‘Superman: The Christopher Reeve Story’ explores the legacy of an iconic actor

To the world, he was Superman. To Matthew, Alexandra, and Will, he was dad.

From 1978 to 1987, audiences all over the world knew Christopher Reeve as the actor who played Superman in the famous movie series.

Armed with home videos and interviews with Reeve’s family and closest friends, “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” gives a powerful and honest look at the man who played a hero, and then became one after a devastating horse-riding accident left him paralyzed nearly 30 years ago.

“I mean, it is an incredible privilege and an honor to be able to do it,” said Matthew Reeve about sharing his father’s legacy. “I think that was slightly part of the impetus for agreeing to do this and participate. And so we wanted this to be the full complete 360 holistic, authentic Christopher Reeve story, which the filmmakers have done.”

Alexandra reflected on the unique experience of sharing her father with the world. “I remember parts of it from when we were young,” she said. “I mean, we would go out to the playground or God in Central Park and kids would come up, and I remember there’s that element of being really proud, but also saying, ‘Hey, can you pay attention to me?’ But dad and Dana also just worked so hard for us to have a normal upbringing and really kind of creating this bubble of normalcy for us that I think has stood us well in life and in a way protected us from some of those dynamics.”

“I’m proud of what they meant to the world and the impact that they had on it,” Will said about his parents. “I’m most proud of the values they upheld every single day, courage, compassion, commitment to each other, to a cause to whatever the challenge in front of them was. I’m proudest of how they found joy amid the sadness. I’m proudest of how they were able to laugh when it was way easier to cry, how they were happy, when it would’ve been easier to be angry, how they made life fun and normal and full and fulfilling and meaningful for each of us and for themselves. And how they chose hope when it would’ve been way easier not to, and how they, without telling us that’s what we needed to do. And I think that we’re doing an okay job upholding their values, and that’s what makes me proud, that their legacy lives on through us. I’m proud of these two right here.”

A family like any other, or as Will says, with “human parents who did superhuman things.”