The current documentary about the life and work of Hollywood legend Christopher Reeve (1952-2004) moved many visitors to tears at its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. As reported by The Guardian, among others, some guests cried with emotion during the performance. After the premiere there was also thunderous applause and a standing ovation. “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” traces the career and commitment of the legendary Superman actor, who was paralyzed from the neck down after a horseback riding accident in 1995.
The film was directed by the two filmmakers Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, who had access to the family’s video collection and incorporated numerous private recordings into their film. The actor’s three children Will, Matthew and Alexandra were also available for interviews, ensuring an intimate and, above all, unadulterated look at the Hollywood star’s life. Also special: Reeve speaks himself in large parts of the film. His voice and words were taken from the audio book versions of his memoirs and woven into the new documentary.
The film starts in Reeve’s still healthy and perfect life, on New Year’s Eve 1994. About six months later, on May 27, 1995, everything would change after the accident at a horse show. After his horse threw him, Reeve broke two cervical vertebrae at the age of 42 and was no longer able to move his body down the neck.
The subsequent difficult time in the hospital, which gave Reeve the darkest thoughts, is not left out of the documentation. The family was at times divided, as his mother even advocated removing her son from life support in the intensive care unit to spare him future suffering. Reeve himself had doubts as well. According to his wife Dana (1961-2006), his first words when he woke up were: “Maybe we should let me go.” She replied, “You’re still you and I love you.”
Numerous celebrities, including Robert De Niro (80), Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) and Paul McCartney (81), subsequently helped Reeve and his family finance home care, which cost around $400,000 a year . Even as a severely disabled man, he continued to take part in film productions and also used his popularity to stand up for paraplegics and their rights. In 2004, Reeve died of the long-term effects of his accident at the age of 52 after an infection. About a year and a half later, his wife Dana also died of lung cancer.
She also plays a big role in the film: “The way the filmmakers tell my mother’s story, the way my mother Dana appears in this documentary, touched me very much and I’m very proud of it.” said Will Reeve, the couple’s eldest son, according to a report from The Wrap.
The 106-minute-long documentary “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” is starting in US cinemas these days. It is not yet known whether and when the documentary will be shown in German film theaters.
