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"‘Super/Man’ Directors: Kids' Role in Preserving Reeve's Legacy"

2024-12-10

The filmmakers behind "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" had a clear goal - to create an emotional journey for audiences. Two decades after Christopher Reeve's passing, this documentary film, directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, offers an intimate glimpse into the late Superman actor's life. It traces his journey from his days at Julliard to the tragic 1995 horseback-riding accident that left him paralyzed, his active disability rights activism, and the final years of his life.

Discover the Hidden Emotions of a Superhero's Life

From Julliard to Paralysis

The film opened to great acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival in January and was named one of the National Board of Review's best documentaries of 2024. As Ian Bonhôte explained during TheWrap's Screening Series, where he was joined by Ettedgui and Joe McGovern who moderated the virtual conversation, the challenge was to tell a story that many already knew. "How do you surprise an audience with elements that are already known? We want[ed] emotion to be over information. Emotion is what we [were] looking for." By bringing in those closest to Reeve, especially during his most vulnerable times, the film was able to achieve this.Reeve's wife, Dana, who passed away in 2006 from lung cancer, is featured in the film, along with new interviews with his three grown children - Alexandra, Matthew, and Will. Reeve's former partner, Gae Exton, who is very private, was also included after a long wooing process. Actors like Jeff Daniels, Susan Sarandon, Glenn Close, and Whoopi Goldberg, along with archival interviews of Superman director Richard Donner and Reeve's close friend Robin Williams, add depth to the documentary.

The Importance of Family

As Ettedgui admitted, "What we discovered as we were making [the film] was the importance of people like Dana. We didn't know about Dana's story. We barely knew the kids." Getting to know them more revealed that this wasn't just a Superman story but the tale of a beautiful family. Bonhôte acknowledged that the film wouldn't have the same emotional impact without the involvement of Reeve's family members. "The film couldn't be done with[out] them," he said. "They became even more and more relevant to the story, and we realized that Dana and the family aspect were much more important than just Christopher Reeve being a successful actor and the accident. There was much more to it."The interview sessions with Reeve's children were deeply emotional. Each session took about 12 hours to complete. Ettedgui shared a moment with Matthew where he went into a "lyrical, beautiful memory of being a young boy on his dad's shoulders." This opened the door to something special, as they let their emotions out, and everyone present felt the power of these interviews.

Dana's Role and the Impact

Regarding Dana's part in the documentary, Bonhôte conveyed the loss she endured after Reeve's life-changing accident. He said, "She made us understand that someone with his level of disability will impact everyone in the family, will impact your partner, and that's what she wanted to bring to the table."With a runtime of 104 minutes, there were aspects of Reeve's life that Bonhôte and Ettedgui couldn't fully explore, such as his involvement with the Creative Coalition and his support for the preservation of New York architecture.Ultimately, "Super/Man" is about more than just Christopher Reeve the actor. It's about the man behind the cape and his loved ones who kept him going. "It's about love, family and legacy," Bonhôte said.Watch the full discussion here.

Jacob Gilleo, a 20-year-old car enthusiast from Amesbury, has found a unique way to bring holiday spirit to his neighborhood. His 1985 Camaro, adorned with Christmas lights, has been catching the attention of passersby and generating a lot of excitement.

The Colorful Camaro - A Holiday Delight with a Legal Twist

Section 1: The Birth of a Holiday Tradition

Jacob has always had a passion for anything with a motor. Since he was young, he dreamed of doing something special with his cars during the holiday season. And that's how the idea of covering his 1985 Camaro in Christmas lights came to life. "It feels pretty cool, everyone flashing their lights at me," he said. The sight of his brightly lit Camaro has become a familiar sight in Amesbury during the holiday months. People can't help but take notice and smile as it drives by.During the holiday season, Jacob's Camaro has become a symbol of joy and togetherness. It brings a sense of warmth and cheer to the community, making people forget about the stress of the holidays and focus on the simple pleasures.

Section 2: The Legal Conundrum

While Jacob's Camaro may be a sight to behold, it is important to note that driving with colorful lights is illegal. According to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, red and blue lights are reserved for emergency vehicles, amber lights are for service vehicles like tow trucks, and aftermarket lights like undercarriage neons are prohibited.Jacob learned this the hard way when he got pulled over for his lights. He realized that he needed to be more careful and make sure that he was following the law. Since then, he has made a conscious effort to do everything safely and within the bounds of the law.Despite the legal issues, Jacob's Camaro has still managed to become a beloved part of the community. His close relationship with the Amesbury police has helped to ease any concerns they may have had about his lights. In fact, his car was even featured in a parade this past weekend, with its lights shining bright.

Section 3: The Impact on the Community

Jacob's Camaro has had a profound impact on the community. It has brought people together and created a sense of unity during the holiday season. People from all walks of life have stopped to take pictures and admire the car, and many have shared their own holiday memories with Jacob."The car has been a great conversation starter," Jacob said. "It's been fun to see people react to it and share their stories. It really brings out the best in people."Jacob's Camaro has also inspired others to get creative with their holiday decorations. Many people in the community have started to decorate their own cars with lights and other festive decorations, creating a whole new tradition in Amesbury.In conclusion, Jacob Gilleo's 1985 Camaro covered in Christmas lights is a true testament to the power of holiday spirit and creativity. While it may have caused some legal issues, it has also brought a lot of joy and happiness to the community. It is a reminder that even in the midst of the chaos of the holidays, there is always time to stop and enjoy the simple things in life.

Evercore ISI senior managing director Mark Mahaney delves into the potential impact of the Justice Department lawsuit against Google on its stock price during the "Varney & Co." segment. Google claims that its latest microchip, Willow, has achieved a significant milestone by solving a key quantum computing challenge, which even caught the attention of Elon Musk.

Google's Quantum Computing Breakthrough

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai took to X on Monday to announce, "Introducing Willow, our new state-of-the-art quantum computing chip with a breakthrough that can reduce errors exponentially as we scale up using more qubits, cracking a 30-year challenge in the field." In benchmark tests, Willow demonstrated remarkable performance by solving a standard computation in less than 5 minutes, a feat that would take a leading supercomputer over 10^25 years - far beyond the age of the universe(!). This showcases the immense potential of quantum computing.Pichai further emphasized, "We see Willow as an important step in our journey to build a useful quantum computer with practical applications in areas like drug discovery, fusion energy, battery design, and more." Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, was clearly impressed and responded with, "Wow." This sparked an exchange between the two, with Pichai writing back, "We should do a quantum cluster in space with Starship one day," accompanied by a smiley face. Musk replied, "That will probably happen. Any self-respecting civilization should at least reach Kardashev Type II. In my opinion, we are currently only at less than 5% of Type I. To get to ~30%, we would need to place solar panels in all desert or highly arid regions."

Alphabet's Stock Performance

As of now, Alphabet, Inc. (GOOG) has a stock price of 170.49 with a change of -0.33 and a change percentage of -0.19%. This shows the current market sentiment towards the company.

Quantum Computing and Tech Giants

Like other tech giants such as Microsoft and IBM, Google is actively pursuing quantum computing due to its promise of computing speeds far exceeding today's fastest systems. Willow, with its 105 qubits - the building blocks of quantum computers - holds great promise. However, as more qubits are packed onto a chip, errors can accumulate, making the chip similar to a conventional computer chip. Since the 1990s, scientists have been working on quantum error-correction to address this issue.Google's efforts in quantum computing are not only significant for the company itself but also have the potential to revolutionize various industries such as drug discovery, where faster computing could lead to breakthroughs in finding new medications. In fusion energy, quantum computing could help optimize the complex processes involved. Battery design also stands to benefit from the increased computational power offered by quantum computers.In conclusion, Google's quantum computing advancements, as represented by Willow, are attracting attention from both the business and scientific communities. The potential applications and implications of this technology are vast and could shape the future of various fields.