Christopher Reeve's Son Recalls Dad's 'Incredible' Oscars Appearance After Paralyzing Accident (Exclusive)

Matthew Reeve spoke with PEOPLE Sunday during the premiere of ‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’ at the Sundance Film Festival

Christopher Reeve’s appearance at the 1996 Academy Awards is one of the oldest sons Matthew Reeve will never forget.

At the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday, the 44-year-old reflected on the emotional moment his father received a standing ovation for several minutes at a ceremony when he first returned from a horse accident.

“I remember I was in London, it was a school night and we stayed up until three or four in the morning to watch it. And it was absolutely amazing,” Matthew told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview at the documentary premiere Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.

“And what I remember most is after that incredibly warm welcome and standing ovation he received, his introduction – he continued with a wonderful speech about how cinema and movies are at their best when they not only entertain, but also inform and educate and solve problems,” continues Matthew.

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He recalls that they “showed clips from a bunch of movies,” like “Coming homeand Conditions of tenderness and movies that really deal with important human issues and call to action that Hollywood do more about it.”

“So that always keeps me going,” Matthew tells PEOPLE. “And so I also feel like here at Sundance, that’s what they do and live for.”

In March 1996, Christopher received a standing ovation at the Academy Awards when he took the stage in his first public appearance since a horse accident the year before, which left him paralyzed from the neck down.

The actor appeared emotional at the reaction from the audience — which included Tom Hanks, John Travolta, Meryl Streep, Jim Carrey and Nicholas Cage — as the curtain rose to reveal him on stage in a wheelchair, before introducing a montage of Hollywood films dealing with social issues. .

Now, 20 years after Christopher’s death, a documentary arrives Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, which tells about a legendary film career Superman actor and the consequences of his paralysis after a horse riding accident in 1995.

Matthew Reeve with his late father Christopher Reeve in Germany on October 22, 2003.

Stefan Schnoor/Shutterstock

Reeve’s three children Matthew, Alexandra and Will Reeve appear in the film as they reflect on their father’s recovery from a spinal injury, and were also present at the Sundance premiere on Sunday to introduce the documentary.

Directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui worked closely with the Reeve siblings to gather a more complex understanding of Christopher’s legacy, his character and his family’s role in his recovery for the project.

By weaving back and forth through time, the filmmakers also examined two pivotal moments in Christopher’s life: his role as Clark Kent in 1978. Superman and a life-changing injury that left him a quadriplegic in 1995.

Matthew, Alexandra and Will Reeve during the premiere of the film Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on January 21, 2024.

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

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Described by the directors as a “retrospective biopic” at the premiere, the film includes extensive behind-the-scenes personal footage and audio clips of the late actor as his experience before, during and after the accident.

The love story between Christopher and his wife Dana is also shared by his first partner, Gae Exton, who is the mother of his two oldest children, Matthew and Alexandra.

When Christopher died in 2004 of a heart attack, the Reeve family established a foundation in his name. Two years later his wife Dana died of lung cancer. William, Alexandra and Matthew are now board members of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, dedicated to research into the treatment of spinal cord injuries.

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Source: HIS Education