There was a day when superhero movies were actually a rarity. There were no big blockbuster franchises or sprawling cinematic universes. Perhaps that’s one reason 1978’s “Superman: The Movie” was such a critical and box office success. Another reason was the film’s lead, a young relatively unknown Christopher Reeve. It was a star-making role for the Juilliard alumni that over time became both a blessing and a curse.

With “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”, co-directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui examine the man behind the pop culture myth, exposing our penchant for idolizing characters while emphasizing what it means to be a true hero. For some, the documentary has the potential be a stirring introduction while others will see it as a moving reminder of what Christopher Reeve accomplished, endured, and overcame.

Bonhôte and Ettedgui tell Reeve’s story through interviews with his children, Will Reeve, Matthew Reeve, and Alexandra Reeve Givens. They also include some of Reeve’s acting contemporaries such as Susan Sarandon, Glen Close, and Jeff Daniels. The doc includes a wealth of archived footage and clips from old home movies. But ultimately it’s the heartfelt testimonies that offer the most insight and that give the movie its emotional weight.

“Super/Man” attempts to balance Reeve’s professional and personal lives, digging into his complicated family history while highlighting his near overnight ascent to global movie star status. With so much to cover, not everything gets the attention it needs. But Bonhôte and Ettedgui give us enough to get to picture. They tell us about his troubled relationship with his parents, mostly with his unsupportive father. We hear how he met Gae Exton, the mother of Matthew and Alexandra. We learn that five months after leaving her he met his future wife, Dana.

Professionally, we get snippets of his life as an off-Broadway actor and his eventual call to audition for the role of Superman where he beat out the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Jenner, and Neil Diamond (!!!). We see Reeves catapulted to super stardom with the success of “Superman: The Movie” and later desperate to get out from under its shadow. And there’s the tragedy that struck on May 27, 1995 when Reeve’s suffered a spinal injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down.

Much of the documentary focuses on the injury, its impact on Reeve and his family, and the resilience he showed to not only keep living but to use his situation as a means to promote disability awareness. Along the way, it stresses Dana’s unwavering care and support for her husband. She’s an essential part of Reeve’s story and a hero of an entirely different kind.

Bonhôte and Ettedgui have definitely done their homework and their movie’s overarching message is easy to grasp. But not all of their choices pan out. For example, their frequent bouncing back-and-forth on Reeve’s timeline hinders more than helps. But it doesn’t lessen the heartbreak or inspiration found of this real-life Superman story. “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” is now showing in select theaters.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS