Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve story is showing at BFI London Film Festival on October 14 and 19 and in cinemas nationwide from November 1.
“What is a hero? My answer was that a hero is someone who commits a courageous action without considering the consequences. Now, my definition is completely different. I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” – Christopher Reeve.
On May 27, 1995, Christopher Reeve was riding at the Commonwealth Park Equestrian Centre in Virginia when his horse refused to jump a one-metre fence. Reeve fell headfirst from the horse, severing his vertebrae. The injury was akin to that caused by a hangman’s noose, but Reeve survived, just half an inch to the left, and he would have died instantly; half an inch to the right, he would have walked away. As I watched the news that fateful day, the world seemed darker; Christopher Reeve, the Man of Steel for so many kids, including me, was human after all, and as doctors announced that “Mr Reeve had no movement or spontaneous respiration”, I, like so many around the world hoped for a miracle.
As the world waited to hear more, Christopher lay unconscious, with his kids Matthew and Alexandra and their mum Gae Exton (Christopher’s first partner) flying to the US from England to be by his side, alongside his devoted wife Dana and their young child Will. When Christopher regained consciousness, he told his wife, Dana, “Maybe we should let me go.” Dana responded, “You’re still, you, and I love you.” Those words were enough for Christopher to fight. Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story brings that fight to life through home video, interviews, archive footage and audiobook recordings while exploring the light and dark of a career that stretched from theatre to Superman and beyond.
In the years that followed Christopher’s accident, he became far more than the superhero we loved on screen; he became a true Superman who offered hope to millions by reframing discussions on disability. Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui do not attempt to sugarcoat the journey Christopher Reeve took alongside his devoted family and friends, and the light and dark of his internal and external battle. While Christopher Reeve never allowed his quadriplegia to define him, his strength wasn’t instantaneous or without moments of abject darkness. But despite the internal and external battles he faced, he used his disability to raise issues relating to the treatment, support and care offered to people in similar situations, took roles as disabled characters, directed films focused on issues he felt passionately about, and used the stage of the Academy Awards and the Democratic National Convention to raise the profile of medical research. For some, Christopher strayed too far into conversations on a “cure,” but for many others, his strength offered hope in their darkest days.
Woven into the story of Christopher’s life after the accident, Bonhôte and Ettedgui offer a detailed exploration of his career from his early days at the Juilliard School alongside his roommate Robin Williams to his first stage roles. Jeff Daniels, Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon, and Glenn Close talk about his journey from the stage to Superman and how that role changed his life positively and negatively. They discuss the power of instant fame in shaping your view of what should and could come next, and the insecurities Christopher carried following Superman as he attempted to find roles that could shake off the Man of Steel image. There is also a brief but fascinating insight into Christopher’s childhood and relationship with an overbearing yet distant father who never praised his achievements. Equally, Reeve’s lifelong friendship with Robin Williams and their love for each other is beautifully explored through home videos and archive clips, with the words of Glenn Close carrying such power when exploring their bond that I defy anyone not to shed a tear.
However, the beating heart of Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is family. The documentary not only focuses on Christopher’s journey but also the journey of his children, his first partner, Gae, and his wife, Dana. It is a film about the love that surrounded him and the strength his family generated in navigating a changed world. Matthew, Alexandra, Gae and Will, who also suffered the loss of their mum, Dana, from lung cancer just a few years after their dad died, are the lifeblood of this emotional, honest, and inspirational documentary. Their love for each other shines through, alongside their commitment to celebrate and continue the work of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation in furthering research, funding and support. Like their dad and Dana, they are heroes, too.
Follow Us