‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’ is an emotional look into the actor, activist, and hero

Christopher Reeve’s name is synonymous with Superman, but the man himself was much bigger than what the cape gave to him. Reeve was a beloved actor and activist during his time, and Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story shows fans a different side to who Reeve was.

The documentary, which was directed by Peter Ettedgui and Ian Bonhôte, goes through Reeve’s life prior to taking on Superman and through his accident while horseback riding. Reeve became a disability activist, heading up the Reeve Foundation with his wife Dana Reeve, and the film shows his dedication to the foundation, as well as his return to acting.

For everything that Reeve did during his life, having his children talk about who he was as a father and a man was the most emotional part of the film for me. William Reeve, who is news personality for ABC News as well as an actor himself, talked about how the only father he really remembered was Reeve after his accident. He heard stories of the active, adventurous man, but he only knew Reeve as the activist he became after.

Matthew Reeve and Alexandra Reeve Givens talked about their father when he was rising in his fame, their time as Superman’s children, and the difference that they experienced having Reeve as a father versus what Will Reeve experienced. While there were other people telling Reeve’s story, friends and coworkers who knew him well, it wasn’t as moving to me as seeing his children all share their own memories of their father.

An imperfect hero

Call it the dead dad club mindset, but it is hard to talk about your father when he’s passed away because you want to paint an honest picture, but it is someone you miss. You can tell in the way that each of his children talk about him that that love for their father is there but that it isn’t a clear-cut relationship, especially with Matthew Reeve. Having a complicated relationship with your father, especially one that changes over time, is something that I think a lot of people can relate to.

It makes the myth that became Reeve’s public persona feel more real, in a lot of ways. He wasn’t perfect, and that wasn’t hidden away by Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, but the movie also showed that there was still a man who was going to fight for himself and others there.

Growing up, I loved Reeve very dearly. He was someone I looked up to, and I was surprised by how much of Super/Man I remembered just because I was a fan of Reeve. But the movie also gives us a look into who Reeve was at home, with his family.

Little moments warmed my heart, like seeing his dog and remembering him from when he was on Smallville. Getting to see each of his children remember a different aspect of their father and what it was like growing up with him? That’s something that not every documentary has, and it’s what makes Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story so special.

Yes, this will be educational for many who didn’t know exactly who Reeve was, but for me, it was a reminder that one of my heroes was human like the rest of us, but he still did something extraordinary.