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Why Christopher Reeve was even more heroic than Superman in a moving documentary

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He was a man who struggled when he became a quadriplegic, who never lowered his arms before and after the accident he had on May 27, 1985. Christopher Reevewe discover in this documentary, he had a phobia of horses. Paradoxes of life, to shoot a film he had to overcome it, but it was during a riding competition when, while trying to overcome an obstacle, he fell head first from his horse, causing two fractures of his cervical vertebrae. The accident also severed his spinal cord.

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“It’s still you and I love you,” Dana, his wife, tells him. Christopher Reeve died on October 10, 1994, after falling into a sudden coma, just over nine years after the accident that left him unable to move his body.

Robin Williams’ friend

Juilliard trained and former roommate of his great friend Robin WilliamsReeve left a legacy of improvements.

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The documentary begins, of course, with fragments of the superman of 1978, with the wind instruments and violins of John Williams’ powerful soundtrack. After all, if there is a character and a saga linked to Reeve, it is this one, the one about the man who came from outer space and surprised viewers of the time by making them believe that yes, that man could fly like no one else had on a big screen.

Christopher Reeve was doing theater Off Broadway when he was called to cast "Superman" (1978). Photo WBChristopher Reeve was doing theater Off Broadway when he was called to cast “Superman” (1978). Photo WB

But if for many Reeve was a superhero, the most heroic thing the actor did was after being Superman, after the near-fatal accident and when he was already moving in a wheelchair, with a stiff neck.

Reeve’s conflicts are exposed without censorship, when usually in authorized biopics what prevails is what is to be praised and highlighted, and not the bad moments.

Why is this documentary moving?

And if the film manages to move, it is because it inspires that, with determination, there is much that can be overcome, or for everything Reeve has done since he was paralyzed at the age of 42 and connected to a artificial respirator. He was a tireless and fervent defender of the rights of disabled people.

Reeve had a phobia of horses. He passed it, but his accident occurred during a horse riding competition.Reeve had a phobia of horses. He passed it, but his accident occurred during a horse riding competition.

and they were Danahis wife and mother of the youngest of Reeve’s three children, and of the three children who continued their work with the Foundation created by Christopher.

We said that the documentary hides nothing. And there is the claim of many disabled people when Reeve filmed an advertisement in which he can be seen magically walking.

Like any biopic, there is no shortage of the actor’s debut on Off Broadway, working with Jeff Daniels and William Hurt, until the casting request superman in England.

Christopher Reeve with his wife Dana, who will continue to carry on her husband's Foundation until his untimely death. Reuters photo
Christopher Reeve with his wife Dana, who will continue to carry on her husband’s Foundation until his untimely death. Reuters photo

The film, it is true, jumps several times in time, comes and goes, but the testimonies of Reeve’s three children, his first partner, his wife, doctors, friends and actors (in addition to the aforementioned Jeff Daniels, are added Glenn Close, Susan Sarandon and Whoopi Goldberg) end up completing the picture of who Christopher Reeve was beyond the big screen.

There are many facts that were not known or forgotten about the actor’s relationship with his father, or facts like that except the films in which he wore blue tights and cape, which were all successes, the rest of his films appearances were failures . Reeve accepted roles of disabled characters after the accident and handled himself as director and producer. And the surprise appearance at the Oscar ceremony?

You don’t have to be a fan of Christopher Reeve to be moved by this excellent documentary work.

“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”

Documentary. US/UK, 2024. Original title: “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”. 104′, SAM 13. From: Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui. With: Christopher Reeve, Robin Williams, Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Matthew Reeve, Will Reeve. Rooms: Hoyts Abasto and Unicenter, Cinemark Palermo, Cinépolis Recoleta, Avellaneda and Pilar, Showcase Belgrano.

Source: Clarin

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