There’s not a country you can go to where they don’t know Superman,” says Bryan Singer, the director of the newest Superman film, “Superman Returns,” opening in theaters next week with several area events celebrating the work of the director, who was raised in West Windsor. “The combination of his virtue, his indestructibility, and his ability to fly is what makes him so appealing to me and so many other people.”##M:[more]##
It was the Richard Donner film, “Superman: The Movie,” starring the late Christopher Reeve in the title role, that Singer saw in 1978 on opening weekend in New Jersey that opened his eyes. “It brought the character to such amazing life and yet it had a very nostalgic quality but at the same time was very contemporary,” he said.
“To do the right thing, to be able to take on anything that comes at you and to be able to soar up into the sky” says Singer. “We all have imagined at some point in our lives what it would be like to be him.”
Singer, quoted in the press materials accompanying the movie’s release, feels that he can identify with his favorite super hero because of their similarities. “Superman and I share the fact that we were both adopted,” he says. “I was an only child and he was an only child.”
Singer’s mother, Grace Sinden, who now lives in Princeton, and Reeve’s mother, Barbara Johnson, also of Princeton, will co-host a benefit screening of the movie on Tuesday, June 27, at the Princeton Public Library.
Singer began to show an interest in film as a teenager, shooting 8 mm home movies. After graduating from WW-P in 1984 Singer attended the School of Visual Arts in New York, where he directed a 25-minute, 16 mm film called “Lion’s Den,” and starring Ethan Hawke, the future film and stage star who was also a West Windsor resident and a 1988 alumnus of the Hun School.
In 1995 he teamed up with another friend from school, screenwriter Chris McQuarrie, Class of 1986, in the film “Usual Suspects.” It became Singer’s breakout film and McQuarrie won the Academy Award for best original screenplay.
Singer’s third feature film, “Apt Pupil,” starring Ian McKellen and Brad Renfro, featured pieces of West Windsor-Plainsboro High School, including the green and gold colors, the Pirate as mascot, and at least one teacher’s name that comes up in some hallway conversation between classes: Susan Fiscarelli, who taught history at WW-P during Singer’s time.
The 1984 yearbook statement by Singer begins and ends with references to the movies. He thanks his friend Jeff for their trips to the movies, and he closes with a prophetic sign-off: “See you at the movies.”
The story involves Superman’s five-year search for his family roots and his return to the Kent farm in Kansas. “Certainly in this movie he’s dealing with an incredible amount of change after being gone for five years,” said Singer. “Yet one thing remains constant — his inherent trait to use his special abilities to lead by example and to do good for the world.”
Singer wanted an unknown actor to play Superman and found Brandon Routh, 26, who was raised in Iowa. “He looks like he walked off a page in the comic book,” says Singer. “Pretty much at that point, he became my only choice because I felt confident he could handle all three roles — Kal-El, Clark Kent and Superman.”
The part of Lex Luthor was written for Kevin Spacey, who earned an Oscar for his performance in “The Usual Suspects.” The character, in prison for five years, was released when Superman did not show up for the parole hearing.
“No doubt that there is a romantic quality to the look of the movie just like there is within the story,” says Singer. “I think we successfully merged some of those iconic John Barry designs from the 1978 Donner film with the look of a 1940s romance. It’s a blend of old and new which essentially gives it a real timeless feel.”
Bryan Singer Retrospective, Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, 609-924-8822. Screening of “X2.” Friday, June 23, 7 p.m.
Superman Returns, Princeton Public Library, Garden Theater, 609-924-8822. Early screening of “Superman Returns” hosted by Christopher Reeve’s mother and Singer’s mother. Registration required. $30 to benefit the library’s teen services programs. Tuesday, June 27, 5 p.m.
The Amazing Story of Superman, Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, 609-924-8822. Kevin Burns and Bryan Singer’s documentary exploring Superman’s beginnings in comic book and his presence in movies, cartoons, and on television. Hosted by Reeve’s mother, Barbara Johnson. Thursday, June 29, 7 p.m.
