Superman (stylized as Superman: The Movie) is a 1978 superhero film directed by Richard Donner, supervised by Alexander and Ilya Salkind, produced by their partner Pierre Spengler, written by Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman, and Robert Benton from a story by Puzo based on the DC Comics character of the same name. It is the first installment in the Superman film series. An international co-production between the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Panama and the United States,[3] the film stars an ensemble cast featuring Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Jeff East, Margot Kidder, Glenn Ford, Phyllis Thaxter, Jackie Cooper, Trevor Howard, Marc McClure, Terence Stamp, Valerie Perrine, Ned Beatty, Jack O'Halloran, Maria Schell, and Sarah Douglas. It depicts the origin of Superman (Reeve), including his infancy as Kal-El of Krypton, son of Jor-El (Brando) and his youthful years in the rural town of Smallville. Disguised as reporter Clark Kent, he adopts a mild-mannered disposition in Metropolis and develops a romance with Lois Lane (Kidder) whilst battling the villainous Lex Luthor (Hackman).
Ilya had the idea of a Superman film in 1973 and after a difficult process with DC Comics, the Salkinds and Spengler bought the rights to the character the following year. Several directors, most notably Guy Hamilton, and screenwriters (Mario Puzo, David and Leslie Newman, and Robert Benton), were associated with the project before Richard Donner was hired to direct. Tom Mankiewicz was drafted in to rewrite the script and was given a "creative consultant" credit. It was decided to film both Superman and its sequel Superman II (1980) simultaneously, with principal photography beginning in March 1977 and ending in October 1978. Tensions arose between Donner and the producers, and a decision was made to stop filming the sequel, of which 75 percent had already been completed, and finish the first film.[7]
The most expensive film made up to that point, with a budget of $55 million,[8][9] Superman was released in December 1978 to critical and financial success; its worldwide box office earnings of $300 million made it the second-highest-grossing release of the year. It received praise for Reeve's performance and John Williams' musical score,[10] and was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Film Editing, Best Music (Original Score), and Best Sound, and received a Special Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects.[11] Groundbreaking in its use of special effects and science fiction/fantasy storytelling, the film's legacy presaged the mainstream popularity of Hollywood's superhero film franchises. In 2017, Superman was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress's National Film Registry.
Plot[]
On the planet Krypton, Jor-El of the Kryptonian high council discovers that the planet will be destroyed when it drifts out of its orbit towards its red supergiant sun. The other council members dismiss his claims. To save Kal-El, his infant son, Jor-El sends him in a spaceship to Earth, where his dense molecular structure will give him superhuman strength and other powers. Krypton, thereafter, is destroyed.
The ship lands near Smallville, Kansas. Kal-El, now three Earth years old, is found by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who are astonished when he lifts their truck. They decide to raise him as their own, naming him Clark after Martha's maiden name. Jonathan tells the boy that he must have been sent to Earth for "a reason".
After Jonathan's death from a heart attack, 18-year-old Clark hears a psychic "call" and discovers a glowing green crystal in the remains of his spacecraft. It compels him to travel to the Arctic where a Fortress of Solitude, resembling the architecture of Krypton, emerges from the ice. Inside, a hologram of Jor-El explains Clark's true origins, and after twelve years of educating him on his reason for being sent to Earth and his powers, he leaves the Fortress wearing a blue and red suit with a red cape and the House of El family crest emblazoned on his chest. Becoming a reporter at the Daily Planet in Metropolis, Clark meets and develops a romantic attraction to coworker Lois Lane.
Lois is involved in a helicopter mishap. Clark publicly uses his powers for the first time to save her, astonishing the crowd gathered below. He then thwarts a jewel thief attempting to scale the Solow Building, captures robbers fleeing police and depositing their getaway cabin cruiser on Wall Street, rescues a girl's cat from a tree, and saves Air Force One after a lightning strike destroys an engine. The "caped wonder", an instant celebrity, visits Lois at her penthouse apartment the next night and takes her for a flight, allowing her to interview him for an article in which she names him "Superman".
Meanwhile, criminal genius Lex Luthor learns of a joint U.S. Army and U.S. Navy nuclear missile test. He buys hundreds of acres of worthless desert land and reprograms one of the two missiles to detonate in the San Andreas Fault. Knowing Superman could stop his plan, Lex deduces that a recently discovered meteorite is from Krypton and is radioactive to Superman. After he and his accomplices Otis and Eve Teschmacher retrieve a piece of it, Luthor lures Superman to his underground lair and reveals his plan to cause everything west of the San Andreas Fault to sink into the Pacific Ocean, leaving Luthor's desert land as the new West Coast of the United States. Luthor then exposes him to the meteor piece's mineral, Kryptonite, which weakens Superman greatly as Luthor taunts him about the second missile, headed east towards the random target of Hackensack, New Jersey.
Teschmacher is horrified that Luthor does not care that her mother lives in Hackensack. Luthor leaves Superman to die. Knowing he always keeps his word, Teschmacher helps Superman on the condition he will stop the eastbound missile first. After being freed, Superman diverts the eastbound missile into outer space, consequently preventing him from reaching the westbound missile before it explodes in the San Andreas Fault. Massive earthquakes erupt across California, damaging the Golden Gate Bridge and breaching the Hoover Dam. Superman mitigates the effects of the explosion by sealing the fault line.
While Superman is busy saving others, Lois's car falls into a crevice from one of the aftershocks, trapping her as it fills with dirt and debris. She suffocates before Superman can reach her. Angered over failing to save her, Superman defies Jor-El's earlier warning not to manipulate human history, and instead heeds Jonathan's advice that he must be there for "a reason". He accelerates around Earth, traveling several minutes backward in time to prevent Lois's death while also undoing the damage caused by the missile and earthquake. After saving the West Coast, Superman delivers Luthor and Otis to prison before flying into the sunrise for further adventures.
Cast[]
- Marlon Brando as Jor-El
- Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor
- Christopher Reeve as Superman / Clark Kent
- Ned Beatty as Otis
- Jackie Cooper as Perry White, the boss of Daily Planet
- Glenn Ford as Jonathan Kent
- Trevor Howard as the First Elder
- Margot Kidder as Lois Lane
Reception[]
Box office[]
The film set a new all-time U.S. industry record for business during a pre-Christmas week with $12 million, and set new records for Warner Bros. for their best opening day ($2.8 million) and three-day weekend ($7.5 million).[12] In the week of December 22–28, it set an all-time U.S. weekly record of $18.5 million.[13] It also set a record single day gross for Warner Bros. with a gross of $3.8 million.[14] In its third weekend it grossed $13.1 million for the four day holiday weekend setting a record 18 day gross of $43.7 million.[15]
It went on to gross $134.21 million in the United States and Canada, and $166 million internationally, totaling $300.21 million worldwide.[6] Superman was the highest-grossing film of 1978 in North America, and became the sixth-highest-grossing film of all time after its theatrical run. It was also Warner Bros.'s most successful film at the time.[16]
Critical response[]
According to Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 69 critics gave Superman a positive review, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Superman deftly blends humor and gravitas, taking advantage of the perfectly cast Reeve to craft a loving, nostalgic tribute to an American pop culture icon."[17] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 81 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[18] The film was widely regarded as one of top 10 films of 1978.[19][20][21] Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster gave a positive reaction.[22] Shuster was "delighted to see Superman on the screen. I got chills. Chris Reeve has just the right touch of humor. He really is Superman."[23]
Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars. Although describing the Krypton scenes as "ponderous" ("Brando was allegedly paid $3 million for his role, or, judging by his dialogue, $500,000 a cliché"), Ebert wrote that "Superman is a pure delight, a wondrous combination of all the old-fashioned things we never really get tired of: adventure and romance, heroes and villains, earthshaking special effects, and -- you know what else? Wit". He praised Reeve, stating that he "sells the role; wrong casting here would have sunk everything", and concluded that the film "works so well because of its wit and its special effects".[24] Ebert placed the film on his ten best list of 1978.[25] He would later go on to place it on his "Great Movies" list.[26] Gene Siskel gave the film three stars out of four, calling it "a delightful mess. Good performances. Sloppy editing. Cheap nonflying special effects. Funny dialog. In sum, 'Superman' is the kind of picture critics tear apart, but still say, 'You ought to see it.Template:' "[27]
James Harwood of Variety called the film "a wonderful, chuckling, preposterously exciting fantasy", and further added: "As both the wholesome man of steel and his bumbling secret identity Clark Kent, Reeve is excellent."[28] Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote in a mixed review, "The Superman comic strip has been carefully, elaborately, sometimes wittily blown up for the big-theater screen, which, though busy, often seems sort of empty."[29] Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times called the film "a big letdown", praising Reeve as "the salvaging strength of the film" but referring to the matter of the villain as "an essential problem", finding that "even in a succession of wigs, Gene Hackman is not preposterous, funny or dementedly menacing, and what he's doing here is not evident."[30] Gary Arnold of The Washington Post wrote in a positive review, "Despite a lull here and a lapse there, this superproduction turns out to be prodigiously inventive and enjoyable, doubly blessed by sophisticated illusionists behind the cameras and a brilliant new stellar personality in front of the cameras—Christopher Reeve, a young actor at once handsome and astute enough to rationalize the preposterous fancy of a comic-book superhero in the flesh."[31] Dave Kehr of Chicago Reader felt "the tone, style, and point of view change almost from shot to shot. This is the definitive corporate film. It is best when it takes itself seriously, worst when it takes the easy way out in giggly camp. When Lex Luthor enters the action, Hackman plays the arch-villain like a hairdresser left over from a TV skit."[32]
Writing in a retrospective review, James Berardinelli believed "there's no doubt that it's a flawed movie, but it's one of the most wonderfully entertaining flawed movies made during the 1970s. It's exactly what comic book fans hoped it would be. Perhaps most heartening of all, however, is the message at the end of the credits announcing the impending arrival of Superman II."[33] Harry Knowles is a longtime fan of the film, but was critical of elements that did not represent the Superman stories as seen in the comics.[34] Neal Gabler similarly felt that the film focused too much on shallow comedy. He also argued that the film should have adhered more to the spirit of Mario Puzo's original script, and referred to the first three Superman films collectively as "simply puffed-up TV episodes."[35]
Accolades[]
Superman was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Film Editing (Stuart Baird), Best Original Score (John Williams) and Best Sound (Gordon K. McCallum, Graham V. Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier and Roy Charman)[36] and received a Special Achievement Academy Award for its visual effects. Donner publicly expressed disgust that production designer John Barry and cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth had not been recognized by the Academy.[37]
Superman was also successful at the 32nd British Academy Film Awards. Reeve won Best Newcomer, while Hackman, Unsworth, Barry, and the sound designers earned nominations.[38] The film won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.[39] At the Saturn Awards, Kidder, Barry, John Williams, and the visual effects department received awards, and the film won Best Science Fiction Film.[40] Reeve, Hackman, Donner, Valerie Perrine, and costume designer Yvonne Blake were nominated for their work as well.(citation needed) In addition, Williams was nominated at the 36th Golden Globe Awards and won the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.[41]
| Organization | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Film Editing | Nominated | [42] |
| Best Original Score | Nominated | ||
| Best Sound | Nominated | ||
| Best Visual Effects (Special Achievement) | Won | ||
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated | [43] |
| Best Cinematography | Nominated | ||
| Best Production Design | Nominated | ||
| Best Sound | Nominated | ||
| Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Won | ||
| Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award | Won | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Original Score | Nominated | [44] |
| Saturn Awards | Best Science Fiction Film | Won | [45] |
| Best Director | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Nominated | ||
| Best Music | Won | ||
| Best Special Effects | Won |
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Superman. AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
- ↑ Superman. British Board of Film Classification.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Superman. American Film Institute.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Superman. British Film Institute.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Superman. Lumiere.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Superman (1978).
- ↑ Tonguette, Peter. Bright Lights Film Journal :: The Superman Films of Richard Lester. Brightlightsfilm.com.
- ↑ Cook, David A. (2000). Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970–1979. Scribner.
- ↑ Superman: The Movie (1978) – Articles. Turner Classic Movies.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedcomment - ↑ "Superman (1978) – Awards and Nominations"[dead link], AwardsDatabase.oscars.org, Retrieved November 30, 2015
- ↑ "'Superman' gross leaps over $12 mil in a single week", The Hollywood Reporter, December 26, 1978, p. 1.
- ↑ "WB shatters industry marks with $29 mil 7-day boxoffice", The Hollywood Reporter, January 2, 1979, p. 1.
- ↑ "'Any Which' In New Single Day WB High". Variety. December 31, 1980. p. 3.
- ↑ "'Superman' adds more records to his collection", Daily Variety, January 3, 1979, p. 1.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedlegend - ↑ Superman (1978). Rotten Tomatoes.
- ↑ Superman Reviews. Metacritic.
- ↑ The Greatest Films of 1978. Filmsite.org.
- ↑ The 10 Best Movies of 1978. Film.com.
- ↑ The Best Movies of 1978 by Rank. Films101.com.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedsaga - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedKroll - ↑ Ebert, Roger. "Superman", Chicago Sun-Times, December 15, 1978.
- ↑ "Ebert's 10 Best Lists: 1967–present", Chicago Sun-Times.
- ↑ Ebert, Roger. "Great Movies: Superman", November 4, 2010.
- ↑ Siskel, Gene (December 15, 1978). "Too many cooks spoil the froth: Sloppy 'Superman' is a fun but fumbling film" Stub. Chicago Tribune. Section 6, pp. 1–2 Stub – via Newspapers.com. Template:Open access
- ↑ Harwood, James (December 13, 1978). "Film Reviews: Superman". Variety. p. 13. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ↑ Canby, Vincent. "Screen: It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Movie", The New York Times, December 15, 1978, p. C15.
- ↑ Champlin, Charles (December 15, 1978). "Man of Steel, Feet of Clay" Stub. Los Angeles Times. Part IV, pp. 1, 18 – via Newspapers.com. Template:Open access
- ↑ Arnold, Gary. "Look! Up on the Screen!", The Washington Post, December 15, 1978, p. E1.
- ↑ Kehr, Dave. "Superman", Chicago Reader.
- ↑ Berardinelli, James. Superman.
- ↑ Knowles, Harry. "Harry talks with JJ Abrams for a Couple of Hours about Superman", September 28, 2002.
- ↑ Hagen, Dan. "Neal Gabler", Comics Interview, Fictioneer Books, January 1988, pp. 61–63.
- ↑ The 51st Academy Awards (1979) Nominees and Winners. oscars.org.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedHughes - ↑ Film in 1979 | BAFTA Awards.
- ↑ 1979 Hugo Awards (in en-US) (2007-07-26).
- ↑ Past Saturn Award Recipients.
- ↑ Superman.
- ↑ The 51st Academy Awards | 1979 (in en).
- ↑ Film in 1979 | BAFTA Awards.
- ↑ Winners & Nominees 1979 (in en).
- ↑ Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA (1979).