Possibly one of the greatest honors for any actor is to play a role that becomes so beloved by the public that it becomes your identity. And possibly one of the greatest horrors for any actor is to play a role that becomes so beloved by the public that it becomes your identity. Christopher Reeve was one such actor, and an argument could be made that he was the first actor to be associated with a role like that by the entire world.
Now, there’s a new documentary out focusing on that role, his subsequent career, and late-in-life tragedy that changed the way the world perceived him. It also just so happens to be produced by the studio that put him in those iconic tights in the first place.
Titled “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” the film features a variety of interviews from all manner of Reeve’s friends, family, and colleagues including his Julliard classmate Jeff Daniels (“Dumb & Dumber,” “Pleasantville”), his children Matthew, Alexandra, and Will, Whoopi Goldberg (“Sister Act,” “Ghost”), Glenn Close (“Fatal Attraction,” “Albert Nobbs”), Gae Exton; Reeve’s ex-partner and mother of Will, “Superman” producer Pierre Spengler, and paraplegic activist and friend of Reeve Brooke Ellison.
Like most documentaries, the film jumps around quite a bit to establish Reeve’s injury before looking back on his life and career through the lens of his paralysis. It’s a simple but smart decision to show the events of his life through a hopeful viewpoint. Reeve is clearly not a person who thought he was owed something or that the world was his for the taking. An interview shown about halfway through demonstrates this perfectly: Reeve, when talking about working with Marlon Brando on the first “Superman” film, bemoaned him not taking the material seriously, “I had a wonderful time, but the man didn't care. I'm sorry. He just took the money and ran.”
Moments like this are throughout the film, and perfectly showcase the kind of energy and reverence Reeve had for his work, but the doc smartly doesn’t attempt to show the man as flawless by any means. There’s a significant chunk that goes into his first extended relationship with Exton and how he appeared to be an absent father during that time, leading up to borderline excused infidelity when he was abroad in America. It’s these times when Reeve becomes a much more interesting figure than just the man who could fly. He is still, as the title shows, super, but is still a man.
There’s plenty of emotion on display, as one would expect from a documentary with a subject like this. It is extremely effective, showcasing these heartbreaking moments of sadness and inspiration, without coming across as manipulative. This is a work clearly coming from experienced documentarians; Ian Bonhôte (“Rising Pheonix,” McQueen”) and Peter Ettedgui (“Rising Pheonix,” McQueen”) don’t break into a new type of documentary, but they work effectively within the medium to great informative and emotional results.
“Super/Man” is a great example of the documentary structure at its best: effectively emotional, full of informative and entertaining testimonies, and quickly paced. It’s over before you know it, but you’ll hardly care given that you’ll be staring at the screen through misty eyes and a heart soaring like that man who could fly. 4.5/5
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