Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Ian Bonhôte Peter Ettedgui
Written by	Ian Bonhôte Peter Ettedgui Otto Burnham
Produced by	Robert Ford Lizzie Gillett Ian Bonhôte
Starring	Christopher Reeve Dana Reeve Alexandra Reeve Givens Matthew Reeve Will Reeve
Cinematography	Brett Wiley
Edited by	Otto Burnham
Music by	Ilan Eshkeri
Production companies	Words + Pictures[1] Passion Pictures[1] Misfits Entertainment[1] Jenco Films
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures[2][a] Fathom Events[4]
Release dates	January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) (Sundance) September 21, 2024 (2024-09-21) (United States) November 1, 2024 (2024-11-01) (United Kingdom)
Running time	104 minutes[1]
Countries	United Kingdom United States
Language	English

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is a 2024documentary film about the life of American actorChristopher Reeve after ahorse riding accident left himparalyzed, and his subsequent work as an activist fordisability rights.^[5][6][7] The documentary was directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, who co-wrote the script with Otto Burnham; its title is a reference to Reeve's role asSuperman in the1978–1987Superman films.^[3][8] Reeve's childrenAlexandra Reeve Givens,Matthew Reeve, and Will Reeve are featured in the film.^[9]

A British-American venture, the film is aco-production byWords + Pictures,Passion Pictures, andMisfits Entertainment in association with Jenco Films, and was acquired for distribution byWarner Bros. Pictures,DC Studios,HBO Documentary Films,CNN Films, and the streaming serviceMax.^[1][3]Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story premiered on January 19, 2024, at theSundance Film Festival,^[10] and received alimited theatrical release in collaboration withFathom Events in the United States on September 21 and 25, 2024.^[4] The film waswide released in North America on October 11.^[11] It received universal acclaim from critics and audiences alike, and was named one of the top five documentary films of 2024 by theNational Board of Review.^[12] Among other accolades, it won the Best Documentary award at theBritish Academy Film Awards and theProducers Guild of America, and six awards at theCritics' Choice Documentary Awards (includingBest Documentary Feature).

The story is presented in a non-linear narrative, alternating between before and after Christopher 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 theJuilliard School and becomes close friends with his classmateRobin Williams.Superman begins casting for itstitular hero, and despite offers from several celebrities interested in the film, directorRichard 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 amovie star. This success continues withSuperman 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 toMatthew andAlexandra. He is unsatisfied with his career, only agreeing to star inSuperman III (1983) andSuperman 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 actressDana 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 aspinal cord injury thatparalyzes 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 theKessler 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-wifeMarsha, Reeve travels to Los Angeles and makes an appearance at the68th 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 andspinal cord injury research, speaking at several major events, such as theDemocratic National Convention. He starts theChristopher Reeve Foundation that would open centers, lobby for several bills, and advocate forstem 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 withIn the Gloaming (1997) and also directsThe Brooke Ellison Story (2004) about fellow quadriplegicBrooke 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 death. 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 withlung 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.

In addition to featuring footage ofChristopher Reeve andDana Reeve, the film also features Reeve's childrenAlexandra Reeve Givens,Matthew Reeve, and Will Reeve.^[9] Other interviewees included Reeve's half-brother Kevin Johnson, Reeve's former partner Gae Exton, actorsJeff Daniels,Susan Sarandon,Glenn Close, andWhoopi Goldberg, politicianJohn Kerry, activistBrooke Ellison,Superman producerPierre 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 ofSuperman directorRichard Donner and Reeve's close friend and comedianRobin Williams are included. Narration by Reeve is taken from his audiobooksStill Me andNothing Is Impossible.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story had itsworld premiere at theRose Wagner Performing Arts Center inSalt Lake City,Utah for theSundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, followed by a post-screening Q&A session with the film's directors, Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, and with Reeve's children.^[10] The following month,DC Comics ownerWarner Bros. Discovery (WBD) acquired the worldwide theatrical and home media release rights to the documentary for $15 million, and worked withDC Studios co-CEOsJames Gunn andPeter Safran and its corporate siblingsWarner Bros. Pictures,HBO Documentary Films,CNN Films, and the streaming serviceMax to do so.^[8][13] The sale was represented by film financing companyCinetic Media.^[8][3]

DC Studios chairmenJames Gunn (left) andPeter Safran (right) pushed forWarner Bros. Pictures to acquire the film's distribution rights.

At the April 2024CinemaCon, 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 alimited theatrical release on September 21 and 25, 2024, in collaboration withFathom Events, although, there was a potential for awide 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] It was subsequently made available on other platforms, starting in the United States where it aired onHBO on December 7 and was made available for streaming on Max,^[15] and in the United Kingdom where it was broadcast onSky UK and streaming onNow starting on December 28.^[16]

On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 98% of 106 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."^[17] OnMetacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 from 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[18] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film a rare average grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale.^[19]

Screen Daily film critic Amber Wilkinson wrote, "The life and work ofSuperman 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 ofRogerEbert.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."^[20]

Adele spoke highly of the documentary at one of her concerts.^[21]

• Official website atWarnerBros.com
• Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story atDC.com
• Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story at theChristopher & Dana Reeve Foundation website
• Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story atFathom Events
• Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story atIMDb 

• 2024 films
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• 2024 documentary films
• American biographical films
• American documentary films
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• CNN Films films
• DC Studios
• Documentary films about activists
• Documentary films about actors
• Documentary films about human rights
• Documentary films about people with disabilities
• English-language documentary films
• HBO documentary films
• HBO Max films
• Satellite Award–winning films
• Superman documentary films
• Warner Bros. films

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