“Super/Man”: The Christopher Reeve Story” is profound.

The documentary film tells the story of Christopher D’Olier Reeve (1952-2004), who portrayed Superman in several feature movies (1978-1987).

Reeve became paralyzed from the neck down in 1995 at age 42 after being thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Va. He was in a wheelchair and was on a ventilator for most of the rest of his life.

The movie’s title is a reference to the iconic Christopher Reeve and his famous movie role.

Ironically, Reeve’s stardom and life reflect the duality of his role as Superman, Man of Steel, and Clark Kent, the glasses-wearing nebbish reporter for The Daily Planet newspaper.

The documentary film recounts Reeve’s rise to fame, his strained relationship with his poet-scholar father, family concerns and care after his paralysis, the relationship of he and his wife Dana, and their advocacy for disability rights.

The contrast between Reeve, 6 foot, four inches, with matinee-idol good looks, and an all-around athlete who soared as an airplane pilot, and his being confined to a wheel chair, couldn’t be more devastating and heartbreaking.

Reeve, winner of an Emmy Award, Grammy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award, studied at Cornell University and The Juilliard School, and played the title character in the movies, “Superman” (1978) and three sequels, “Superman II” (1980), “Superman III” (1983) and “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” (1987).

After his injury, Reeve lobbied for spinal injury research, including human embryonic stem cell research and for better insurance coverage for persons with disabilities. He established the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center.

After his injury, Reeve directed “In the Gloaming” (1997) and the TV remake of “Rear Window” (1998).

After his injury, Reeve wrote two autobiographical books, ”Still Me” (the basis for voice-over narration by Reeve in the film), and “Nothing Is Impossible.”

“Superman,” a blockbuster hit, became a trendsetter in comic-book to big-screen feature movie adaptations, leading to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Extended Universe.

Before his injury, Reeve appeared in critically-acclaimed feature films, “Somewhere in Time” (1980), “The Bostonians” (1984), “Street Smart” (1987) and “The Remains of the Day” (1993). He was in Broadway shows, including “Fifth of July.”

The documentary film is carefully and caringly constructed.

The documentary was directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui (directors, “Rising Phoenix,” 2020; “McQueen,” 2018) from a screenplay they co-wrote with Otto Burnham.

The documentary includes “Superman” movie scenes; Reeve family home movies; television news reports, archival footage of Robin Williams, Johnny Carson, John Houseman, “Superman” director Richard Donner, Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, former First Lady Hilary Clinton; Reeve’s longtime companion, Gae Exton; Reeve’s wife, Dana Reeve, and new interviews with Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Whoopi Goldberg and Susan Sarandon, and Reeve’s children, Matthew Reeve, Will Reeve and Alexandra Reeve Givens.

The movie includes recurring symbolic images of an Atlas or David statue-like Christopher Reeve floating amidst the cosmic clouds, his body sometimes beset by clinging Kryptonite, Superman’s nemesis from his home planet, Krypton.

The music by composer Ilan Echkeri (“The White Crow,” 2018) is often ethereal.

Christopher Reeve died in 2004 at age 52 from heart failure in a hospital near his home in Westchester County, N.Y.

After the movie, I said to a middle-aged man who had seen the movie, “I think that “Super/Man”: The Christopher Reeve Story” deserves an Oscar nomination for documentary feature film.” The man replied, “I think it deserves to win.”

He’s right. Don’t miss “Super/Man”: The Christopher Reeve Story.”

“Super/Man”: The Christopher Reeve Story,” MPAA rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Parents are urged to be cautious. Some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers.) for some strong language and thematic elements; Genre: Biography, Documentary; Run time: 1 hour, 44 minutes. Distributed by Fathom Events.

Credit Readers Anonymous: “Super/Man”: The Christopher Reeve Story” soundtrack includes the “Superman Theme,” composed by John Williams.

At The Movies: “Super/Man”: The Christopher Reeve Story” was seen in the standard format at AMC Center Valley 16.

Theatrical Movie Domestic Weekend Box Office, Oct. 4-6: “Joker: Folie à Deux,” with Todd Phillips directing Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in the musical, opened at No. 1 with $40 million in 4,102 theaters, proving the Joker was wild as “The Wild Robot” dropped one place from its one-week run at No. 1 with $18.7 million in 3,997 theaters, $63.9 million, two weeks.

3. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” dropped one place, $10.3 million in 3,576 theaters, $265.51 million, five weeks. 4. “Transformers One” dropped one place, $5.3 million in 3,106 theaters, $47.2 million, three weeks. 5. “Speak No Evil” stayed in place, $2.8 million in 2,279 theaters, $32.5 million, four weeks. 6. “Sam and Colby: The Legends of the Paranormal,” based on YouTube videos, $1.7 million in 302 theaters, opening. 7. “White Bird,” Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson star in the war drama, $1.5 million in 1,018 theaters, opening. 8. “Deadpool & Wolverine” dropped one place, $1.5 million in 1,605 theaters, $633.8 million, 11 weeks. 9. “The Substance” moved up two places, $1.3 million in 686 theaters, $9.7 million, three weeks. 10. “Megalopolis” dropped four places, $1 million in 1,854 theaters, $6.4 million, two weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of Oct. 6 is subject to change.

Unreel, Oct. 11:

“Saturday Night,” R: Jason Reitman directs Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Matt Wood, Emily Fairn, Kim Matula and Lamorne Morris in the Comedy Drama. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at the first telecast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1975.

“Piece by Piece,” PG: Morgan Neville directs the voice talents of Pharrell Williams, Kendrick Lamar, Gwen Stefani, Timbaland, Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Daft Punk and Busta Rhymes and himself in the Comedy, Biography, Animation film. A biography film about Pharrell Williams is told with Legos.

“Terrifier 3,” No MPAA rating: Damien Leone directs Lauren LaVera, David Howard Thornton, Jason Patric and Bethlehem’s Daniel Roebuck in the Horror film. Art the Clown visits unsuspecting residents on Christmas Eve.

Movie opening date information from Internet Movie Database as of Oct. 6 is subject to change.

This column is dedicated to Dame Maggie Smith (Dec. 28, 1934 - Sept 27, 2024): Oscars, Supporting Actress, “California Suite,” 1978; Actress, “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,” 1970; five-time Oscar nominee; 86 acting credits on IMDB, including “Harry Potter” (Professor Minerva McGonagall) and “Downton Abbey” (Violet Crawley). She was 89.

Five Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes