Starring: Christopher Reeve
Distributor: Warner Bros
Runtime: 105 mins. Reviewed in Oct 2024
Reviewer: Peter W Sheehan
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This USA-UK documentary film depicts the life of American actor Christopher Reeve after a horse-riding accident that left him paralysed.
Christopher Reeve was the popular star of four ‘Superman’ (1978-87) movies. A near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 left him paralysed from the neck down at 42 years of age. His horse refused to jump in a competition, and he was thrown to the ground, rendering him a quadriplegic for the remainder of his life. This documentary film concentrates on the bravery and heroism that Reeve showed, as he battled with how to survive and live a meaningful life following his accident.
Reeve became an activist for spinal cord injuries and disability rights that inspired all who saw and heard him. This documentary intimately explores the tragedy that Reeve experienced and its effect on him and his family after his accident. Before and following his death in 2004, the film shows his adult children sharing their insights about what they deeply felt. The movie also shows multiple scenes from Reeve’s ‘Superman’ movies which remind viewers of his cinematic exploits by featuring the role that made him famous.
The documentary portrays a man who was plucked from obscurity to be a star, and who became an actor who experienced extensive time away from his family to make his films. Threaded throughout the film are personal statements from his close friends, which include Glenn Close, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams (his life-long, trusted friend and supporter). The documentary highlights Reeve’s bravery and heroism in fighting for the rights of disabled people, and it offers a redemptive account of the story of an iconic actor who became an extremely effective activist. Reeves became the champion of positive help and understanding that brought both emotional and financial support to the suffering of persons with injuries like his own. His loving wife supported him unreservedly in his activism. She preserved his will to live – wanting not to fight to stay alive for her, but to stay alive beside her.
It is arguable that Reeve’s portrayal of Superman set the benchmark for the superhero cinematic universe that came after him in the movies. This film offers a powerful tribute to Reeve and movingly highlights the legacy that he left behind. It tells an emotionally compelling story that demonstrates the power of love, affection, and family support that fostered his resilience and total determination to stay alive.
This is a film that is a compelling antidote to the negative values that characterise so many other movies today.
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