It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Christopher Reeve!: 2010

Monday, November 29, 2010

Still Alive

Christopher Reeve will always be remembered as Superman on and off screen because of the star image he created for himself through his personal demeanor. "The star does not cease to be special, but now combines 'the exceptional with the ordinary, the ideal with the everyday'" (Dyer, 22). On screen, he played a heroic figure and off-screen he used his fame and money to change people’s lives as described in the clip. He continuously inspired scientists to do more research and believe that they can find a cure for spinal cord injuries. This hope he instilled in people is still alive and rich after his unfortunate death in 2004.

Talk with Zoey and Big Bird

Christopher Reeve guest stars on Sesame Street. It is an interesting clip because he is not presenting himself as Superman but as a paraplegic. It is definitely an emotional scene during the episode when Zoey and Big Bird ask about his wheelchair and breathing tube. It provides an emotional connection to the audience, but it also exhibits hope that Christopher Reeve will still be strong. We see a touch of Superman at the end as he carries Zoey on his wheelchair to the library. This is similar in the way Superman always safely carried those he saved. Even though Superman is in a wheelchair, he can still help those in need!

So Uncanny on the WB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJFtpi4vzG0

Christopher Reeve acts as a guest star on Smallville during the 2^nd season of the then WB and now CW series. The Smallville Interview relates to Christopher Reeve’s star image and his worth on the series. Reeve joins the show as an astronomer/scientist who discovers and deciphers Krypton messages sent from the dying planet. As Clark Kent, played by Tom Welling, and Reeve enter the screen together, the uncanny completely fills the air. The audience sees a double Superman on the screen. We see a younger, stronger Superman and then we see the wise and older Superman in the same room. The guest scenes illustrate a connection between a Past Superman and a Future Superman, which gives us a fully clear and intricate representation of Superman. Even though Reeve does not play Superman on the show, we can see Reeve as the older Superman teaching the young Clark Kent lessons on how to become a better person and superhero.

Christopher Reeve on this show adds extra sparkle, because to extreme Superman fans, he is literally Superman. Having double Superman in one scene is a dream come true for fans of the Man of Steel. The extra sparkle also comes from Reeve by way of his disability. This is one of the rarer times Reeve appears on camera after his accident, and we can see his strength and charisma just by his presence in the room. He does not move in his wheelchair, but he completely commands the room. By combining this guest star role and the PSA at the end, we see how Christopher Reeve utilizes the connection between himself and Superman to bring awareness to his foundation and research. At the end of the show, we do not see Christopher Reeve endorsing the Christopher Reeve Foundation PSA, instead, we see Superman.

"S"

With his new identity, Christopher Reeve strives to continue creating change in his respective communities and around the world. Through his foundation, he is able to promote his new image by adapting Superman’s characteristics. To emphasize this new constructed identity, Reeve even uses the character Superman’s trademark symbol “S” for his charity’s foundation. This directly exemplifies how he represents Superman off screen as well as Richard Dyer's concept of individual authorship. He uses his powers to control not only his self image, but also his foundations. This way he is able to present the organization and himself as one. Christopher Reeve is not only himself, but also a super man and an activist.

On all items associated with his foundation, there is a Superman trademark sign imprinted to iconize his new identity as a savior for paralysis and spinal cord injury. You can buy these dog tags at the Christopher Reeve Foundation. All proceeds go towards Spinal Injury and Paralysis Research.

An Applause for a Hero

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffSy3-PJ5QI

This video was from the 68^th Annual Academy Awards in 1996, which was less than a year after Christopher Reeve’s paralyzing accident. After the almost 1 minute and 11 seconds minute standing ovation, Christopher Reeve addressed the audience and the viewers at home about the social issues that Hollywood had been tackling in the recent years. Before he actually spoke, you can make out certain members of the audience, like Rita Wilson, tearing up as Christopher Reeve sat in the middle of the stage with his breathing tube and wheelchair. The man who was able to fly and have super strength was sitting in a wheelchair as still as could be. However, when Christopher Reeve spoke, he brought forth a trust to all his fans and to the world that Superman is not defeated.

At the Oscars, Reeve talked about the need to express social problems in both our community and nation. Reeve brought to our attention the power of film in presenting key issues to the public. This outspoken care and need to help society is exactly what Superman would have said. The viewers watching and listening to him look at him as a real-life Superman. Before this quintessential moment, Clark Kent was the man who played Superman in the movies, but now, he has become a symbol of hope and change for the world. This very public and small speech about Hollywood recognizing social issues becomes a turning point in Reeve’s career. At this moment, his identity changed from actor to society’s hero, similar to how Clark Kent changes to Superman. The uncanny is brilliant, because he is sitting in a wheel chaired, paralyzed in front of millions of people, but everyone begins to see him as a real life Superman. His disability is a sign of vulnerability, but in a sense, Christopher Reeve “is” Superman and continues to use Superman’s (and his) values to make a change. We are left in awe listening to a man, who exemplifies the enlightenment of immortality from the point of mortality.

"New Hopes and New Dreams"

The TIME magazine article titled, “New Hopes, New Dreams,” talks about the past, present and future of Christopher Reeve. It emphasizes how he became Superman, and later on, the article discusses the challenge Reeve faces as a paraplegic and as a tangible image of Superman. Christopher Reeve mentioned in the article that he was very hard on himself in preserving his Superman image. Christopher Reeve’s star image as Superman helped the audience believe that a man can fly and have unbelievable superpowers. After his horrible accident, Reeve faced a dilemma: How can he continue his life, and how can he possibly maintain his image? Kryptonite is Superman’s ultimate weakness, but being paralyzed from the neck down proves to be one of the most difficult struggles anyone can endure. A severely depressed Christopher Reeve had no idea what was going to happen to his life right after the accident. However, instead of focusing on the body parts that could not work anymore, Reeve used his voice and star image as the way to fight for New Hopes and New Dreams.

Even when Superman was poisoned and surrounded by kryptonite, he always fought through to save everyone. In this sense, Christopher Reeve battled through his disability to make his voice heard. He has raised millions of dollars in his foundation, and the symbol of hope lies inside of him and is as strong as ever. Christopher Reeve saw his disability as a test to see how strong he really was. Instead of distancing himself from his iconic character, Reeve used Superman as his vehicle towards a universal need: finding a cure to spinal injuries and paralysis. Even though Superman is tied down to a wheel chair, he still lives on and always will through the legacy of his fans, supporters and image. Christopher Reeve role as Superman made him invincible as a star, and the image of Superman became more human and real because of Christopher Reeve’s life and challenges. By morphing together these images of Reeve and Superman, we are given a man and superhero, characters of reality and fiction, and mortality and immortality. These once contradictory images form together to emphasize the connection between Reeve and Superman. Audiences everywhere were able to see Christopher Reeve as more than just an actor playing Superman, but as an ordinary man who became immortal.

Irreplaceable

There is no other like Christopher Reeve playing Superman and Superman playing Christopher Reeve. He is a perfect fit for this character because he is able to play the role of a charismatic, athletic, and influential humanitarian.

Pleased with the Promise of Tomorrow

At the end of every Superman movie, Superman flies over Earth with the yellow Sun, the source of his powers, in the background. Before he flies off, Superman looks towards the camera and smiles. This image of Superman flying off in space emphasizes Superman as an alien. However, before the film ends, the audience witnesses Superman look at the camera and smile. Christopher Reeve gives us a very simple and rather cheerful smile, which also emphasizes Superman’s humanness. Even though Christopher Reeve is flying in outer space, this single smile reminds the audience that he is also a part of us. Christopher Reeve gave Superman a very human-like image throughout the movie, and a smile is a very human and universal expression. Not only is Superman a visitor from another planet, but he is also a “down-to-earth” symbol. Christopher Reeve’s image embodies the characteristics of Superman, but Superman seems to also embody a part of Christopher Reeve’s humanity. Christopher Reeve and his character as Superman combine to highlight the meaning to SUPER and MAN. This causes both Christopher Reeve and his star image to be seen as this emphasis in meaning: SUPER and MAN.

Ladies Man

Although Superman is often seen as the family man, he also gets a lot of attention from the ladies. His masculine stare along with his macho demeanor makes him stand out as a star. It also influences Superman's star image in a sense that it makes his character look more appealing to a wider audience. Also, his physical appearance reinforces Superman's identity. Imagine if Superman was thin, short, and gawky. Would people still feel secure about his abilities to save those in need?

Cameo in the Muppet Show

Here you see Christopher Reeve guest starring in the Muppet Show. Even though this is a variety show, Reeve still decides to star in it and illustrate the heroic character he embodies. Instead of wearing his Superman suit, we see him in a doctor's attire playing this professional role. This clip shows him saving the patient while entertaining viewers with his charisma and charm.

Superman to the Rescue

Fast Forward to 3:21.

The scene acts as an example of both action and comedy. We see Clark Kent run towards a phone booth, a comic favorite for a Superman quick-change, which appears to be a newer type of phone booth. Clark Kent runs to some rotating doors, in order to change into Superman out of the public eye. When Superman appears and saves Lois from the helicopter, we end with one of Superman’s most famous lines “You’ve got me? Who’s got you?” The scene is definitely serious, partly because Lois Lane is falling out of a helicopter, but overall, the mood is quite comical and funny. To add to the humor, Clark Kent is changing into Superman, which is in fact Christopher Reeve in disguise changing to Christopher Reeve. Christopher Reeve, in public at least, never wore glasses, so in reality, his face is truly the face of Superman. Superman disguises himself as Clark Kent in glasses, which is exactly what Christopher Reeve has to do for the role. It is very funny and uncanny to watch this bustling scene with ambiguity, which lies between the identity of Superman and Christopher Reeve. Both Superman and Reeve wear glasses as a disguise, emphasizing the combining of identity between Superman and Christopher Reeve.

The American Super Man

Superman fights for truth, justice and the American way. In this image, we see Christopher Reeve as a symbol of personal strength and American strength. Through these strengths, Christopher Reeve displays multiple signs of masculinity, through his broad shoulders and serious face, which illustrates a play on masculinity. He bases his appearance and masculinity on the values he stands for as a super man. Superman standing with the flag in the background emphasizes Superman’s allegiance as an American but also a sign of our country’s founding values. Christopher Reeve, deemed invincible, makes America invincible with this hero as its savior. Superman is the type of superhero that steps into the world during the day as a beacon of hope for everyone to see. Many superheroes, like Batman and Spiderman, wear masks and sometimes fight crime by night, which are away from the eyes of the public. By using masks and even the night sky, many superheroes mask themselves from society and use every bit of themselves to stay hidden from the public. Bruce Wayne and Peter Parker put on masks to become Batman and Spiderman. Clark Kent actually takes off his mask to become Superman, which makes the person playing Superman, like Christopher Reeve, the fully realized character. When you see Christopher Reeve as Superman fighting the bad guys, you actually “see” Christopher Reeve fighting them. With Batman, you see Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne, but you only see the mask when Batman is actually fighting. With a mask-less superhero, Reeve’s countenance became the face of a hero, and not just any hero, but Superman.

Biography

Christopher Reeve was born on September 25, 1952 to Barbara Johnson, a journalist and Franklin Reeve, a university professor. Early in his childhood, Reeve’s parents got divorced. Their divorce led Barbara to relocating Christopher and his brother from New York City to Princeton, NJ.

Growing up many people called Christopher Reeve Toph. He participated in various activities as a child such as swimming, sailing, and playing the piano. Reeve’s first role was in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Yeoman of the Guard. This experience helped Reeve conclude that acting was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He fell in love with the idea of playing another character. The various characters he would continue to perform helped him overcome his shyness and lack of self-confidence as a young adult.

After high school, Reeve was admitted to Cornell University. Early in his senior year, Reeve was chosen to attend Juilliard School of Performing Arts in New York. Since Juilliard was famous and hosted a well respected program, Reeve decided to leave Cornell for his senior year to further pursue his acting endeavors in New York City. However, he did graduate from Cornell University in 1974 with a degree in English and music theory.

A couple of years later, Reeve honed his acting capabilities, which helped him land roles in movies like Superman and The Remains of the Day. Reeve starred in numerous films and drew in a large fan base that adored his strong, reliable, heroic star image. To everyone’s surprise, May 27, 1995 changed Reeve’s life. While going horseback riding, his horse failed to make a jump over a fence. As a result, he fell off his horse and was diagnosed with a cervical spinal injury. This incident paralyzed him from the neck down. Even with this disability, Reeve continued to get acting roles in movies like Rear Window and TV shows like Smallville and The Practice until his death in 2004.

Filmography

About this Project

After starring in a mega box office hit film Superman, Christopher Reeve changed his identity by morphing his individual, ordinary guy character and Superman’s supernatural powers in order to construct a new personal identity off screen that serves as a real life superhero. Analyzing his image transformation from on screen to off screen is interesting to us because he is an actor that takes his on screen role and applies it to his life.

On May 27, 1995 Reeve was horseback riding when his horse had refusal, which means his horse failed to make a jump over a fence. As a result, he fell of his horse and was diagnosed with a cervical spinal injury. This incident ended up paralyzing him from the neck down. This exposed Reeve as a mortal being since his fans never pictured him vulnerable before. However, Reeve quickly addresses this dilemma through a new foundation he creates after his accident. He starts the Christopher Reeve Foundation to find a cure and research spinal cord injuries and paralyses. This creates an image of someone with power and control once again. His new mission makes him an even bigger hero. This shows how his character on and off the screen is indestructible as he strives to make a difference.