Documentary traces career of actor who became famous playing a superhero, two decades after his death
He was the first major superhero movie star, marking the dawn of the modern era with his performance as ‘Superman’ in 1978. However, the ‘Man of Steel’, Christopher Reevewould later spend the last years of his life in a wheelchair after a terrible horse accident in 1995.
Yesterday, Thursday October 10, marked the 20th anniversary of his death. The “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”a biographical documentary produced by his three children, delves into Reeve’s journey as a disability activist, shedding light on the deep challenges and contradictions of his career and personal life.
Since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the documentary has left its own emotional imprint on viewers. Reeve’s death was followed by other sad events: his wife, Dana, died of lung cancer just 18 months later, and his best friend, Robin Williams, tragically took his own life a decade later.
View this post on Instagram
The most ironic aspect of the accident that left Reeve a paraplegic on May 27, 1995 is that he was allergic to horses. Initially, he took up horse riding for his role in the film ‘Anna Karenina’ (1985), quickly developing a passion for it. Since then, he has been taking medication to treat his allergy, allowing him to add horse riding to his list of sports, which already included skiing, tennis and sailing.
The actor’s story, as presented in the documentary, exudes a deep sadness. The child of divorced parents – who both remarried and had other children – he spent much of his life struggling to gain acceptance from his father, FD Reeve, a poet, academic and translator of Russian literature who championed elite culture. Christopher’s relentless pursuit of his father’s pride found its closest moment of success when he announced that he would star in “Superman.” His father, mistakenly thinking it was George Bernard Shaw’s Man and Superman, opened a bottle of champagne. Now, in 2024, few remember Reeve Sr., but his son remains an enduring pop culture icon.
View this post on Instagram
However, after his studies at Princeton and Cornell, Christopher Reeve did not seem destined for the world of blockbuster sagas. He attended the prestigious Juilliard School, where he shared a room with his future best friend, Robin Williams, and made his stage debut opposite Katharine Hepburn. At the time, he was doing the show “My Life off-Broadway” with Jeff Daniels and William Hurt when his agent called him for an audition in London. That’s when Reeve remembered a piece of advice from the legendary John Houseman at Juilliard: “It is very important to become a serious classical actor. Unless, of course, they offer you a lot of money to do something else.” Houseman, perhaps reflecting on his own struggles in film alongside his friend Orson Welles, could never have imagined that this advice would pave the way for “Reeve-Superman” legend.
Reeve flew to London for the audition and returned the next day. Director Richard Donner later recalled being struck by his presence and the feeling that he could, indeed, fly. Neither Hollywood, nor Richard Donner, nor Reeve himself could have predicted what “Superman” would mean to pop culture.
View this post on Instagram
We are somewhere in 1995 and by then Reeve had separated from his first partner, leaving behind two children in London. In 1987 he met actress Dana Morosini, whom he married five years later and they had a third child. This child has no memory of his father walking. In the documentary, the actor’s children talk about two big “shadows” that fell over their father: his fear of commitment (he never married his first partner and waited five years to marry Morosini) and, despite denying his father’s emotional distance, Reeve displayed similar behavior toward his own family. Passionate about sports and highly competitive, he spoke calmly to them on a deeper level only when he became a quadriplegic and bedridden.
When Reeve woke up after the horse accident, he felt that he had not only ruined his own life, but everyone around him. In the documentary, Reeve himself narrates parts of his story, as the filmmakers used material from his personal archive to capture his voice. He explains how he was saved at a crucial moment when he heard Dana say: “You are still you and I love you.” His own mother called for him to be taken off life support, but after days of “tripping” between life and death, he survived. The first person to make him laugh during that dark time was Robin William.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
“I’m not a hero, never have been and never will be”said Christopher Reeve. However, a few months later, she appeared at the 1996 Oscars in a wheelchair and became a symbol of perseverance. From that moment on, Dana Reeve devoted herself to his emotional support while coordinating his medical care. Meanwhile, Christopher focused on a dual mission: combating the condescension he often faced because of his condition and raising awareness for thousands of people who faced the same problems but lacked his financial resources. He was also seeking funding for his foundation, which aimed to advance cutting-edge research and treatments, particularly stem cell-based research.
For a decade, Christopher Reeve continued to work in film, among other things, starring in a remake of the Hollywood classic “Rear Window”, and directed two more films. On each anniversary of his accident, Robin Williams threw a party—with a different chef—to celebrate Reeve’s life. But on the night of October 9, 2004, Reeve suffered multiple organ failure, fell into a coma, and died the next day.
Source :Skai
I am Frederick Tuttle, who works in 247 News Agency as an author and mostly cover entertainment news. I have worked in this industry for 10 years and have gained a lot of experience. I am a very hard worker and always strive to get the best out of my work. I am also very passionate about my work and always try to keep up with the latest news and trends.
