Super/Man: La Historia De Christopher Reeve

What a thoroughly fascinating journey this documentary portrayed of the late Christopher Reeve. Growing up and watching re-runs in the 90's of the Superman films I was really only aware of him for that and of course, I had heard about his terrible accident but I never knew anything else about him, I wasn't even sure how or when he died.

It was also interesting to learn that Robin Williams was a very close friend, if not, his closest. He was always cracking jokes and that was just who Robin was, but he kept Reeve in good spirits when it was needed. That's what you call a good friend.

The background of his family and 3 kids was touching and if you're a crier, get ready for the tissues towards the last 15 mins cause you're gonna need them. His legacy he left behind and work surrounding the paralysis and disability foundations is nothing short of phenomenal. Life can be so rewarding yet so cruel at the same time.

A very good documentary about a man, but not just any man, a Superman. RIP.

Watched this at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

Christopher Reeve was well-known for his performance as Superman and his unfortunate accident in 1995 disrupted his acting career. While I haven't seen many of Reeve's work, I found Reeve's to be a interesting person and this documentary does a good job on exploring his journey before and after his accident with good atmosphere, conversations from other celebrities and exploration about his activist works.

The documentary presents good presentation, structure and some informative insights about Reeve's personal life that I didn't know about it and it was pretty emotional to observe. Seeing his family and others discussing of what makes him so special was pretty touching and I felt connected to Reeve's activist work, his journey and the person he is.

Without being said, the documentary does have it's faults which are some of the pacing that could be improved. Including the musical tracks feeling repetitive. The musical tracks feel out of place and just like Val and Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, the musical soundtrack feels cheesy and kind of ruins some of the moments.

But as a whole, the movie's core was good and it was interesting to observe and learn about Reeves. May Reeves legacy continues and his legendary performance as Superman to live on.

As a paraplegic of nearly 20 years, I knew this movie would be difficult at points, and it was...in all the very best ways. Though my paralysis is nowhere near as severe as Chris's, I could intimately relate to a lot of Chris's emotions as my past feelings and memories were brought to the surface. Trying to retain our sense of self - as well as our roles as a spouse, parent, sibling, and friend - and also continuing to be an active member of society is a difficult tightrope to navigate when our physical sense of being is irrevocably altered and we have to learn to accept this new normal. I could relate to much of Dana's perspective as a spouse as well; though I was not the caregiver in my marriage I experienced firsthand how it changes the marital dynamic. Many people living with disabilities don't have that kind of strength and devotion in their marriage like Chris and Dana did.

This film provides valuable insight into the life of individuals living with paralysis. If he as the most prominent figurehead of our community had these struggles, you can imagine how life can be for the average person rolling a similar path. Finally, having become paralyzed after Christopher Reeve, this film was a great reminder of all the ways my life would be different without his advocacy.

The film documents the rise, fall, and eventual re-rise of the actor's stellar career. Reeve's story is beautifully and lovingly told by those who were closest to him. Growing up in a broken home and without the support of his friends and colleagues, he became one of the best-known and most-loved screen personalities of the 1980s. The tale causes one to think about one's own life and fortunes, or lack thereof...Reeve had it all and lost it in a second, but through his stubborn perseverance was able to carve out a new niche for himself. Through it all, the love and support of his family stayed solid. Get ready for tears.

I cried a lot watching this Love letter of a movie. A love story between Christopher and Dana. And the love of children for their parents. And the love of the public for a famous person. When he died in 2004, I remember being in a hotel room in Galveston Texas.

It is the first time I truly cried over the death of someone I had never met. I was diagnosed with Cervical Dystonia in September of 1995, the same year as the accident that put Chris in a wheelchair. I am a scientist so I say, "our mission should not be complete until the wheelchair is obsolete." I could not believe he appeared at the Oscars so shortly after such a terrible accident. I broke down and cried. Yes, it is possible to love someone you have never met. He taught us all that we are "here for a reason!!"