In our era of cinematic universes, it feels like every actor has donned a cape at some point, but back in the days of Christopher Reeve’s Superman, being a superhero represented something larger than life. There was a responsibility, a moral code to abide by. You weren’t just playing a superhero — you were one.
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is not afraid of equating Reeve to the Man Of Steel he played in four Superman films between 1978 and 1987. Archival footage from Reeve’s films, interviews and personal home videos cut to CG vignettes of the actor cast in marble like a Greek deity — but that stone eventually cracks. Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s documentary begins with the moment that irrevocably changed his life: Reeve was seemingly capable of superhuman feats himself, with a thrill-seeking interest in sailing, skiing and flying, but it was an accident during an equestrian competition in 1995 that left him paralysed. There’s a cruel irony in that.
Even Superman had his Kryptonite, and the documentary is refreshingly honest about the fallibility of its subject.
Save for the non-linear storytelling which jumps between Reeve’s life following the accident and his career, the film offers a fairly standard account of the actor’s life. His family and famous friends, such as Glenn Close and Susan Sarandon, tell his story from his early days as an accomplished theatre actor who fended off accusations that he was “selling out” by putting on a cape. (In one amusing anecdote, Jeff Daniels recalls William Hurt urging Reeve to turn down a Superman screen test.)
Thankfully, though, Super/Man doesn’t veer into full-on hagiography. Even Superman had his Kryptonite, and the documentary is refreshingly honest about the fallibility of its subject. As much as Reeve’s three children love their father and have dedicated their lives to his cause since his passing, they’re also open about the fact that he wasn’t always present as a parent. Later in life, Reeve dedicated himself to disability advocacy, and the film doesn’t shy away from his own faults as an activist, highlighting his misguided initial focus on research for a cure over investing in quality of life and care.
If Reeve wasn’t a superhero in the fantastical sense, the film is a compelling document of a man who had special abilities in his own right, using his influence to change the ways the world views disabled people. Super/Man strikes a fine balance between the joy and tragedy of the actor’s life, and in doing so, provides a comprehensive and life- affirming exploration of a star who embodied Superman in every sense.