‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’ Review: A Poignant Tale Of Ability

DC Studios’ first feature-length project, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is a heartbreaking but also touching tale of an inspirational man. Read our Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story review below. 

First making waves following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January of this year, the film would become a critical success for being “an affectionate retrospective on Christopher Reeve’s bravery and heroism in his own personal life.” It would soon be acquired by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films and CNN Films, in addition to the streaming service Max. The film would go on to become the first released DC Studios project, ahead of the DC universe launch early next month. 

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story follows the life of Hollywood star Christopher Reeve, who broke out of Broadway as Superman in the 1978 Richard Donner film, where he starred alongside Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando. Not two decades later, Reeve would find himself the victim of a tragic horse-riding accident that left him paralyzed for the rest of his life. He would go on to become one of the world’s leading advocates for disability rights, looking to improve the lives of everyone sadly afflicted with such conditions. 

At the core of the documentary is Reeve’s relationships with his family, his friends and his coworkers. It forms the emotional backbone of the film and cements a sadness about the whole thing. Heavily featured in the present day are the actor’s children, Alexandra Reeve Givens, Matthew Reeve, and Will Reeve. They all answer questions with heartfelt truth, making you as an audience member sympathise and empathise with these people, who themselves have become advocates for disability rights in the wake of the accident. 

The documentary also features archive footage of the late great Robin Williams, who was a close friend of Reeve and supported the actor throughout the remaining years of his life following the accident. Seeing the way the eventual and sudden death of Reeve affected this man nearly had me in tears, making for one of the most tragic scenes in the entire 100-minute documentary. Glenn Close, who also makes an appearance in the documentary, said that the death hit the actor so hard that she believes Reeve’s death was one of the biggest factors in William’s death, almost ten years later. 

This coupled with the other most gutting moment in the documentary, was the effect on son Will Reeve, who was 14 at the time of his father’s death. His father’s death would be followed by the death of his grandmother and mother, Dana Reeve, leaving him “alone” in the world at such a young age. 

In terms of craftsmanship, the documentary performs to expectations, complete with a good Superman-esque score, as well as an apt balance of archival and present-day footage. It’s edited together succinctly and the direction is perfectly acceptable. 

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is one of the saddest movies and one of the saddest stories of the year. It’s truly admirable to see the story of such an important man for disability rights and acting get the post-Superman recognition he deserves. 

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, and stars Alexandra Reeve Givens, Matthew Reeve, Will Reeve, Jeff Daniels, Susan Sarandon, Glenn Close, and Whoopi Goldberg. The film is now available on digital streaming platforms. 

Rest in Peace Christopher Reeve, Dana Reeve, and Robin Williams. 

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