I grew up in a family that shared films and television shows with each other. It is part of our love language. If you love something, you try to get the rest of the family to watch it. For my brother and I, that included superhero movies.
I’m the youngest of 3 and decades separate my siblings and I. My middle brother and I are ten years apart. My mother tells stories about before I was born and one includes my brother making it clear that he was going to show me all the nerdy things he loved. At the time, he said “I’ll teach him about heroes and Star Trek and Star Wars.” When asked if that would change if I was a girl, he simply substituted he for she and he kept that promise.
I remember watching the Christopher Reeve movies as a child. It was at that perfect age where I did believe a man could fly. Part of my childhood was watching movies way too young and I do remember watching Superman: The Movie around 4 years old. This is important because I had the realization that my niece, who is currently 4, saw James Gunn’s Superman with us and was gifted her own magic.
She knows about Reeve and the Superman actors that have come before but seeing Superman in theaters was her first time experiencing the magic of the character without someone telling her stories or explaining their own emotional tie to it. It was a chance for her to have that experience in a movie theater. And to me, that’s what makes Superman and superhero films like it so special. It is something we can share with each other.
It isn’t all about how you feel but allowing others to find something that brings them joy
Frankly, I think we’ve lost the plot when comes to superhero properties. Many think that their opinion on a film is the end all be all and they’re ignoring what a younger generation has to say about it. Look at what happened with the Star Wars prequels. The adults bashed the films and yet an entire generation of movie-goers cherished them and when we got old enough to have our voices heard, it changed the narrative surrounding them.
Part of me feels like history is repeating itself with superhero stories. I see the wars between franchises, what actor did a better job, or even the people who don’t like that this take on Clark is a bit more cheesy and I think about the kids who will say that this WAS their Superman. David Corenswet IS the man they will associate with the character.
That’s what makes sharing these films important to me. I already know that my niece will remember seeing this movie with our family, she’ll remember watching Krypto fight Lex. And that moves me to tears because that’s the important thing about loving these characters: We share them with each other to keep that love and hope, in Superman’s case, alive.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
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