When Christopher Reeve was thrown from a horse during an equestrian event in Virginia in 1995, resulting in the Superman” actor becoming paralyzed from the neck down, the immense irony was lost on no one – a once-invincible-seeming giant of Hollywood was now laid vulnerable and prone. That was far from the end of his story, though, as Reeve continued to work in entertainment and became a fierce voice for people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities before his death in 2004.
The new documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” reconstructs his life and career, ultimately rendering a sensitive, harrowing and incredibly human portrait of the man as actor, advocate, husband and father.
The film’s directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui – the duo behind the Netflix Paralympic doc Rising Phoenix” from 2020 as well as McQueen” from 2018 – took many important ideas away from making the project, perhaps most notably what it taught them about grief and loss.
You don’t overcome grief, you live with grief,” Bonhôte said in a recent interview with CNN. You just live with it, and you build yourself within it. It’s almost like you’re an organic matter that has to adapt to the new environment.”
Adapting to a new environment is a central focus of Super/Man,” as the documentary takes an unflinching look at Reeve’s accident and the ensuing days and months, during which he went from questioning if he even wanted to remain alive, through grueling early rehabilitation and recovery, to eventually finding new purpose.
It’s twofold, that purpose,” Ettedgui explained. On one hand, he becomes this quite extraordinary advocate for the community of people with spinal cord injuries and then more broadly with disability, but also, he continues his career, he picks up his career in – as his doctor says (in the doc) – an industry which is not disability-friendly at all.”
In 1997, less than two years after his accident, Reeve directed his first feature, a poignant portrait of a family coming together to support a son dying of AIDS titled In the Gloaming.” The movie was nominated for five Primetime Emmys, including one for Reeve’s directing. He went on to direct two other projects, and also appear as an actor in lead, cameo and supporting roles.
Reeve also worked with the American Paralysis Association, which soon became the Christopher Reeve Foundation. The documentary charts Reeve’s course from someone who at first was unable to view himself as a member of the disabled community to eventually becoming one of its champions, appearing in front of an emotional crowd of his peers at the 1996 Academy Awards where he delivered an impassioned, and funny, speech about movies being able to take on important social issues.
Ettedgui, who identifies himself as definitely a Superman kid,” was moved by Reeve’s obvious effect on those around him, but was also struck” by his internal journey.
I was always struck by something Chris said very early on after his accident. He said, ‘Man has conquered outer space – how come we can’t understand what is going on in our deep tissue, in the spinal cord, in our bodies?’” he shared, going on to say that Reeve’s desire through the foundation was to pose the question, We have to figure out new ways of dealing with what happens to a human being after an accident such as the one that I’ve experienced.”
That story for us, that trajectory, was so uplifting and extraordinary,” Ettedgui said.
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