My hope is that the title for this review won’t get me sued by the makers of Ted Lasso. But in my defense, I’m mostly just playing off the tagline of one of the greatest superhero movies ever made. And in that grand tradition, we now have a stellar documentary telling the inspirational story of one of the most iconic superheroes ever! No, not Superman. The late, great actor and activist, Christopher Reeve.

When we’re kids, it’s not an exaggeration to think that our first exposures to superhero mythology starts with a few notable figures: Batman, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, and most of all, Superman. The Man of Steel, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938, has been the blueprint for which all superheroes are based, from the cape to the powers. As such, it was fitting that the first big-budget, studio driven tentpole based on any superhero would be 1978’s Superman: The Movie.

Filling the cape of such an already iconic character at the time, however, was no easy task. Several Hollywood A-listers were considered for the part of Clark Kent/Superman, from Robert Redford to Burt Reynolds, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger and Paul Newman. However, as fate would so have it, the man who the world would come to know as Superman ended up being a young theater actor from New York. An up-and-comer named Christopher Reeve.

For years, Reeve was, and still is to this day, considered the quintessential version of The Last Son of Krypton. With his charm, his talent, and his ability to transform from Clark Kent to Superman from a simple change in posture, he made everyone believe a man could fly and won the hearts of everyone everywhere. So if, like me, you grew up in the ‘90s, it came as a devastating blow to your soul when you turned on the television in 1995 and heard the news that Superman had been gravely injured in an equestrian accident; one that left him paralyzed for the remainder of his life.

The stunning thing that many didn’t realize at the time, however, was that the accident only marked the beginning of Superman’s greatest fight, and greatest flight as well. The boundaries that Reeve overcame as a result of this accident, as well as the booming and beautiful voice he became for the disabled community, which would ultimately become his greatest, most heroic role of all. That is what Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is all about.

The stellar documentary from filmmakers Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui is a heartwarming and tear-jerking recount of Reeve’s life, from his early days at Julliard alongside best friend, Robin Williams, to his breakout role in Superman: The Movie, and the struggles and triumphs he faced following his 1995 accident through to his death in 2004. It covers the lives of Reeve’s family as well, with touching, heartfelt testimonials from his closest industry friends, to his children — the legacy of the Reeve household. Most importantly, in addition to Christopher, the film also highlights the amazing legacy of his wife Dana Reeve, who eventually passed away two years following her husband due to cancer.

This movie absolutely broke my heart and made me smile. If there’s one word I could use to describe the entirety of the film, it’s hopeful. It made me reflect on how Reeve and Dana were such amazing human beings, and opened my eyes to the struggles they faced at the time, in a way I couldn’t properly process when I was growing up (I was 9 when news of the accident happened). Hearing what they did to set up the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation at a time when many would have lost so much hope was truly inspiring.

I think, perhaps, the best thing about the documentary was how you got to witness how much these two meant to people through the touching testimonials of their children, Matthew, Alexandra, and Will Reeve, as well as friends like Whoopi Goldberg, Jeff Daniels, Glenn Close, and Susan Sarandon. Listening to the Reeve children talk about their father and step-mother (or biological mother in Will’s case) was beautiful. You truly got a sense of how much these people meant to them, but also how they inspired them to, as Kal-El would, do great things in the world. We got to see the impact of Dana and Chris’s work through the additional testimonials of friends like activist Brooke Ellison, who we also lost earlier this year.

Hearing about how talented Reeve was from everyone who knew him closely was wonderful, but more importantly hearing about what a good man he was also validated everything we knew about him. The documentary also went into somber territory after showcasing touching tributes from Robin Williams following Reeve’s death, with their incredibly close friendship being a key factor within the documentary. One posits whether or not the loss of his best friend was a contributing factor to Williams’ own suicide around a decade after.

The biggest takeaway I got from the film, however, was how wonderful of a human being Dana was. From my personal experiences growing up, most news revolved around Reeve, rather than his singer/actress spouse. But the documentary sheds so much light around how loyal, patient, caring, and equally as talented she was; a sentiment shared by her husband. She not only stood by his side well after his accident and through to his death, but also used her strength to help collectively carry them through the hardest of times, particularly in the moments Reeve lost hope. In short, she’s the reason Superman continued to retain hope for himself, and together they spread hope to everyone else. The film thankfully highlights all of this beautifully, and shows how even long after Reeve’s death, and through her struggles with cancer, she still managed to fight the good fight, advocating for disability programs through their foundation, all the way to her death in 2006. In short, Dana was a badass, and I’m so glad we got to see this through the movie. I just wish there was more of it.

The movie does take time to highlight some of the personal struggles and imperfections behind the man. It doesn’t portray him as a saint, outright. For instance, it does touch on his divorce from Gae Exton, the mother of Matthew and Alexandra. But even after a tense moment in both their lives, Exton even made it into the documentary to spread praise for the human being that was her ex-husband. And as such, it still manages to ensure we understand he’s as good a man as can be possible in this world.

Overall, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is a powerful and hopeful study of two terrific human beings: Christopher and Dana Reeve. It’s a story that highlights what the actor meant to the world, and how he and his amazing wife fought to their final days for disability rights. Through all of the darkest times, however, the documentary reminds us that two things will always prevail: hope and love. And thankfully, due to the impact of Christopher and Dana Reeve, both still persist in this imperfect world, so long as folks look up to the sky.

Overall Score: A-