Christopher Reeve was my Superman for my generation in the late 70s, this new documentary which I had the chance to preview at the Cineworld Unlimited Screening, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is a powerful and emotional story of the rise of an unknown act to an iconic movie star. His definitive portrayal of Clark Kent/Superman set the benchmark for the superhero cinematic universes that dominate cinema today.
Christopher Reeve portrayed the Man of Steel in four Superman films showcasing his talent and versatility in numerous other roles. In 1995, he suffered a near-fatal horse-riding accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down.
After becoming a quadriplegic, he emerged as a charismatic leader and activist dedicated to finding a cure for spinal cord injuries. He also passionately advocated for disability rights and care, all while continuing his career in cinema—both in front of and behind the camera—and devoting himself to his beloved family.
The Christopher Reeve Story is a powerful piece of cinema it brought back so many memories for me of not only how Reeve brought Superman to life on the screen, but also how his portrayal gave me a love of comic books after discovering the character at the cinema on a Saturday afternoon with my parents.
The documentary also brought back those memories when I first saw the news broadcast of the tragic accident that set Reeve on a new journey from Superman to a true hero as he fought his way to find a cure for spinal injuries to help the thousands of people.
I knew going into the Cineworld Unlimited Screening that this would be an emotional 1 hour 44 minutes, I wasn’t expecting to be crying at the end with all the emotional moments throughout the production. From the opening with John Williams’ iconic Superman theme to the tragic death of Reeve and then his wife not long after, this is a production which grabs your heartstrings!
It’s great to see the cinemas showing this sort of production on the big screen and it is certainly a fascinating watch from start to finish.
Directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui have created a wonderful and emotional film that features never-before-seen intimate home movies and an extraordinary collection of personal archival material. It includes the first extended interviews ever filmed with Christopher Reeve’s three children about their father, as well as conversations with the A-list Hollywood actors who were his colleagues and friends including Whoopi Goldberg, Glenn Close and Jeff Daniels.
The film is a moving and vivid cinematic telling of Reeve’s remarkable story and one that fans of the Superman movie and Christopher Reeve must see on the big screen. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is produced by Passion Pictures (Searching For Sugar Man, The Territory) and Misfits Entertainment (McQueen, Rising Phoenix).
