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 the Juilliard School 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
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. Narration by Reeve is taken from his audiobooks Still Me and Nothing Is Impossible.
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.[14]
On November 26, 2024, it was announced that the film would air on HBO on December 7 and will be available to stream on Max.[15]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of 103 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.2/10. 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."[16] On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 from 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare average grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale.[18]
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."[19]
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