a non-profit whose goal is to cure spinal-cord injury and improve the quality of life for those with paralysis, was the first step to that achievement.
The narrative takes us back and forth in time, paralleling his breakthrough role in Donner’s 1978 film with his debilitating injury nearly two decades later. We get to see the making of the star, the incredible highs he experienced thus, contrasted against the abject lows he experienced in the hospital bed. We also become privy to Reeve’s suggestion to Dana: “Maybe we should let me go.”
The personal archival footage, basically recollections from family and friends, is emotionally affecting. Close friends, Susan Sarandon, Glenn Close talk about Reeve’s work ethic and generous nature, Whoopi Goldberg and Jeff Daniels highlight other facets of his persona while his children give us a peek into the family side of him. We glean that Reeve feared marriage because of his troubled, fractured childhood. Reeve’s friendship with Robin Williams, which began when they both were roommates at Juilliard, continued steadfast right until Reeve’s death. Close even suggests that Williams might not have been disheartened enough to end his own life if Reeve had not passed away early.
These reflections poignant and personal lend the narrative its emotional heft. The celebration of Dana Reeve’s contribution to the foundation and the complete immersion of self in Chris’ caregiving and activism is a worthy part of this documentary. Their children speak about what she went through in the years that followed his accident.
The documentary does feel a bit manipulative in the manner in which it presents his sudden debilitation but it’s obviously for a good cause and therefore forgivable. The animation sequence symbolising Super/man’s fight to rise above post accident turbulence in his life was not necessary in the scheme of things.
This film is essentially a memoriam to the actor who dared to make his own experience with disability become a beacon of hope for others who might suffer similar plights. It is rendered with love and care and makes you feel good that even in these materialistic times, families coming together with compassion and foresight could make a difference to those who have lost everything.
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