Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
(US/UK, 104 min)
Dir. Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui
You likely know two things about Christopher Reeve: that he played Superman, and that his acting career was cut cruelly short after a riding accident left him quadriplegic. Out of these two things, one might expect a documentary about the late actor to begin with the former. It would present Reeve as a dashing but goofy underdog, much like Richard Donner does in Superman (1978). But this isn’t a documentary about Superman. It’s a documentary about Christopher Reeve, so Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui (McQueen, Rising Phoenix) instead lead with the latter.
In 1995, almost a decade after his most recent outing as the Man of Steel but certainly still a Hollywood icon, Reeve fell off of his horse during an equestrian event and shattered two spinal vertebrae. Suddenly, the man who made audiences believe he could fly had to learn to use a wheelchair. Bonhôte and Ettedgui’s biodoc has seemingly begun in reverse, presenting its hero’s journey with the protagonist at his lowest point. It is this humbling presentation, amongst many other narrative decisions, that help elevate Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story above a traditional celebrity portrait.
In a moment where these types of documentaries have grown frustratingly familiar, Super/Man presents its story in a non-linear but still comprehensive structure that has audiences newly rooting for a man who has been beloved since he flew onto celluloid. After the film’s striking introduction, a mixture of both present-day talking head interviews and Reeve’s voiceover, taken from audio versions of his memoirs, begin recollecting his life prior to the accident and introducing what his life became afterwards, including his efforts to try to walk again.
Though by no means a revolutionary technique, Reeve’s effortless charm and the filmmakers’ sensitive but guiding hands make typical story beats feel brand new: Reeve’s rise from New York thespian to global fame, his tumultuous first marriage to Gae Exton, and his decision to begin what is now The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, amongst others. Watching Reeve become the definitive Superman is one thing, but watching the actor continue to believe in himself despite immense adversity provides the film a far more resonant thematic crux: Reeve’s portrayal of the Son of Krypton was but one element of his larger heroism.
That said, Super/Man is not a puff piece. Reeve is notably portrayed as an absentee father to his first two children, especially in the wake of his divorce from Exton, and as a well-intentioned but slightly misguided disability advocate who sought a “cure” for his condition instead of embracing it. The latter example is a particularly welcome addition as the discussion over advocacy for the disabled has greatly evolved in recent years, to the point that even patron saints of the movement, like Reeve, are susceptible to criticism. Overall, however, the film tows the line in exploring Reeve’s pitfalls, never digging deep enough to venture into tangible commentary.
Much of the film’s texture comes from the many people who knew him, including his second wife, Dana. Although she is not among the interviewees, as she died in 2006 from lung cancer, her loving relationship with Reeve colours much of the film’s second half. In fact, her advocacy and passing is given as much weight as that of her husband, if only receiving a quarter of the screentime, which speaks to both editor Otto Burnham’s strong sense of pacing as well as his subject’s natural charm and grace. It also speaks to the excellent testimony from Reeve’s three children, each of whom offers a unique and unsanitized perspective on their family’s distinctive dynamic as well as how they processed both Chris and Dana’s respective passings.
While the documentary is deeply affecting, its conventional portrait of an unconventional life likely won’t convert any bio-doc deniers. One use of visual effects as a metaphor for Reeve’s fight particularly feels like the film’s Kryptonite, an empty attempt to capitalize on the medium’s increased use of CGI. However, when the alchemy is right, prototypical stories remind us why they are tried-and-true. Super/Man’s compelling subject is too affecting to deny. The combination of this real-life superhero story with a polished tone and a strong use of archival ramps up the pathos to become one of the year’s most moving documentaries. It may not leap buildings in a single bound, but it stands as the definitive account of Reeve’s legacy and will inspire fans of all kinds for decades to come.