Margot Kidder (1948-2018)
Monday, May 14, 2018 at 7:23PM
NATHANIEL R in Margot Kidder, RIP, Superman

by Nathaniel R

My generation lost its Superman, Christopher Reeve, tragically early 14 years ago. And now we've lost our Lois Lane. The Canadian American actress Margot Kidder has passed away at 69. I can still picture the heroes flying together across that Metropolis sky. And I do mean heroes plural. The magic of the first two Superman films was definitely in the fact that they understood Lois's heroism, too. Their faces aren't the only thing burned in memory but their voices, too... 

Reeve's aw-shucks earnestness was perfectly countered by Kidder's raspy screwball resulting in delightful bickering. Maureen McGovern sang the love theme "Can You Read My Mind?" while they flew (I remember the song so fondly from my sister playing the sheet music on the piano). One supposed the song was to heighten the romanticism of the moment but Reeve and Kidder didn't need  much help in the chemistry department; future big screen Supermans and Lois Lanes have never come anywhere close.

Kidder first gained fans in cult horror hits like Sisters (1972) and Black Christmas (1974) but her career came to be defined by the splashy success of three hits in quick succession: Superman (1978), The Amityville Horror (1979), and Superman 2 (1980). But the actress struggled with fame and with bipolar disorder. That didn't stop her, though, from carving out a career on stage and screen, and from becoming a political activist. Like Lois, she proved tenacious. 

Most will be sharing pictures of Margot Kidder as Lois Lane. Instead, I thought I'd share this. #MargotKidder, handcuffed and smiling, being arrested at the White House for peacefully sitting against the potential environmental destruction of the Keystone pipeline. pic.twitter.com/CUFdHb9u9O

— Tom Taylor (@TomTaylorMade) May 14, 2018

Margot Kidder should be remembered as much for courageously, candidly discussing her battles with mental illness as for any screen role.
There are no Supermen— or women. It is not a character deficiency to acknowledge such struggles and get the help and treatment you need!
RIP pic.twitter.com/ZD6RB3cfzU

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) May 14, 2018

May she rest in peace. 

Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).
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