‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’ REVIEW: Exploring the Legacy of a Superman for All Seasons
‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’ REVIEW: Exploring the Legacy of a Superman for All Seasons
“You'll believe a man can fly.”
Directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story follows the late actor Christopher Reeve’s monumental role as Superman in the late 1970s, a role that paved the way for modern superhero storytelling in Hollywood. However, in 1995, after a horse-riding accident paralyzes him, Reeve champions activism for spinal cord injury treatments and disability rights — proving that he is truly the Man of Steel beyond the screen.
The official poster of Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story | Photo taken from IMDb
It was a joy to see the new DC Studios logo animation that played just before the opening credits of the documentary rolled. The animation features a classic Superman design on the back cover of 1940’s Superman #1, transitioning to an updated version of the “DC Bullet” logo from 1977 to 2005. It’s quite fitting how this little detail made me feel giddy as I prepared myself to sit through a documentary about someone who embodied being a superhero, both on and off screen, in a cinema of a measly three people (including myself).
Superman was the superhero I grew up with. I remember watching Superman: The Movie on VCD as many times as I can remember. Without having any idea how old that movie was then, seeing all the red and blue in Superman’s motif made me feel giddy. I can say I grew up with Reeve’s Superman films, but not to the level of his iteration being the definitive version of the character, in my opinion.
Aside from the live-action films, I spent my childhood in awe of the Man of Steel through the Superman: The Last Son of Krypton VCD we owned, which contains the first three episodes of 1996’s Superman: The Animated Series, compiled into a feature-length movie. I was one of the little kids who would never stop imitating Superman getting ready to fly, posing with my chest out and my arms placed on my waist, and wearing a Superman costume like a real superhero.
Christopher Reeve as Superman from Superman: The Movie | Photo courtesy of the Sundance Institute
To me, Superman was this embodiment of hope that inspired many young kids like me who felt small or in need of someone to look up to. Though the impact of Reeve’s death in 2004, when I was five, didn’t carry emotional weight for me back then, I only knew him as the guy playing Superman, whom I could watch whenever I turned on our VCD player as a young kid.
Years later, Superman would be played by Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill, respectively, on the big screen, with the latter being the iteration I closely resonated with. 2013’s Man of Steel paved the way for my growing obsession with superhero movies and the industry at large. As a DC Comics fan, I want to feel the dream Marvel fans experience of seeing their favorite characters come to life with new movies year after year as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After years of reading comic books and watching the animated shows, I desperately wanted to see Superman return to his former glory. Superman is more than just a role that a white actor from Hollywood would play. As unfortunate as what happened to Cavill and his portrayal — tainted due to the lack of direction from Warner Bros. — there is a great need for the Man of Steel to be brought to a new generation.
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, and CNN Films, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story pays tribute to Reeve with such respect, care, and admiration for the legacy he left behind. I expected that this documentary would hit me emotionally, and sitting in the almost-empty cinema fully immersed me in the experience.
Hearing Reeve’s narrations through archival footage made it seem like he was still there, like a familiar friend who just wanted to catch up after so long. I didn’t grow up deeply in love with Reeve as Superman, but now that I’m in my mid-twenties, his portrayal truly means something to many people.
Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve in archival footage from Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story | Photo taken from IMDb
Apart from seeing all the behind-the-scenes moments as Reeve took on the role of Superman in the films from the 1970s and 1980s, seeing his closest friend Robin Williams also brought back so many memories. The two, who were roommates and classmates at Juilliard, had a solid, long-lasting friendship. Though both dealt with their respective personal battles, you can truly see how they always sought to uplift and inspire the people around them. Aside from Williams, other notable Hollywood personalities interviewed included Whoopi Goldberg, Jeff Daniels, Susan Sarandon, and Glenn Close, who share interesting anecdotes from their experiences working with Reeve as fellow actors and friends in the industry.
Maybe it’s the way the documentary made me realize to cherish life at large, how we can never know at any given moment how our life might be altered by circumstances. The fact that Reeve was surrounded by the people he loved most made everything more heartwarming. Most notably, Dana Reeve, his wife, became the Superwoman in the family when Superman ultimately needed support and care. Through thick and thin, she stayed by his side, fulfilling and staying true to the vows they took when they got married.
The documentary highlighted the highs and lows of what made Dana as strong as she could be, which many people may have entirely missed. Aside from archival narration from Reeve himself, we also see Dana’s strength and perseverance through this challenging time in their lives. Although we don’t see her struggle in moments that capture her vulnerability, the documentary portrays her as an inspiration, an exemplar of the unconditional love one can give to their family.
The Reeve family from left: Alexandra, Christopher, Matthew, Dana, and Will / Photo shot by photographer Ken Regan
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story isn’t a sad story designed to evoke a specific emotional response. Instead, it highlights the legacy Reeve left — not just in Hollywood and the Superman franchise, but also through his impact on his children: Will, along with his half-siblings Matthew and Alexandra. I would say that seeing Will, Reeve’s youngest son, interviewed in the documentary left me reflecting on enduring life after losing one’s parents. Orphaned at a young age after his father passed on October 10, 2004, his mother, Dana, joined Reeve in rest on March 6, 2006. Reeve’s legacy lives on through his three children, who are the main focus of the interviews.
Through their perspective, we see who Reeve was as a father, husband, and artist. It’s in how they remember him and what he stood for during his life that we realize the role of Superman in our lives. As a fan of Superman since childhood, I find the hope and strength he embodies inspiring, regardless of the iteration or the actor who dons the cape to portray The Last Son of Krypton and the suit and tie of mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent.
‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’ is now flying to Philippine cinemas.
