Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

In a world riddled with super-human stories and comic book characters in skin-tight spandex and bright colours, the word “hero” has become more of an aesthetic rather than a trait celebrated. But there are still individuals out there telling heroic stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. That’s what documentary filmmaking duo Peter Ettedgui and Ian Bonhôte set out to do when they first started working on Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. Covering his rise to fame by taking on the Superman mantle to the horrific horseriding accident that left him paraplegic, the feature explores the dichotomy of this larger-than-life character who can do almost everything, and a simple family man trying to carry on after his whole world comes crashing down on him.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is not just Christopher Reeve’s story. Rather, it’s a film that strongly displays themes of love, family and friendship, and sparks hard conversations regarding disabilities. It highlights the important roles everyone around Reeve played in uplifting him through his most trying moments, before and after the injury. Ettedgui and Bonhôte successfully create this beautiful narrative by playing with structure. Instead of simply recounting Reeve’s entire life history, the feature oscillates between the before and after of his injury, creating parallels and contrasting comparisons to elements of his life as an actor struggling to make a name for himself, to living within such a physically demanding industry after losing his mobility.

The emotional crux of these different timelines is the relationship dynamics that surrounded Reeve – from his initial romance with Gae Exton to Dana Reeve’s enduring love for him in the latter half of his life; his early days in theatre alongside roommate Robin Williams and their later shared understanding of a deep and unrelenting loneliness that haunted both of them. Visually, the picture accentuates these moments of struggle and weakness with an image of a Superman statue, cracking, crumbling and discolouring.

Besides the three recurring figures noted above, other actors and players within the film industry also feature, including Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon and Jeff Daniels. But the most important voices are that of his family, particularly his children: Matthew Reeve, Alexandra Reeve Givens and Will Reeve. Seeing through their eyes – and with the help of multiple family home videos and archival footage – who Reeve was behind the cape sets a strong foundation for him as an ordinary man who achieved extraordinary things. Not only that, but the feature also uses this same technique to firmly underline Dana’s importance in Christopher’s life and the building of The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation – the foundation that is the true heart of the film.

Discussions of disability can sometimes divide people, especially on the very polarising topic of finding a cure versus accessibility. What’s wonderful about the directors’ work here is that they emphasise the importance of both and how this balance is achieved through Christopher and Dana. Christopher inspired others with his never-ending battle to overcome his tragedy, but he was never the perfect activist. Dana on the other hand was the anchor that kept Christopher grounded. She is a constant reminder throughout the film that it’s not only about overcoming struggles, but providing care and helping make the world a slightly better space for everyone and anyone. Her presence creates much-needed warmth and softness and provides a different perspective of how the entire family dynamic changed after Christopher’s accident. This perfect combination of their approaches champions the foundation’s purpose.

A legacy beyond the red and blue colours of the man of steel, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is an excellent documentary that shows there’s more to being a hero than enhanced physical feats and grand gestures of saving the world. Ettedgui and Bonhôte reaffirm what it means to be a hero through Reeve and showcase the beauty in documentaries as a storytelling art form. They remind film lovers that there’s merit in telling real-life people’s stories in artistic manners without taking away from the truth of their experiences.

Mae Trumata

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is released nationwide on 1^st November 2024.

Watch the trailer for Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story here: