Reeve's kids wanted to be “honest” and “raw” in the “Super/Man” documentary.

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NEW YORK — Christopher Reeve's children say they made it a point to cover all the intricacies of their father's life – his strengths and weaknesses – in the new documentary “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” – because that's what he would have wanted.

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The film features family home videos combined with interviews and film clips from Reeve, who played Superman in four films and also had other acting and directing roles later in his career. Reeve's three children, Matthew, Alexandra and Will Reeve, say there were no restrictions on the themes or films used in their father's story.

“He wouldn't want to be looked at through rose-colored glasses. He wanted art, cinema and a fact-based, comprehensive story, and that's what he got,” Reeve's youngest son, Will, told The Associated Press. “It's important for us to be honest, raw and vulnerable and present a 360-degree picture of a very human life, a very human family.”

Known as the Man of Steel, Reeve – an avid sportsman, sailor, skier and horseman – was nearly killed in a horse riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed for life. He used his platform to become an advocate for people with disabilities, establishing a foundation in his name.

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Directors Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui had access to never-before-seen home videos of the Reeve family before and after the accident. “When we started making the film, one of the things they were adamant about was that they would share everything. They will share the archive, but they will share their emotional states… everything,” Bonhote said. “It was the first time they were going to do it and they were going to give it their all.”

Reeve recorded audio of his memories before his death in 2005, so his narration is used in fragments, which adds to the intimacy of the film. The actor became a father to 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 himself. Exton, who is interviewed in the film, shares fascinating memories from that time, and Matthew and Alexandra admit that their father was not around regularly during their childhood.

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Other interviews include Susan Sarandon and Glenna Close, who became friends with Reeve when he graduated from the Juilliard School and began taking acting roles in New York. Close suggests in the film that Reeve and Robin Williams — Julliard classmates and close friends — had a deep bond and that if Reeve were still alive, Williams would probably be alive, too.

Reeve's children say that going through their archives and being interviewed for the film gave them a new perspective and appreciation of their father. Will Reeve was only 12 years old when his father died. His mother, Dana, was diagnosed with cancer and died less than 18 months later. Reeve, now a correspondent for ABC News, says he was lucky to have the help of family and close friends in raising him, and considers himself “pretty well adjusted.”

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“There is a scenario where things could have gone differently,” Will Reeve said. “But because of the values ​​our parents instilled in us, because of the way they let us into their lives, the good and the bad, the joyful and the tragic… it prepared us for the difficulties and joys of life.”

The thing that impressed the directors most during their research was Reeve's commitment to helping others, even when he himself was physically limited. After becoming a quadriplegic, Reeve and his family were shocked by the lack of resources for people with disabilities and founded the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to help improve quality of life and fund research for a cure for people with spinal cord injuries.

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“He allowed himself 10 or 15 minutes of self-pity and then he was on a mission to change the world. “I think it's very, very inspiring because… the family as a whole, Dana and the children, they've had to deal with a tremendous amount of hardship, you know, 24/7 care and the costs,” Bonhote said. “So he would fight on behalf of those less privileged than him.”

Alexandra Reeve Gives continued to support the family through her work at the foundation and as a lawyer in Washington, D.C. and CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology. She said it was powerful to reflect on her father's life.

“To see the elements of his character that remained constant throughout his life: commitment, intensity, passion, strength,” she said. “Those things changed after the accident and manifested themselves in new ways. This power suddenly meant something completely different. Getting up every day gave me strength.”

The film will be released widely on Friday to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Reeve's death later this month.

Matthew Reeve – writer, producer and director – says the film re-emphasized the lessons the family learned from their parents, including the fragility of life.

“I think it instilled in us very early on a deep sense of gratitude for everything, from gratitude that he survived the accident to lasting gratitude that tomorrow is not promised and that you have to really value the present,” he added. he said.

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