‘Courageous Steps’ Views Reeve’s Work in Progress

Christopher Reeve has come up well short of the goal he had set for himself five years ago for his 50th birthday. But he is far from disappointed.

In 1997, two years after he became paralyzed from a severe spinal cord injury suffered in an equestrian competition, the actor made famous for his role as Superman in several films, said he hoped to be walking by Sept. 25 of this year. He was determined to prove wrong the doctors who had said he would never walk again.

As his 50th birthday approaches, Reeve still cannot walk, is paralyzed from the neck down and cannot breathe without a respirator. But he has demonstrated amazing progress in regaining movement in his right wrist, left fingers and both legs that has him and doctors filled with optimism.

Reeve’s improvement has been chronicled in a documentary, “Christopher Reeve: Courageous Steps,” airing tonight on ABC. The special is narrated by Reeve and directed by his 22-year-old son, Matthew.

Footage from the special includes Reeve receiving treatment as part of a study of the effect of exercise on recovery of function for paralyzed patients, conducted at St. Louis’ Washington University School of Medicine. He can feel a pin prick over the majority of his body and has regained limited movement in most of his joints. His speaking and breathing is not as forced as before, and his balance in sitting has improved.

“What we’re trying to show is that conventional wisdom is falling by the wayside,” Reeve said earlier this week in a phone interview. “We want to show that it’s possible to have recovery several years after the injury.”

Reeve also had criticism for government restrictions on controversial stem cell research that might have brought him and other patients even more progress.

“In 1998, research became controversial after embryonic stem cells were isolated at the University of Wisconsin,” Reeve said. “And I feel we’ve lost almost four years of significant progress because first the Clinton administration and then the Bush administration have had to wrestle with the ethics and morality of their use.”

He added, “If it is not that controversial and if there had been full government funding of embryonic stem cell research, I believe we would be in human trials by now. And there might have been a possibility of realizing the goal that I stated in 1995. However, that’s pure speculation. The next step, obviously, is to proceed and to make sure that scientists are funded to do the best research--cutting-edge research, whether or not it involves stem cells or ... whatever it is.”

Reeve’s progress did not begin until five years after his injury. The special shows how he is able to be more active in his life and with his family.

Working on the project with his son brought them closer together, Reeve said. The idea for the documentary originated with Matthew Reeve, who graduated from Brown University in May with a degree in Visual Art and Modern Culture & Media.

“Having Matthew film me made all the difference in the world,” Reeve said. “It gives the whole project a fly-on-the-wall look at my life that would not have been possible. I would not have revealed myself in this way to other filmmakers.”

The documentary also reveals candid observations from Reeve about his inability to be intimate with his wife, or to be able to give his children a hug.

“People are used to seeing me at events like fund-raisers, or making speeches at the Oscars, and that’s when I have everything pulled together,” he said. “But this film shows what really goes on daily.”

“Christopher Reeve: Courageous Steps” will be shown at 10 tonight on ABC.