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Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

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Super/Man:
The Christopher Reeve Story
A portrait of Christopher Reeve as Superman with "Husband. Father. Fighter. Hero." displayed at the top and the tagline "Once You Choose Hope, Anything is Possible." at the bottom above the film's logo and credits.
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
  • Ian Bonhôte
  • Peter Ettedgui
Written by
  • Ian Bonhote
  • Peter Ettedgui
  • Otto Burnham
Produced by
  • Robert Ford
  • Lizzie Gillett
  • Ian Bonhôte
  • Connor Schell
  • Libby Geist
Starring
CinematographyBrett Wiley
Edited byOtto Burnham
Music byIlan Eshkeri
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) (Sundance)
  • September 21, 2024 (2024-09-21) (United States)
  • November 1, 2024 (2024-11-01) (United Kingdom)
Running time
104 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is a 2024 documentary film about the life of American actor Christopher Reeve after a horse riding accident left him paralyzed, and his subsequent work as an activist for disability rights.[5][6][7] The documentary was directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, who co-wrote the script with Otto Burnham; its title is a reference to Reeve's role as Superman in the 1978–1987 Superman films.[3][8] Reeve's children Alexandra Reeve Givens, Matthew Reeve, and Will Reeve are featured in the film.[9]

A British-American venture, the film is a co-production by Words + Pictures, Passion Pictures, and Misfits Entertainment in association with Jenco Films, and was acquired for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films, and the streaming service Max.[1][3] Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story premiered on January 19, 2024, at the Sundance Film Festival,[10] and received a limited theatrical release in collaboration with Fathom Events in the United States on September 21 and 25, 2024.[4] The film was wide released in North America on October 11.[11]

Summary

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The story is presented in a non-linear narrative, alternating between before and after Reeve's horse-riding accident.

Reeve has a difficult childhood, with his parents divorcing at a young age and his family tree being complicated due to his parents' several remarriages, and he has a particularly strained relationship with his father Franklin. Reeve is studying at Julliard and becomes close friends with his classmate Robin Williams. Superman begins casting for its titular hero, and despite offers from several celebrities interested in the film, director Richard Donner wants an unknown actor to play him. Reeve auditions and wins the role despite disapproval from his father and peers.

During filming, he meets British modeling agent Gae Exton, with whom he begins a whirlwind romance. Superman is released in 1978 and becomes a massive success, with Reeve unanimously praised, solidifying him into a movie star. This success continues with Superman II (1980). However, the recognition he receives for his portrayal of Superman hinders Reeve's career outside the franchise. Reeve lives in London with Exton, who gives birth to Matthew and Alexandra. He is unsatisfied with his career, only agreeing to star in Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) out of obligation. Matthew admits that his father was frequently absent and wouldn't commit due to his upbringing. Reeve and Exton separate in 1987.

Five months after his breakup with Exton, Reeve meets singer and actress Dana Morosini. The two begin dating and Reeve eventually overcomes his hesitance about marriage and proposes to Dana. They marry in April 1992 and their son Will is born in June that same year. Dana is a caring mother figure to both Matthew and Alexandra. On May 27, 1995, Reeve falls from his horse, suffering a spinal cord injury that paralyzes him from the neck down. He muses that he has ruined his family's life, but Dana reassures him, "You're still you, and I love you." He receives support from friends and family, especially Williams, who helps him laugh for the first time since the accident. Reeve is recovering at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation where he befriends other disabled people. At home, Dana and a team of nurses care for him around the clock. With the help of a large van purchased by Williams and his then-wife Marsha, Reeve travels to Los Angeles and makes an appearance at the 68th Academy Awards, where he receives a standing ovation.

Having been an activist for social causes for most of his life, Reeve begins using his platform to advocate for disabled people and spinal cord injury research, speaking at several major events, such as the Democratic National Convention. He starts the Christopher Reeve Foundation that would open centers, lobby for several bills, and advocate for stem cell research. Reeve regains the ability to make small bodily movements, but he can't wean off the ventilator completely. The Williamses hold annual parties at Reeve's house on the anniversary of his accident to celebrate life. Reeve makes his directorial debut with In the Gloaming (1997) and also directs The Brooke Ellison Story (2004) about fellow quadriplegic Brooke Ellison.

Reeve and his family reflect on how close and fulfilling their relationship has become after his accident. On October 9, 2004, mere hours after Will's hockey game, Reeve falls into a coma and is hospitalized, ultimately dying at the age of 52. Alexandra and Will tearfully recount witnessing their father's death, while Matthew is in a taxi on the way to the hospital when he hears of his father's passing. Reeve is mourned around the world by fans and those he had helped through his activism. Dana succeeds her late husband as chairman of the foundation and continues pursuing her passion for singing, but she is later diagnosed with lung cancer. Dana dies on March 6, 2006, at the age of 44, leaving Will an orphan at 13 years old.

Matthew, Alexandra, and Will join the foundation shortly afterward as board members, intending to carry on Reeve and Dana's legacy. The foundation is renamed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, and several modern-day breakthroughs and milestones involving paralysis research are attributed to Reeve and Dana's activism.

Cast

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In addition to featuring footage of Christopher Reeve and Dana Reeve, the film also features Reeve's children Alexandra Reeve Givens, Matthew Reeve, and Will Reeve.[9] Other interviewees included Reeve's half-brother Kevin Johnson, Reeve's former partner and Matthew and Alexandra's mother Gae Exton, actors Jeff Daniels, Susan Sarandon, Glenn Close, and Whoopi Goldberg, politician John Kerry, activist Brooke Ellison, Superman producer Pierre Spengler, former Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Senior Vice President of Government Relations Michael Manganiello, Kessler Institute chief medical officer Dr. Steven Kirshblum, and Reeve's assistant Laurie Hawkins. Archive interview footage of Superman director Richard Donner and Reeve's close friend and comedian Robin Williams are included.

Release

[edit]

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story had its world premiere at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, followed by a post-screening Q&A session with the film's directors, Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, and with Reeve's children.[10] The following month, DC Comics owner Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) acquired the worldwide theatrical and home media release rights to the documentary for $15 million, and worked with DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran and its corporate siblings Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films, and the streaming service Max to do so.[8][12] The sale was represented by film financing company Cinetic Media.[8][3]

At the April 2024 CinemaCon, Safran announced that the documentary would be theatrically released in September 2024, under the Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO, and CNN labels.[2] The following month, it was announced that the documentary would have a limited theatrical release on September 21 and 25, 2024, in collaboration with Fathom Events, although, there was a potential for a wide release. September 25, 2024, the day the film received a second theatrical release, was chosen as the date for an encore presentation because it would have been Reeve's 72nd birthday.[4] The film received a wide release in North America on October 11, 2024, followed by international releases in late 2024,[11] including in the United Kingdom on November 1.[13]

Reception

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Critical response

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of 64 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "An affectionate retrospective on Christopher Reeve's bravery and heroism in his own personal life, Super/Man takes to the skies in inspirational uplift."[14] On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 77 out of 100 from 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[15] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare average grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale.[16]

Screen Daily film critic Amber Wilkinson wrote, "The life and work of Superman star Christopher Reeve is framed and largely recounted by his family and friends in Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui's increasingly moving documentary."[1] Monica Castillo of RogerEbert.com described it as "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."[17]

Accolades

[edit]
Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
British Independent Film Awards Best Feature Documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Pending [18]
Cinema Eye Honors Audience Choice Award Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Pending [19]
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards Best Documentary Feature Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Won[b] [20]
[21]
Best Director Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui Won
Best Editing Otto Burnham Won
Best Score Ilan Eshkeri Won
Best Archival Documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Won
Best Biographical Documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Won
HamptonsFilm SummerDocs Audience Award Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Won [22]
Hollywood Music in Media Awards Score – Documentary Ilan Eshkeri Won [23]
[24]

Notes

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  1. ^ Also distributed through Warner Bros.' DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, and CNN Films[3]
  2. ^ Tied with Will & Harper

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Wilkinson, Amber (January 22, 2024). "'Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story': Sundance Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  2. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 9, 2024). "'Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story' To Hit Theaters In September – CinemaCon". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Gonzalez, Umberto (February 2, 2024). "Christopher Reeve Documentary 'Super/Man' Acquired for $15 Million by Warner Bros. Discovery". TheWrap. Archived from the original on February 2, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Rubin, Rebecca (May 20, 2024). "Christopher Reeve Documentary 'Super/Man' Sets Theatrical Release for Two Days Only". Variety. Archived from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  5. ^ Carey, Matthew (January 22, 2024). "Christopher Reeve's Children "Bear Their Soul On Screen" In Touching Documentary 'Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story' – Sundance Studio". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  6. ^ Lang, Brent; Rubin, Rebecca (January 27, 2024). "Christopher Reeve Documentary 'Super/Man' Selling to Warner Bros. Discovery for Roughly $15 Million After Sundance Premiere". Variety. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  7. ^ Sullivan, Marisa (January 23, 2024). "Why the New Christopher Reeve Doc Moved the Sundance Audience to Tears". People. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Grobar, Matt (February 2, 2024). "Warner Bros. Discovery Finalizes Deal For Buzzy Sundance Doc 'Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 3, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story". DC.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Johnson, Lottie Elizabeth (January 22, 2024). "'He harnessed the power of Superman': Christopher Reeve's real-life heroism unfolds at Sundance". Deseret News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Warner Bros. Pictures to Expand Release of DC Studios' Acclaimed Documentary "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" in Theaters Worldwide" (Press release). Burbank, California: Warner Bros. Pictures. September 26, 2024. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2024 – via Business Wire.
  12. ^ Migalla, Sean (February 2, 2024). "James Gunn Gushes About Emotional Christopher Reeve Documentary Super/Man After It's Acquired by WBD". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  13. ^ Baker, Neil (June 24, 2024). "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story arrives in cinemas Nov 1". Cinerama Film UK. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  14. ^ "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  15. ^ "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  16. ^ Gunn, James [@jamesgunn] (September 26, 2024). "Super/Man #TheChristopherReeveStory A+ CinemaScore, 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. You can see it in theaters on October 11! Get your tickets at the link in my bio!". Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024 – via Instagram.
  17. ^ Castillo, Monica (January 25, 2024). "Sundance 2024: Sue Bird: In the Clutch, Luther: Never Too Much, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  18. ^ "Nominations announced for the British Independent Film Awards 2024". British Independent Film Awards. November 5, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  19. ^ "Cinema Eye Honors Reveals First Announcements for 2025". Cinema Eye Honors. October 28, 2024. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  20. ^ "Nominations Unveiled for the Ninth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards". Critics' Choice Documentary Awards. October 14, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  21. ^ "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story and Will & Harper Tie for Best Documentary Feature at the Ninth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards". Critics' Choice Documentary Awards. November 10, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  22. ^ "HamptonsFilm SummerDocs 2024 Honors 'Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story' with Audience Award". IndieWire. September 5, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  23. ^ "2024 HMMA Nominations". Hollywood Music in Media Awards. November 6, 2024. Archived from the original on November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  24. ^ "'Emilia Pérez' and Hans Zimmer Are Top Winners at 2024 Hollywood Music in Media Awards". Billboard. November 21, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
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