Did you miss Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story when it hit theaters for limited release this past weekend? If so, you can rectify that error by checking out this phenomenal documentary in theaters today only, for what would have been Reeve’s 72nd birthday.
The first theatrical release from James Gunn’s DC Studios, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve story documents the life and career of Reeve from his early days in theater to his time as Superman. It jumps backward and forward in time as it contrasts Reeve’s family life, career, and personal aspirations with an absolute tragedy: his horseback riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down.
The documentary intersperses copious amounts of home movie footage, with clips from Reeve’s movies and TV shows. It also includes audio clips from his audiobook Still Me, which was recorded after his accident, and beautifully shot new interviews with his children, as well as stars like Glenn Close, Susan Sarandon, and Jeff Daniels. On a logistical level, putting together Reeve’s entire life in this way is jaw-dropping… You’ll be amazed how they found the right footage, and the right clips to tell this story in the right way. That alone makes it worth seeing on the big screen, as the film jumps from grainy home movies with Reeve’s children, to clips of Superman, to TV interviews and more. It’s impressively edited together, and that will be less apparent in the eventual home streaming release of the movie.
But what truly makes this an impressive documentary is that it doesn’t shy away from the rougher truths about Reeve’s life. The “Man” part of the title is as important as the “Super.” Reeve had a hard upbringing from a tough father, and the movie draws a clear line between that and how he dealt with his own children. It also doesn’t back away from the more problematic aspects of his advocacy, like how he centered a lot of it around himself and his goal of eventually walking someday — something that many activists feel doesn’t just give a false sense of hope, but also centers the conversation around something being “wrong” with those who are paralyzed or have other physical limitations.
The other aspect the documentary not-so-sneakily works in there is that the real hero here was Reeve’s wife, Dana Reeve. Throughout the accident and beyond, it’s clear that she was the one who kept him and the whole family steady. She raised the kids, ran their charity organization (now called The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation), and kept the whole thing together. Yes, Christopher Reeve was the famous face, and despite the problems mentioned above helped change laws for the better, and raised millions of dollars to help in both medical research and quality of life for those in similar situations. But none of it would have happened without Dana.
Also, just a warning, you will cry while watching this. A lot. I basically started when the new DC Studios logo hit the screen, and didn’t stop for most of the hour and forty-seven minute runtime. But it’s also a beautiful portrait of an icon, an extremely well-made documentary, and an engrossing story of a man who had it all, lost it, and then figured out another way to go on living, and to make the world a better place. He was super, but he was also a man. And it’s a testament to the past and future of DC Studios that they’re opening with this wonderful release.
Will it hit streaming eventually? Sure. No release date has been announced yet. And particularly given the subject matter of the movie, it would be good for people to be able to see this movie at home, without having to experience the hit-or-miss nature of accessibility at your local theater. But if you are able to see it in theaters, it’s playing today at 4 pm and 7 pm in select locations nationwide. And I highly recommend seeing this on the big screen, if you can. It’s the scope and scale this super man deserves.
