On September 21, 2024, 'Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story' releases by Fathom Events, garnering rave reviews and a score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the documentary, "The story of Christopher Reeve is an astonishing rise from unknown actor to iconic movie star, and his definitive portrayal of Clark Kent/Superman set the benchmark for the superhero cinematic universes that dominate cinema today. Reeve portrayed the Man of Steel in four Superman films and played dozens of other roles that displayed his talent and range as an actor, before being injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After becoming a quadriplegic, he became a charismatic leader and activist in the quest to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, as well as a passionate advocate for disability rights and care -- all while continuing his career in cinema in front of and behind the camera and dedicating himself to his beloved family." Famous faces featured in the documentary include Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Jeff Daniels, and Susan Sarandon. But what did the critics say?
Rachel Leishman of The Mary Sue notes, "Yes, this will be educational for many who didn’t know exactly who Reeve was, but for me, it was a reminder that one of my heroes was human like the rest of us, but he still did something extraordinary."
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| Photo by Austris Augusts on Unsplash |
Monica Castillo of RogerEbert.com praises the film, stating, "Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” was easily my big festival cry, something that moves you so deeply that the combination of sleep deprivation, altitude, and the movie’s subject makes it almost impossible not to get emotional. Anyone who remembers Reeve as Superman will likely learn something new about the actor, how funny he was on talk shows, laugh at the charming home movies of Reeve with his three kids or as he clowned around with his best friend and former roommate Robin Williams. These moments of reprieve puncture the more somber sides of his story, including an ever-disapproving father, divorces, and, later, the accident that changed his life forever." Continuing, "The documentary begins with the year Reeve was injured in a horse-riding accident, which at first glance made me wince—why define a person’s life with such a devastating incident? But as the movie goes on, his survival after the accident draws parallels to his rising career as Superman, as both were physically daunting challenges and met with many setbacks. As he recovered, Reeve blossomed into a tireless advocate for spinal cord injury survivors, ushering a new stage of his career. Many of his speeches from that time had the audience in my screening muffling sniffles and sobs many times over."
Mark Johnson of Awards Daily says, "The film grapples with the question: what defines a hero? For Reeve, it was someone who found strength to persevere despite overwhelming obstacles. To me, it was simply Christopher Reeve." Continuing, "Directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui chronicle Reeve’s meteoric rise in the ’70s and the profound impact he had, both before and after the accident, in Super/Man. At its core, though, the film is a poignant love story between Reeve and his wife, Dana, and the enduring legacy they crafted together."
Ed Gibbs of Time Out writes, "What the film does exceptionally well, above all else, is to portray the Man of Steel as a fallible family guy – an immensely gifted and passionate actor, activist, father and husband, who wanted to do the right thing, and ultimately did."
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