NEW YORK (AP) – Christopher Reeve’s children say they have made sure to include all the struggles of their father’s life – his strengths and weaknesses – in the new book “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” – because that is what he would have. wanted.
The film includes family videos, interspersed with interviews and film clips of Reeve, who was famous for playing Superman in four films, in addition to other acting and directing roles later in his career. Reeve’s three children, Matthew, Alexandra and Will Reeve, said there were no restrictions on the articles or video used in their father’s story.
He would not want to be seen with rose colored glasses. He would want art and movies and real, complete stories, and that’s what he has,” Reeve’s youngest son, Will, told The Associated Press. “It’s important to us to be honest, we were unstable, we were vulnerable and we gave a 360-degree view of a very human life, of a human family.”
Reeve, known as the Man of Steel, – an avid athlete, sailor, skier and equestrian – was nearly killed in a horse riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed for life his own. He used his platform to become an advocate for people with disabilities, starting a foundation in his name.
Directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui managed to obtain never-before-seen home movies of the Reeve family before and after the accident. “When we started filming, one of the things they were adamant about (about) was that they would share everything. They will share reports, but they will share their thoughts… everything,” said Bonhôte. “It was the first time they were going to do it, and they were going to go all out.”
Reeve had recorded the audio of his memoir before his death in 2005, so his story is used in some episodes, adding to the intimacy of the film. The actor fathered Matthew and Alexandra with his first partner, Gae Exton, and the family lived in the UK before Reeve decided he needed a break and returned to the US alone. Exton, who is interviewed in the film, shares strong memories of that time, and Matthew and Alexandra admit that their father was not always present in their childhood.
Other interviews include Susan Sarandon and Glenn Close, who befriended Reeve after he graduated from the Julliard School and began taking acting roles in New York. Close hints in the film that Reeve and Robin Williams – Julliard classmates and close friends – had a deep relationship and that if Reeve were still alive, It’s possible that Williams would be, too.
Reeve’s children say the process of reading their archives and being interviewed for the film gave them a new perspective and appreciation for their father. Will Reeve was only 12 years old when his father died. His mother, Dana, was there he was diagnosed with cancer and died less than 18 months later. Now a reporter for ABC News, Reeve says she was fortunate to have had family and close friends to help raise her and considers herself “well-adjusted.”
“There’s a situation where things could have turned out differently,” Will Reeve said. “But because of the values instilled in us by our parents, because of the way they let us into their lives, the good and the bad, the joy and the tragedy… that prepared us for the challenges of life and the joys of life .”
Another thing that impressed the directors in their research was Reeve’s commitment to helping others even when he was physically weak in his life. After becoming a quadriplegic, Reeve and his family were surprised by the lack of facilities for people with disabilities and began teaching. Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to help improve the quality of life and fund research for a cure for people with spinal cord injuries.
“He let her have 10 or 15 minutes of self-pity, and now she was on a mission to change the world. And I think it’s very inspiring because … the family as a whole, Dana and the children, they faced a lot of problems, you know, 24-hour care, costs,” Bonhôte said. “So he would fight for those less fortunate than him.”
Alexandra Reeve Givens has kept advocacy at home, working at a foundation and as a Washington attorney and CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology. He said thinking about his father’s life was strong.
“Seeing the aspects of his character that remained constant throughout his life: commitment, strength, passion, energy,” he said. “Those things changed after the accident and manifested in new ways. Suddenly that power meant something completely different. It was the strength to get up every day.”
The film is being released in public Friday to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Reeve’s death this month.
Matthew Reeve—writer, producer and director—said the film also emphasized the lessons the family learned from their parents, including the fragility of life.
“I think what also got us so far in the first place was this deep sense of gratitude for everything, from being thankful that you survived an accident to being eternally grateful that tomorrow It’s not promised and you have to appreciate it now,” he said.
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