Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024, dirs. Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui)

by Jack Martin | Nov 2, 2024

Certificate: 12A

Running Time: 104 mins

UK Distributor: Warner Bros

UK Release Date: 1 November 2024

WHO’S IN SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY?

Christopher Reeve, Johnny Carson, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Richard Donner, Gae Exton, Alexandra Reeve Givens, John Houseman, Barack Obama, Dana Reeve, Matthew Reeve, Will Reeve, Susan Sarandon, Jane Seymour, Robin Williams

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

Ian Bonhôte (director, writer, producer), Peter Ettedgui (director, writer), Otto Burnham (writer, editor), Robert Ford and Lizzie Gillett (producers), Ilan Eshkeri (composer), Bryan Twz Brousseau (cinematographer)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

The extraordinary life and career of iconic Superman actor Christopher Reeve…

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY?

[This is a slightly re-edited version of our review for Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story from its showing at the Toronto International Film Festival]

In 1978, the world believed that a man could fly. That man, Christopher Reeve, would go on to leave a legacy beyond his days as Superman, which would see him soar higher than even the Man of Steel himself, and eventually become an icon of what it is to be human, and to fight for those who may not have the physical capabilities to do so themselves – including, as it would turn out, himself.

Reeve’s unexpected transformation into a real-life hero is the central focus of Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, an emotional documentary from filmmakers Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui that takes an empathetic and celebratory look at his extraordinary life, and makes the case that he may actually have been a real-life superhero.

Told through a well-edited mix of archive footage – including some old family movies showing Reeve interacting with his children and partners – and interviews with surviving family members and close friends, the film blends together numerous anecdotes about Reeves as he started out as an aspiring theatre actor, until he got the screen-test that would change his life forever. However, the film focuses most heavily on the aftermath of Reeve’s horse-riding accident in 1995, which severed his spinal cord and left him completely paralysed, relying on ventilators and round-the-clock care to survive. Much of the film is also spent on what Reeve decided to do later, by starting what is now the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation that would dedicate itself to finding and funding research that could cure spinal cord injuries for good, a venture that would spark initial controversy from disability advocates, but also heavy support from public figures and doctors the world over.

As you can probably tell, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is a very, very big fan of its titular figure. Bonhôte and Ettedgui don’t make it much of a secret that they have such fondness for Reeve and his inspiring life that they rarely find much, if at all, to criticise about him. This may make it sound as though the film is nothing more than a piece of blatant hero worship, like a ten-year-old writing an essay about their favourite superhero, but the filmmakers do manage to keep a fair distance from completely idolising their subject by also focusing on a number of vulnerabilities that the actor faced throughout his career.

For one, interviewees describe how his international recognition as Superman did prevent him from being seen as the actor that he desperately wanted to be known as. Fellow actor Jeff Daniels, who performed with Reeve in a play where they portrayed gay lovers, recounts how an audience member would yell out “Say it ain’t so, Superman!” during an intimate love scene. We also see how many of his other roles, such as that of a corrupt priest in Frank Perry’s Monsignor or acting opposite Anthony Hopkins in The Remains of the Day, did not receive nearly as much attention from audiences, who like that theatre heckler could not see Reeve as anything more than just the superhero. The iconic role, as the film suggests, was a blessing and a curse for the actor, as it has continued to be for other performers that have become known over the years for one singular role, and may have been similarly typecast as a result.

Naturally, the film comes with much more optimism and goodwill for Reeve’s legacy, with the film adopting a very likeable tone as it explores his rapid rise to fame and all its highs and lows, as well as his families with long-time partner Gae Exton (who is also interviewed for the film, as are their adult children Matthew and Alexandra) and his eventual wife Dana, with whom he had his third child Will (also interviewed). A sizeable chunk is dedicated to Reeve’s friendship with Robin Williams, who it is mentioned was particularly distraught after Reeve’s death in 2004, which is understandable given their closeness in life, to where Williams would throw an annual get-together for his friend on the anniversary of the accident. Such moments of good-heartedness do form some of the film’s most powerful moments, and as you see footage of Reeve inspiring crowds with his resilience and firm passion towards helping others, you are able to see a very different kind of superman.

At just over an hour and a half, it comes in at a pretty good length, but by the end you’ll have felt like you’ve been through as much of a life as you realistically can. It’s a film that is filled with warmth and humanity as it tells this man’s story with a great deal of respect and love for its subject, without coming off as too praising. If anything, the film leaves you wanting to know more about all the other events of Reeve’s life that were either nixed for time or left out of the initial development.

Whatever may have been removed, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story has more than enough to offer for not just admirers of Christopher Reeve himself, or even Superman enthusiasts, but those looking for a feel-good story about a man who was, in many ways, super.

SO, TO SUM UP…

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is a heartfelt and compassionate documentary on the extraordinary life of the Superman actor, which narrowly avoids hero worship while still highlighting his moments of genuine heroism.