As a kid, I had a certain admiration for Christopher Reeve that went beyond his role as Superman. Of course, I loved his Superman (parts 1 and 2 anyway) enough that I always liked seeing him in the small handful of movies. So I was deeply saddened when I heard about his accident… what a tragedy for such a physically gifted man.

This documentary is pretty great… though deeply sad. I could feel my tears build up and I could hear the attempts of audience members behind me try not to lose it. It’s an optimistic film and yet it ends with so much tragedy. But also hope because Reeve’s kids – who look exactly like him – keep going with his good works.

The structure of the doc is smart, operating on two (or three) timelines. Starting with his accident that paralyzed him and skipping back to the ’70s when he was a young actor on stage and getting the gift of Superman. It then bounces back and forth from his acting career to his ongoing rehabilitation and foundation work.

My favorite bit was learning he was great good friends with Robin Williams… and how tragic it must have been for the comedian to lose his best friend and Superman. And, as Glenn Close points out, how Williams might still be alive today if his friend hadn’t passed. That’s what I mean by this being a soul crushing film, not just because of Reeve’s accident and death, but because it hit so many people.

There are a decent number of clips of his acting career but it doesn’t solely focus on Superman or his other gigs. It’s more focused on his recovery and outreach. And it gives a little bit of time to his faults as romantic partner and some perceived insult from the handicapped community over his drive to cure or recover from a spinal injury.

But the one moment I wish they had included was during his working career post accident. They mention him directing In the Gloaming and acting in a remake of Rear Window, but I wish they’d included the moment that made me cry. His cameo on Smallville… an imperfect show but a great, profound, and kind gift to the fans, to Christopher Reeve, and the cast and crew of the show. I guess it was too small a topic at that late stage in his life.

This is a great and greatly told documentary for anyone who looked up to Christopher Reeve. And if you only know him as an answer to a trivia question, check it out to learn what a great guy he was – and how not only how we believed a man could fly, but also why every Superman is compared to him.

And maybe watch Somewhere in Time too.

Score: 91