# 185 Thursday, July 6, 2006 "YOU'LL BELIEVE A MAN CAN FLY"
When the first Superman movie came out, starring Christopher Reeve, I was
working at Marine World Africa USA as a diver.
I read the catch-phrase, "You'll believe a man can fly", with a certain
amount of professional disdain.
A flying man? Big deal.
Underwater, flying is the way we do business.
Have you ever snorkeled?
If not, please do.
You do not have to be a fully certified scuba diver to experience the joy of
the sea-just put on a mask and flippers and snorkel-and soar.
Underwater, you can fly up a sunbeam, touch a finger to the rippling silver
surface, where the water meets the air, then glide back down, in the endless
living sky which is the sea.
I saw all four of the Reeve Superman movies, of course, and enjoyed them.
The second one was the best, where he fights the three other world bad
guys-I absolutely did not like the comedy villain Lex Luthor portrayed by
Gene Hackman, Superman needs an opponent with actual menace--and I loved the
part in Superman IV when he throws the world's nuclear weapons into the sun.
Christopher Reeve himself seemed just an astonishingly beautiful actor,
someone gifted with a jealousy-inspiring amount of talent and looks and
charisma.
Then the accident happened, and the man beneath showed through.
As the movie Superman, Christopher Reeve entertained.
As himself, Christopher Reeve inspired and challenged the world.
I saw the new Superman movie yesterday, and I could not understand why I was
hating it.
Facially, the actor Brandon Routh is exactly right, perfect; he is Superman.
Bodywise, he is a little too pretty: built for show, not strength. He does
not appear to understand the body mechanics of lifting something heavy- time
studying weightlifters as they supporting heavy poundages would have been
useful-when Routh picks up something heavy, like a car or a continent, it
rings false: too delicate a posture.
But he is terrific as an actor: incredibly expressive face.
The flying was magnificent, especially when he soars through the clouds.
Flying without a plane is the ultimate dream of motion, to be weightless,
and have no limits, and "slip the surly bonds of earth" entirely.
What a joy is motion. All the million little twitches which take us through
the day, and give us pleasure or help us work-which we take for granted
until they are not there.
Not only Roman but also Gloria now have trouble with motion. Roman battles
paralysis every day, of course; people ask how he is doing, and I usually
say something like, "It's hard. Every thing he does is a struggle, but he is
going on with his life, coaching his son's baseball team, continuing his
education, commissioner of health and recreation services for Fremont,"
etc., etc.
Gloria has ongoing trouble breathing now, and that slows her down a lot. (We
are going to get an appointment with a lung specialist called a
pulmonologist-a word I just learned from friend Amy Daly, a Registered Nurse
as well as stem cell activist).
The villain in the new movie was Kevin Spacey, and finally, Lex Luthor was
played right. Chilling, charming, one moment his voice is subtly caressing
the audience, the next he roars, and at least one member of the crowd
actually jumped-outstanding work.
His girlfriend, also, was very good-sexy, funny, not overly gifted with
intelligence, but with a good heart-her character came across. When she was
visibly coming on to Superman, trying to attract him (although she really
likes Lex Luthor) you could see her torn between loyalty and attraction, the
pride in her ability to use her sexuality and the frustration when it does
not work-a lot of levels of performance.
Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane-I don't know if it was the script or the actress,
but she didn't work for me. My favorite Lois, Margot Kidder, had an
insouciant charm made it plain why Superman would choose her for his one and
only-she was more than gorgeous, and we pulled for her. Kate Bosworth's
character seemed too stuck on herself, like she was congratulating herself
all the time, look at me, I am sad and heroic and noble-when she was on
screen, I could not forget it was a movie.
Character actors were top-notch.
The five year old boy who plays Superman's son-(yes! I tried not to tell,
but I can't help it-Superman and Lois were fooling around, and that's his
kid!)-fabulous job, incredibly appealing.
Frank Langella, who once played Dracula, was perfect as Perry White, the
editor of the Daily Planet. Even his ridiculous 1950's curse, "Great Caesar's
ghost!" almost works.
Overall, the movie was excellent.
Why then did I feel an actual anger toward it? I found myself wanting to
pick the movie apart, felt almost eager to find flaws.
Only after the movie ended did I understand.
I was standing up, not quite ready to go, lingering in the John Williams
theme music, when a line in the credits read:
"This movie is dedicated to Christopher and Dana Reeve, with love and
respect."
A good thing the theater was still dark, because I just lost it.
We miss Christopher so much. Dana too, of course, it is a crime to have her
gentle light extinguished: but it just aches not to have Christopher Reeve
with us-it was so great knowing he was out there, fighting for us-his loss
is a continuing blow.
I am glad that the producers of the film saw fit to dedicate their movie to
these genuine American heroes.
It would be even better if they did a special performance, one day in which
all the proceeds from the film were donated to the Christopher Reeve
Foundation.
P.S. I just found out that the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act
will be receiving $1.5 million this year. I was worried we would not get
anything, and this was a great relief.
A phone call from Dean Garifilo, aide to Assemblymember Alberto Torrico (who
is now championing the Roman Reed Act) reached me with the happy news,
almost at the same hour as an email from Ryan Spencer, aide to former
Assemblyman John Dutra, who authored the original bill:
"According to the Assembly Budget Committee, Spinal Cord Injury research was
funded in Provision 21 of Item 6440-001-0001 (the University of California's
Budget) in the amount of $1.5 million."
Also, did you read where UC Irvine received a grant of $10 million for stem
cell research? Bill and Sue Gross of Newport Beach were the "angels" who
contributed so magnificently. (The University of California at Irvine is of
course where the Reeve/Irvine Research Center is located; also the Roman
Reed Lab.)
How delighted Christopher would have been.
By Don Reed www.stemcellbattles.com
ERROR: Friend and stem cell research advocate Ray Lee points out an error in
my recent column-- it was emphatically not Queen Elizabeth ("the Virgin
Queen") who advanced the cause of anesthetics for childbirth, but Queen
Victoria, who requested pain-relief assistance for two of her nine children.
My apologies to all concerned-- I must have a serious discussion with my
researcher-- oh, wait a minute, that's me.
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