This year marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Christopher Reeve, the actor who portrayed DC’s iconic superhero Superman and its three sequels. There were other actors who played the role before Reeve, and even more who followed him. But Reeve embodied Superman and his alter ego Clark Kent in a way that no other live-action actor has managed since he hung up his cape Superman IV: The Search for Peace in 1987.

Reeve was also widely known for the horse riding accident that left him paralyzed for the last nine years of his life. But it wasn’t the accident or his iconic role that made Reeve a hero – it was everything he did after suffering this life-changing tragedy. Warner Bros. released it earlier this year Super/Man: The Christopher Reeves Story is in theaters and is our pick for the one (HBO) Max movie you need to see in December. Now it’s time to go over the reasons why you should take the time to do this.

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They will believe that a man can cry

Much of Reeve’s personal story was public knowledge and played out to the media. This film goes deeper and explores his childhood and the difficult relationship he had with his own father, with the support and participation of Reeve’s children. This emotional wound never fully healed during Reeves’ lifetime, and it dominated his personal decisions decades later.

The film also goes into detail about the despair Reeve felt after his accident, to the point where he admits he contemplated suicide. The film’s narrative becomes very emotional at this point, and you may find that the tears that come out are your own. It’s a life-changing time for Reeve and it’s almost impossible not to be touched by what he’s been through.

The man behind the Man of Steel

Superman would have been incomplete without covering how Reeve landed his breakthrough role and how his life as Superman changed his life. Not everyone could handle that kind of pressure, and even Reeve felt how enormous it was. This documentary acknowledges the toll it took on Reeve, even if it was also a rare privilege.

The late Robin Williams appears repeatedly in the film’s narrative because he and Reeve knew each other in college and became lifelong friends. Their bond helped Reeve find hope after his accident. Reeve’s children Matthew, Will and Alexandra also share their memories of their father and what he went through during these different phases of his life. They don’t portray Reeve as someone without flaws, but in their eyes he was ultimately a good man and a good father.

Triumph over tragedy

This film can be called The Christopher Reeves storybut it’s not just his story. It also belongs to his wife, Dana Reeve, who stood by him during the darkest hours of his life and helped him find new meaning. Without Dana, Reeve would not have had the support he needed to reinvent himself as a disability advocate. Reeve and his wife founded a charitable foundation dedicated to treating paralysis and finding a cure.

That’s why this documentary is not just a tragedy to be mourned, but a triumph of the human spirit. Christopher and Dana Reeve were truly committed to their shared cause and their work continues today through the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. Together they built something special that will last decades after their deaths. And that’s a more inspiring feat than anything a comic book superhero can accomplish in the real world.

Regard Super/Man: The Christopher Reeves Story To Max.