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American Morning

Interview with Matthew Reeve

Aired September 17, 2002 - 08:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER REEVE: It's hard to believe that six years have gone by. Sometimes it seems like an eternity. Sometimes it seems very short.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Actor Christopher Reeve, from a new film directed by his son, 22-year-old Matthew.

You might remember just last week we learned the star of "Superman" is now able to wiggle some of his fingers and some of his toes, amazing progress for the doctors watching this. Reeve has been paralyzed from the neck down since a riding accident back in 1995. And Matthew Reeve followed his father for the past year. His documentary, "Christopher Reeve: Courageous Steps," airs Wednesday on ABC.

Matthew Reeve is here with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

Great to see you.

MATTHEW REEVE, SON OF CHRISTOPHER REEVE: You, too. Thanks for having me.

HEMMER: I've got to think you guys became incredibly close over the past year. Fair statement?

REEVE: Yes, no, we did. We spent a lot more time together and we've developed a professional relationship that hadn't previously existed. And it was a lot of fun doing it.

HEMMER: I want to show our viewers a few of the clips essentially that are contained in this documentary. The first one, I call it physical therapy because your father has talked so often about how important it is for him to do this four, five hours a day to have any shot, any chance. What are we watching here?

REEVE: Here we're seeing him do the electrical stimulation, bicycle. Electrodes are placed on his legs and they stimulate the muscles and allow him to push the pedals. And the assistant you see there is just sort of guiding the circular motion of the pedals. But it's mostly him doing the workout.

HEMMER: Does have ever not want to work out? Does he ever get up and say you know what, I'm tired today? REEVE: Not that I've seen. You know, he works out as his schedule permits. So obviously, you know, if he's busy or, you know, has other things to do, he doesn't get a chance always. But he'll make it up later on in the week if he can.

HEMMER: Yes. Another clip. Walk us through this one, too, if you could. I believe this is father, son and some pictures we're looking at.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is supposed to have someone in it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's like leaving the chair behind, after all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REEVE: Yes, this is, he just wrote a book that is actually out today called "Nothing Is Impossible: Reflections On A New Life." And I took the photographs for it. And we're just here, he's sort of approving the photos that I'd taken.

HEMMER: Like any good client would, huh?

REEVE: Well, exactly. I mean, you know, I worked for him on this, on the book, and he worked for me on the documentary.

HEMMER: Let's cross roll to another piece of tape here. This is a birthday party. I'm assuming it was a year ago when he turned 49, is that right?

REEVE: Yes, that's his 49th birthday, yes, September 25th last year.

HEMMER: He has said that by the time he's 50 he will walk again. That is one week away. Do you guys ever talk about the goal he set for himself and knowing in all reality right now that he's a long way from doing that?

REEVE: Well, what he really said was that he hoped to stand by his 50th birthday, not walk. And yes, we're aware that that's not going to happen next Wednesday. But he's definitely farther than he should be and I think it is a matter of time.

HEMMER: What does it mean to you seeing your father go through this with the attitude that he has had?

REEVE: It's just really impressive. You know, he just, his determination, there's no really other word for it, it's just impressive. He, no matter what, just, you know, exercises and he's doing his best in whatever he can to get out of that wheelchair.

HEMMER: I understand one time he expressed his, I don't know if it was a feeling of guilt -- you can characterize it better than I could -- about the accident itself and what he's put the family through since then. What did he say about that?

REEVE: Well, as you'll see in the documentary, he says he felt guilty that, you know, there are three children, there are three of us, my sister and her father Will and his wife Dana. And he felt guilty having sort of, I guess, incapacitated himself. But he shouldn't and there's no need for him to feel guilty. It was a freak accident. It's not his fault.

HEMMER: What did you think of the news last week? How did it hit you?

REEVE: Well, to be honest, I've known about it for about two years now.

HEMMER: Oh, you have? OK. So it's just coming out now?

REEVE: Yes. That's, no, him moving the finger was why I started to do this film. I thought it would be great to see his journey from moving one finger to up and walking and so I'm going to continue to film starting next Wednesday, his 50th birthday, up until he's up and walking.

HEMMER: Take care of him, OK?

REEVE: Will do. Thanks very much.

HEMMER: You're a good son.

Matthew Reeve, thanks for stopping by.

REEVE: Well, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired September 17, 2002 - 08:16   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER REEVE: It's hard to believe that six years have gone by. Sometimes it seems like an eternity. Sometimes it seems very short.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Actor Christopher Reeve, from a new film directed by his son, 22-year-old Matthew.

You might remember just last week we learned the star of "Superman" is now able to wiggle some of his fingers and some of his toes, amazing progress for the doctors watching this. Reeve has been paralyzed from the neck down since a riding accident back in 1995. And Matthew Reeve followed his father for the past year. His documentary, "Christopher Reeve: Courageous Steps," airs Wednesday on ABC.

Matthew Reeve is here with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

Great to see you.

MATTHEW REEVE, SON OF CHRISTOPHER REEVE: You, too. Thanks for having me.

HEMMER: I've got to think you guys became incredibly close over the past year. Fair statement?

REEVE: Yes, no, we did. We spent a lot more time together and we've developed a professional relationship that hadn't previously existed. And it was a lot of fun doing it.

HEMMER: I want to show our viewers a few of the clips essentially that are contained in this documentary. The first one, I call it physical therapy because your father has talked so often about how important it is for him to do this four, five hours a day to have any shot, any chance. What are we watching here?

REEVE: Here we're seeing him do the electrical stimulation, bicycle. Electrodes are placed on his legs and they stimulate the muscles and allow him to push the pedals. And the assistant you see there is just sort of guiding the circular motion of the pedals. But it's mostly him doing the workout.

HEMMER: Does have ever not want to work out? Does he ever get up and say you know what, I'm tired today? REEVE: Not that I've seen. You know, he works out as his schedule permits. So obviously, you know, if he's busy or, you know, has other things to do, he doesn't get a chance always. But he'll make it up later on in the week if he can.

HEMMER: Yes. Another clip. Walk us through this one, too, if you could. I believe this is father, son and some pictures we're looking at.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is supposed to have someone in it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's like leaving the chair behind, after all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REEVE: Yes, this is, he just wrote a book that is actually out today called "Nothing Is Impossible: Reflections On A New Life." And I took the photographs for it. And we're just here, he's sort of approving the photos that I'd taken.

HEMMER: Like any good client would, huh?

REEVE: Well, exactly. I mean, you know, I worked for him on this, on the book, and he worked for me on the documentary.

HEMMER: Let's cross roll to another piece of tape here. This is a birthday party. I'm assuming it was a year ago when he turned 49, is that right?

REEVE: Yes, that's his 49th birthday, yes, September 25th last year.

HEMMER: He has said that by the time he's 50 he will walk again. That is one week away. Do you guys ever talk about the goal he set for himself and knowing in all reality right now that he's a long way from doing that?

REEVE: Well, what he really said was that he hoped to stand by his 50th birthday, not walk. And yes, we're aware that that's not going to happen next Wednesday. But he's definitely farther than he should be and I think it is a matter of time.

HEMMER: What does it mean to you seeing your father go through this with the attitude that he has had?

REEVE: It's just really impressive. You know, he just, his determination, there's no really other word for it, it's just impressive. He, no matter what, just, you know, exercises and he's doing his best in whatever he can to get out of that wheelchair.

HEMMER: I understand one time he expressed his, I don't know if it was a feeling of guilt -- you can characterize it better than I could -- about the accident itself and what he's put the family through since then. What did he say about that?

REEVE: Well, as you'll see in the documentary, he says he felt guilty that, you know, there are three children, there are three of us, my sister and her father Will and his wife Dana. And he felt guilty having sort of, I guess, incapacitated himself. But he shouldn't and there's no need for him to feel guilty. It was a freak accident. It's not his fault.

HEMMER: What did you think of the news last week? How did it hit you?

REEVE: Well, to be honest, I've known about it for about two years now.

HEMMER: Oh, you have? OK. So it's just coming out now?

REEVE: Yes. That's, no, him moving the finger was why I started to do this film. I thought it would be great to see his journey from moving one finger to up and walking and so I'm going to continue to film starting next Wednesday, his 50th birthday, up until he's up and walking.

HEMMER: Take care of him, OK?

REEVE: Will do. Thanks very much.

HEMMER: You're a good son.

Matthew Reeve, thanks for stopping by.

REEVE: Well, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com