Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

Reeve has a difficult childhood, with his parents divorcing at a young age and his family tree being complicated due to his parents' several remarriages, and he has a particularly strained relationship with his father, Franklin. Reeve is studying at the Juilliard School and becomes close friends with his classmate Robin Williams. Superman begins casting for its titular hero, and despite offers from several celebrities interested in the film, director Richard Donner wants an unknown actor to play him. Reeve auditions and wins the role despite disapproval from his father and peers.

During filming, he meets British modeling agent Gae Exton, with whom he begins a whirlwind romance. Superman was released in 1978 and became a massive success, with Reeve unanimously praised, solidifying him into a movie star. This success continues with Superman II (1980). However, the recognition he receives for his portrayal of Superman hinders Reeve's career outside the franchise. Reeve lives in London with Exton, who gives birth to Matthew and Alexandra. He is unsatisfied with his career, only agreeing to star in Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) out of obligation. Matthew admits that his father was frequently absent and wouldn't commit due to his upbringing. Reeve and Exton separated in 1987.

Five months after his breakup with Exton, Reeve meets singer and actress Dana Morosini. The two begin dating, and Reeve eventually overcomes his hesitance about marriage and proposes to Dana. They married in April 1992, and their son Will was born in June that same year. Dana is a caring mother figure to both Matthew and Alexandra. On May 27, 1995, Reeve fell from his horse, suffering a spinal cord injury that paralyzes him from the neck down. He muses that he has ruined his family's life, but Dana reassures him, "You're still you, and I love you." He receives support from friends and family, especially Williams, who helps him laugh for the first time since the accident. Reeve is recovering at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, where he befriends other disabled people. At home, Dana and a team of nurses care for him around the clock. With the help of a large van purchased by Williams and his then-wife Marsha, Reeve travels to Los Angeles and makes an appearance at the 68th Academy Awards, where he receives a standing ovation.

Having been an activist for social causes for most of his life, Reeve began using his platform to advocate for disabled people and spinal cord injury research, speaking at several major events, such as the Democratic National Convention. He started the Christopher Reeve Foundation that would open centers, lobby for several bills, and advocate for stem cell research. Reeve regains the ability to make small bodily movements, but he can't wean off the ventilator completely. The Williamses hold annual parties at Reeve's house on the anniversary of his accident to celebrate life. Reeve makes his directorial debut with In the Gloaming (1997) and also directs The Brooke Ellison Story (2004) about fellow quadriplegic Brooke Ellison.

Reeve and his family reflect on how close and fulfilling their relationship has become after his accident. On October 9, 2004, mere hours after Will's hockey game, Reeve fell into a coma and was hospitalized, ultimately dying at the age of 52. Alexandra and Will tearfully recount witnessing their father's death, while Matthew is in a taxi on the way to the hospital when he hears of his father's death. Reeve is mourned around the world by fans and those he had helped through his activism. Dana succeeds her late husband as chairman of the foundation and continues pursuing her passion for singing, but she is later diagnosed with lung cancer. Dana died on March 6, 2006, at the age of 44, leaving Will an orphan at 13 years old.

Matthew, Alexandra, and Will joined the foundation shortly afterward as board members, intending to carry on Reeve and Dana's legacy. The foundation is renamed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, and several modern-day breakthroughs and milestones involving paralysis research are attributed to Reeve and Dana's activism.

In addition to featuring footage of Christopher Reeve and Dana Reeve, the film also features Reeve's children Alexandra Reeve Givens, Matthew Reeve, and Will Reeve.^[7] Other interviewees included Reeve's half-brother Kevin Johnson, Reeve's former partner Gae Exton, actors Jeff Daniels, Susan Sarandon, Glenn Close, and Whoopi Goldberg, politician John Kerry, activist Brooke Ellison, Superman producer Pierre Spengler, former Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Senior Vice President of Government Relations Michael Manganiello, Kessler Institute chief medical officer Dr. Steven Kirshblum, and Reeve's assistant Laurie Hawkins. Archive interview footage of Superman director Richard Donner and Reeve's close friend and comedian Robin Williams is included. Narration by Reeve is taken from his autobiography audiobooks Still Me (1998) and Nothing Is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life (2002).