SUPERMAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY
Reviewed by GREG KING
Documentary
Directors: Ian Bonhote & Peter Ehedgui
This superb and moving documentary about actor Christopher Reeve, best known for playing Superman in the 1970s series of films, doesn’t follow the usual template for documentaries exploring the career of famous actors. Rather than an in depth dive into his film career and body of work, the film spends much of its two-hour running time focusing on the aftermath of the 1995 accident that left him a quadriplegic. Superman: The Christopher Reeve Story is both frank and revealing, but it is also raw and honest and packs an unexpected emotional gut punch.
In 1978 Reeve, a then relatively unknown theatre actor, was cast in the role of Superman in Richard Donner’s film, which changed his life. While many high profile names including Robert Redford were considered for the coveted role, the producers ultimately decided to cast an unknown actor while surrounding him with A-list actors like Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando. The film was a huge success, breaking box office records and utilising some state-of-the-art special effects to make audiences believe that a man could fly.
The film also turned Reeve into an overnight sensation and a top box office draw. But the role also led to him being typecast despite some deliberate attempts to choose more challenging roles in subsequent films. Although he made fifteen films between 1978 and 1995 few outside of the Superman franchise were box office successes.
But then in 1995 there was a life-changing incident. Reeve suffered a severe injury after a horse-riding accident that left him a quadriplegic. Initially Reeve struggled with the impact of the injury, the hospital treatments and endured long periods of depression. But then he became a passionate advocate for stem cell research that could hold out hope for treatment for other disabled patients. He also became the public face for the cause, using his fame and public persona to call for more research and funding to raise awareness for people living with disabilities.
This inspirational and ultimately moving documentary from filmmakers Ian Bonhote and Peter Ehedgui (the 2017 documentary McQueen) explores the aftermath of that devastating 1995 accident that changed Reeve’s life. It delivers a powerful and emotional gut punch without being manipulative. The film even touches on some of the controversies surrounding his advocacy for disabled research. The filmmakers have been granted access to a wealth of archival footage, home videos and personal photos to create this layered and complex portrait of Reeve, the actor, the family man, activist and ultimately a reluctant hero who inspired hundreds of people with his courage.
The film reveals plenty of personal details about the man and his private life. While much of the focus of his film career centres around that seminal 1978 film, there are brief glimpses of some of his other film roles and some rare photographs from his theatre productions. The filmmakers had the full approval of Reeve’s family. There are also some intimate and revealing interviews with friends and fellow actors including Glenn Close, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey and Jeff Daniels, with whom Reeve appeared in an off-Broadway production. Daniels shares an amusing anecdote about fellow actor William Hurt calling Reeve a “sell-out” for taking on such a blatantly commercial role. Most telling amongst them though is the late Robin Williams, who befriended Reeve when both were struggling actors studying at the famed Juliette school in New York.
The wealth of material has been deftly edited together by Otto Burnham (the HBO documentary Right To Fight, etc). The film doesn’t follow a linear structure, but it is effective in drawing a complete portrait of the man. However it seems a little long for the material and there are a few moments that seem repetitive. The documentary has been superbly shot by cinematographer Bryan Twx Brousseau.
The film has been released to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of the actor’s death in 2004.
★★★☆
